DCNR’s Bureau of Forestry - a Shop Local Save Land Partner - is soliciting comments on the draft 2011 High Conservation Value Forests (HCVF) Analysis & Identification. Input must be received by December 7, 2011.

This HCVF Analysis & Identification describes the process followed to identify high conservation values that are present on State Forest lands and how they will be managed. Pennsylvania state forests are certified by the Rainforest Alliance under the Forest Stewardship Council™ (FSC®) standards. FSC® introduced the concept of HCVFs to ensure identification and proper management of forest areas with exceptional conservation value. The FSC® is an independent organization supporting environmentally appropriate, socially beneficial, and economically viable management of the world's forests.

The HCVF analysis identified areas on State Forest lands that had exceptional value with one or more of the following values:

• Significant concentrations of biodiversity (e.g. endangered species, refugia)
• Significant large landscape-level forests
• Are in or contain rare, threatened or endangered ecosystems
• Provide basic services of nature in critical situations (e.g. watershed protection)
• Areas fundamental to meeting basic needs of local communities
• Areas critical to local communities’ traditional cultural identity

Identifying and managing Pennsylvania’s State Forest land’s highest conservation value forests will require continued coordination and partnerships among stakeholder groups and individuals. Your feedback is critical and will be considered as DCNR designates and manages to sustain High Conservation Value Forests on State Forest lands.

Those interested in participating are strongly encouraged to review the draft documents posted on the Bureau of Forestry’s website.

Please submit comments to RA-RPI@pa.gov by Wednesday, December 7.

This 2011 HCVF Analysis & Identification process provides DCNR the opportunity to identify the many conservation values of the forest and propose management strategies to ensure their sustainability. We appreciate your passion for Pennsylvania’s forests and look forward to hearing from you.