Forestland is Stable Across Most
of Pennsylvania
In 1630, forests covered an estimated 95 percent of Pennsylvania.
Then, beginning in the mid-1800s, nearly all the forests in
Pennsylvania were harvested by the developing nation for
agriculture and wood products. The area of forestland reached an
all-time low of about 30 percent in 1907.
Since the early 1900s, the forests have recovered and total
forestland area appears stable. The current inventory shows no
net loss of forestland statewide. Today, forests cover about 58
percent of the land area in Pennsylvania, totaling 16.6 million
acres, compared to 16.8 million acres and 16.7 million acres
in 1978 and 1989, respectively. However, certain portions of
Pennsylvania, especially the southeast and south- central regions,
are losing forestland to sprawl and development. Regional
analyses to determine changes in forestland area are underway
and future reports will provide insights as data become available.