PRINTER'S NO. 3489
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
HOUSE RESOLUTION
No.
901
Session of
2018
INTRODUCED BY HARPER, LONGIETTI, READSHAW, NEILSON, MILLARD,
MURT, KINSEY, YOUNGBLOOD, DONATUCCI, CALTAGIRONE, MALONEY,
D. COSTA, STURLA, BRIGGS, BIZZARRO, CORBIN, METZGAR,
McCLINTON, HILL-EVANS, DiGIROLAMO, V. BROWN, BURNS, MARSICO,
VITALI, HENNESSEY, TOOHIL, SAMUELSON, STAATS, D. MILLER,
MARSHALL, GROVE, DRISCOLL, SAYLOR, SCHWEYER, O'NEILL,
M. QUINN, DALEY, WARREN, ROEBUCK, HEFFLEY, GOODMAN AND
BENNINGHOFF, MAY 3, 2018
INTRODUCED AS NONCONTROVERSIAL RESOLUTION UNDER RULE 35,
MAY 3, 2018
A RESOLUTION
Recognizing the 125th anniversary of the State forest system and
establishment of the first State park in Pennsylvania.
WHEREAS, On May 23, 1893, Governor Robert E. Pattison signed
Act No. 68, which established the Pennsylvania Forestry
Commission, and on May 30 of the same year, Governor Pattison
signed Act No. 130, which enabled the Commonwealth to purchase
and establish the first State park at Valley Forge; and
WHEREAS, Dr. Joseph T. Rothrock, the first forestry
commissioner, and other visionary leaders of the Commonwealth
understood that forest lands stripped and denigrated by
unsustainable timbering and industrial activity could be
restored through modern conservation practices and careful
stewardship; and
WHEREAS, The Commonwealth began to establish a State Forest
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
Reserve with the purchase of 7,500 acres in Clinton County to be
used to "furnish timber, protect the water supply of Young
Woman's Creek, and to provide recreation for citizens"; and
WHEREAS, Mira Lloyd Dock, considered to be the mother of
forestry in this Commonwealth, assisted in acquiring the first
million acres of the State forest system and educated future
foresters; and
WHEREAS, Governor Gifford Pinchot had the vision to create a
network of forestry work camps that served as a model for the
formation of the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC); and
WHEREAS, Governor Pinchot made extensive use of the CCC in
reforesting this Commonwealth and building trails, pavilions,
bridges, dams, cabins and other recreational amenities in our
State parks and State forests; and
WHEREAS, The Bureau of State Parks was formed in 1929 for the
"purpose of promoting outdoor recreation and education, and
making available for such use natural areas of unusual scenic
beauty, especially such as provide impressive views, waterfalls,
gorges, creeks, caves, or other unique and interesting
features"; and
WHEREAS, In 1955, the appointment of Maurice K. Goddard as
Secretary of Forests and Waters led to his proposal for locating
a State park within 25 miles of every resident in this
Commonwealth, culminating in the number of State parks nearly
doubling; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Goddard spearheaded the passage of Act No. 256
of 1955, known as the Oil and Gas Lease Fund Act, which
earmarked royalties from oil and gas leases from State-owned
lands for conservation and land acquisition; and
WHEREAS, Statutes enacted in the 1960s authorized Project 70
20180HR0901PN3489 - 2 -
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
and Project 500 bond measures that provided funding for parks,
forestry, recreational facilities, conservation, land
acquisition, water quality and pollution control; and
WHEREAS, The passage of Act No. 50 of 1993, known as the
Keystone Recreation, Park and Conservation Act, has funded
hundreds of State parks and State forest improvement projects in
this Commonwealth; and
WHEREAS, From 2009 to 2011, the Bureau of State Parks was
awarded the nation's top honor, the National Gold Medal Award
for Excellence in Park and Recreation Management, by the
American Academy of Park and Recreation Administration in
partnership with the National Recreation and Park Association;
and
WHEREAS, State forests in this Commonwealth are certified as
"well-managed" by the Forest Stewardship Council, assuring
consumers from across the globe that wood products are harvested
in an environmentally responsible manner; and
WHEREAS, The recent enactment of the Growing Greener I and II
programs has provided valuable investments in hundreds of State
park and State forest projects, including modernization and
improvement of infrastructure; and
WHEREAS, Today, the State forest system is managed by the
Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, whose central
location is housed in a building named after Rachel Carson, a
driving force of the national conservation movement in the
middle of the 20th century; and
WHEREAS, Currently, the State forest system is comprised of
121 State parks and conservation areas in 20 districts with more
than 2.2 million acres of forest land located in 48 of the 67
counties of this Commonwealth; therefore be it
20180HR0901PN3489 - 3 -
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives recognize the
125th anniversary of the State forest system and establishment
of the first State park in Pennsylvania.
20180HR0901PN3489 - 4 -
1
2
3