Pennsylvania’s new state forester believes trees are one of the state’s most valuable resources, and he realizes there are many challenges to preserving the forests.
Seth Cassell, of Halifax, and a York County native, leads the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources Bureau of Forestry. The bureau manages 2.2 million acres of state forestland, conserves native wild plants and promotes stewardship of forest resources.
“Seth is a proven leader with a heart for public service and we are proud to have him as Pennsylvania’s new state forester and director of our Bureau of Forestry,” DCNR Secretary Cindy Adams Dunn said Oct. 4.
“This role is critical in DCNR’s operations and leadership, as well as on the national level related to forest management issues. Seth is well respected among colleagues and works in a collaborative way,” she said.
Cassell, 47, who has worked for 23 years in various bureau positions, said his new role is his dream job.
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He grew up in Etters and enjoyed the rural ridge areas. “Every chance I would get, I would go out in the woods and enjoy being around the trees. My friends and I built forts and we played in the streams. As we got older, we hunted and fished,” he said in a telephone interview.
He soon realized the value of forests as he witnessed the loss of access to forested lands posted by private landowners and developments that removed the trees.
“It really influenced me to want to dedicate a career in the natural resources. Making our commonwealth a better place, making our forests a better place. Those early lessons of connection to our forests and woodlots of northern York County, but also seeing some of the challenges of keeping them in forests and keeping places where people could recreate. Seeing some of those losses sort of gave me a call to action and I wanted to dedicate my career toward conserving our forests,” he said.
And as the fall foliage peaks, he said it’s a special time for everyone to appreciate trees.
“Right now is the time to be out. We are really getting into the heart of it. This is actually shaping up to be a really good year. It’s mainly because we had some really good growing conditions this summer with the consistent rain we had in a lot of areas,” he said.
Challenges of maintaining Pennsylvania's forests
Some of the challenges the bureau faces include invasive insects and plants. The staff creates effective management strategies for invasive plants, but also insects like spongy moths that prefer oak trees and woolly adelgid that kill hemlock trees.
“We have a very resilient forest in Pennsylvania. Our forests have been through a lot,” he said. There was widespread deforestation in the early 1900s but conservation efforts have persevered. “They came back with a vigor and they came back with a high degree of diversity,” he said.
An ongoing goal is to make sure there is a diverse variety of trees on the landscape. “If one is impacted by a pest, there are other native trees that can take its place,” he said.
The bureau works throughout the year to maintain the trees. They also work on strategies for sustainable timber sales.
Another responsibility involves work on recreational opportunities like hiking trails. “All of those things take planning and coordination and a lot of hard work. We have a lot of dedicated natural resource and forester professionals from our organization and they really work hard every day to make sure our forests stay healthy and make sure our state forest system is welcoming for all people to come and recreate and enjoy their natural beauty,” he said.
Some parts of the state, such as in Cook State Forest, have old-growth forests that date more than 300 years. “They were around for the birthplace of our nation,” he said. The state designates them as natural areas and the agency is working on creating future old-growth areas where certain trees are protected indefinitely. “Several hundred years from now there will be future old growth and people can go see big trees. They (the trees) will continue to store carbon and provide wildlife habitat,” he said.
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Wildfire management in Pennsylvania forests
While some wildfires start from natural causes like lightning strikes, he said many are started accidentally by people, such as when trash burns get out of control.
“With climate change, we are starting to see longer fire seasons,” he said. There are places where wildfires were not much of a concern in the past are now starting to have fires.
In Pennsylvania, most wildfires happen in the spring and fall when there’s less foliage.
Fire can be a tool to make forests healthier. “Prescribed fires, fires that we are intentionally using as a management tool, can help reduce the fuel load so a really bad forest fire doesn’t come along. It can also help with landscape resilience and wildlife habitat,” he said.
Carbon storage
Trees absorb carbon dioxide and are known sources of carbon that fuel a variety of building industries.
“It’s just another example of the value that our forests provide to people in our society. Our forests do so much ? clean air, clean water, wildlife habitat, scenic beauty. But with the challenges with climate change, storing carbon is yet another value of Penn’s Woods. Our forests are doing a lot work for us out there growing and storing carbon to mitigate climate change,” he said.
Trees provide shade for cooling and absorb noise pollution in urban areas.
What the public can do
People can plant native tree species in their yards and communities. “Planting a tree is one great act that has so many benefits, and one of those benefits is helping to mitigate from climate change,” Cassell said. Trees near buildings help keep buildings cool in the summer and catpure and store carbon from the air.
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Cassell’s background
Cassell has served the commonwealth for three decades. He’s served in the Army National Guard for 30 years and is a lieutenant colonel. He commands the 193rd Special Operations Aircraft Maintenance Squadron.
Cassell graduated from Penn State with a bachelor’s degree in journalism and a master’s degree in forest resources. He has completed graduate-level programs from the Air War College and Air Command & Staff College.
He lives in Halifax with his wife, Amy, and their children, Zane and Ayla. He enjoys woodworking, hunting, fly fishing, hiking, canoeing, vegetable gardening and playing guitar and banjo.
In thinking about his new leadership position, he said, “It’s an honor to have been chosen. I think it’s one of the best jobs anybody could ever have. Our forests are so important. Our employees are so dedicated, and the opportunity to lead the organization with this important work really is a dream come true for me,” he said.
“Our forests are so important to Pennsylvania, it’s something we have to be successful in managing, and I take the responsibility seriously and I’m humbled by the appointment,” he said.
Brian Whipkey is the outdoors columnist for USA TODAY Network sites in Pennsylvania. Contact him at[email protected] and sign up for our weekly Go Outdoors PA newsletter email on this website's homepage under your login name. Follow him on Facebook@whipkeyoutdoors, and Instagram atwhipkeyoutdoors.