The Conservation Movement in Pennsylvania: Developing a Historic Context and Guidelines Evaluating State Forests and Parks

The removal of timber by lumber companies during the Industrial Revolution caused wide spread environmental degradation and spurred a movement to preserve forests. At a time when conservation was a new concept to a nation that had a history of exploiting its resources, Pennsylvania led the way and helped shape a national policy of managed use of forests. This project creates a historic context for the conservation movement in Pennsylvania and develops guidelines to evaluate state forests and parks for eligibility to the National Register of Historic Places. In Pennsylvania, there are insufficient guidelines to evaluate these properties resulting in their underrepresentation on the National Register of Historic Places. Development of a thorough context for these properties will allow for the identification and evaluation of more resources and create a better understanding of the role that Pennsylvania’s conservation movement played in preserving forests and developing parks, both in the state and nationally.