Sproul State Forest

Geobox Protected Area
name = Sproul State Forest
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category_local = Pennsylvania State Forest
category_iucn = Managed Resource Protected Area (IUCN VI)


image_caption = View of the West Branch Susquehanna River valley and Sproul State Forest, looking east from Hyner View State Park.
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country = United States
state = Pennsylvania
region_type = Counties
region = Centre
region1 = Clinton
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location =
lat_d = 41
lat_m = 19
lat_s = 40
lat_NS = N
long_d = 77
long_m = 44
long_s = 58
long_EW = W
elevation_imperial =
elevation_round = 1
area_unit = acre
area_imperial = 280000
area_round = 1
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management_body = Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources
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free_type = Nearest city
free = Renovo, Pennsylvania
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map_caption = Location Map of Sproul State Forest Holdings
map1 = Pennsylvania Locator Map.png map1_caption = Location of Sproul State Forest's headquarters in Pennsylvania
map1_locator = Pennsylvania
map_first =
website = [http://www.dcnr.state.pa.us/forestry/stateforests/sproul.aspx Sproul State Forest]

Sproul State Forest is a Pennsylvania State Forest in Pennsylvania Bureau of Forestry District #10. The main offices are located in Renovo, Pennsylvania in Clinton County in the United States.

The forest is located in western Clinton County and northern Centre County and contains convert|280000|acre|km2|2 of land. It was named for former Pennsylvania governor William C. Sproul (in office from 1919 to 1923).

The first land for what became Sproul State Forest was purchased in 1898. This was also the first land purchased by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania for what are now the twenty Pennsylvania State Forests, with over two million acres (8,000 km²) of forest.

History

Sproul State Forest was formed as a direct result of the depletion of the forests of Pennsylvania that took place during the mid to late 1800s. Conservationists like Dr. Joseph Rothrock became concerned that the forests would not regrow if they were not managed properly. Lumber and Iron companies had harvested the old growth forests for various reasons. The clear cut the forests and left behind nothing but dried tree tops and rotting stumps. The sparks of passing steam locomotives ignited wildfires that prevented the formation of second growth forests. The conservationists feared that the forest would never regrow if there was not a change in the philosophy of forest management. They called for the state to purchase land from the lumber and iron companies and the lumber and iron companies were more than willing to sell their land since that had depleted the natural resources of the forests. cite web |url = http://www.dcnr.state.pa.us/forestry/stateforests/valleyforgehistory.aspx |title = History of the William Penn State Forest |accessdate = 2007-08-29 |publisher = Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources ] The changes began to take place in 1895 when Dr. Rothrock was appointed the first commissioner of the Pennsylvania Department of Forests and Waters, the forerunner of today's Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. The Pennsylvania General Assembly passed a piece of legislation in 1897 that authorized the purchase of "unseated lands for forest reservations." This was the beginning of the State Forest system.

Adjoining State Forests

*Susquehannock State Forest to the north
*Tiadaghton State Forest to the east
*Bald Eagle State Forest to the southeast
*Rothrock State Forest to the south
*Moshannon State Forest to the southwest
*Elk State Forest to the west

Nearby State Parks

*Bucktail State Park Natural Area
*Kettle Creek State Park
*Hyner Run State Park
*Hyner View State Park
*Bald Eagle State Park

References

*cite web
url = http://www.dcnr.state.pa.us/forestry/stateforests/sproul.aspx
title = Sproul State Forest
accessdate = 2006-07-14
publisher = Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources "Note: As of July 2006, this web page has not been updated to reflect the Pennsylvania State Forest Districts realignment."
*cite web
url = http://www.dcnr.state.pa.us/forestry/images/district_realignment.gif
title = State Forest Districts
accessdate = 2006-07-14
publisher = Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources "Note: Map showing districts after the July 1, 2005 realignment"