Exploring the Bureau of Forestry with Director Seth Cassell

“Everybody can be a steward of Penn’s Woods in some way.”

Our host, Marci Mowery, sits down with Seth Cassell, Director of the Pennsylvania Bureau of Forestry, also known as the State Forester, to take a sweeping look at one of Pennsylvania’s most consequential and quietly essential agencies.

Seth came to the role with a deep reverence for the state’s remarkable forest heritage and a vision for what stewardship in the 21st century demands.

Pennsylvania’s Bureau of Forestry oversees more than 2.2 million acres of state forest, but Seth is quick to point out that its reach goes far beyond that number.

With 16 million acres of total forest in the commonwealth (70% of it privately owned), the Bureau operates as a statewide resource, providing technical assistance to roughly 650,000 private landowners, coordinating wildfire suppression, planting riparian buffers, and advancing urban tree canopy programs.

Pennsylvania holds a rare distinction. It was the first state to certify its entire state forest system under the Forest Stewardship Council, achieving that milestone in 1998, and later added Sustainable Forestry Initiative certification to become dual-certified, a testament to decades of rigorous, accountable management.

The Bureau’s new strategic plan, Forests for All, signals a meaningful cultural shift, explicitly naming people and communities in its mission for the first time.

Recreation across the system runs the gamut from scenic driving and snowmobiling to primitive backcountry camping on river islands, with a particular emphasis on the irreplaceable value of quiet. Wild and natural areas like Allen Seeger and Hammersley offer Pennsylvania’s closest thing to true wilderness, while a growing focus on soundscape research reflects a commitment to protecting that stillness.

Seth champions the power of partnership, crediting the Pennsylvania Parks and Forests Foundation and a broad ecosystem of collaborators as essential to delivering on the Bureau’s mission.

He believes that everyone can be a steward of Penn’s Woods.

Key Topics:

• Ecosystem Management Explained (01:19)
• The “Forests for All” Strategic Plan (10:12)
• Incident Management and Emergency Response (14:10)
• Recreational Opportunities in State Forests (15:36)
• Camping: Primitive, Roadside, and Water Trails (21:08)
• Wild Areas and Natural Areas (25:28)
• Forests and Water Quality (27:54)
• The Value of Planting Trees (29:34)
• Wildfire Prevention and Spring Fire Season (33:25)
• Partnership and the Trail Stewards Program (37:31)

Resources:

• Bureau of Forestry
• Strategic Plan
• Role of Quiet
• Forests, Clean Water and Craft Beverages
• Finley Center for Private Forests
• Take Along Guide to Wild and Natural Areas
• Mira Lloyd Dock
• Burn Bans