What’s New
Northeast Mid-Atlantic Forests & Water Forum
The third in-person Northeast Mid-Atlantic Forests & Water Forum was held last week in Williamsport, Pennsylvania. We were thrilled to, once again, bring together forestry and water professionals from Maine to West Virginia to support this growing collaborative network.
On September 23rd, about 55 people attended a half-day field trip hosted by the Williamsport Municipal Water Authority (WMWA). Attendees took a tour of their collaborative environmental education center and learned about the history of the Williamsport Municipal Water Authority and Watershed, walked part of the watershed, took a bus tour through the forested watershed to view utility dams and reservoirs, and toured the drinking water treatment plant.
On September 24th, more than 80 people attended a full day of workshop sessions at the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (PA DEP) Northcentral Regional Office. The day consisted of panel presentations and discussions from water utility and forestry professionals, watershed case study presentations from across the region, funding presentations, and ample opportunities to network and connect with others in their state and across the region.
A sincere thank-you to our local hosts, PA DEP and WMWA, as well as the volunteer planning committee who worked hard to plan and run the forum. Stay tuned for more highlights and resources in our next newsletter!
Project Spotlight!
Tioga Fallbrook Mined Land Reforestation
The Fallbrook area has a long history of coal mining that has left the area with different landcovers. Due to the harsh conditions that remained after the latest mining was completed, the area has struggled to recover forest cover. The failure to return to forest cover was due to highly compacted soils and competition from the non-native invasive species that colonized the site after mining was completed. The area was prone to stormwater runoff events that increased sediment and nutrient loading to the surrounding streams. The reduced vegetative cover that persisted also contributed to an increase in surface water that infiltrated and became acid mine drainage that emanated from several point source locations.
181,000 trees were planted on 200 acres. 120 acres of invasive autumn olive, bush honeysuckle, and multiflora rose were cleared. Professionals planted 198 acres and volunteers planted an additional 2 acres. Deer exclusion fence was installed totaling around 21,000 linear feet. Nearly 9 acres of dedicated pollinator field was constructed and 200 lbs. of WSG and pollinator mix was spread throughout the reforestation prep area. 4 acres were burned in the DCNR prescribed burn plan to remove and control invasive spotted knapweed prior to planting trees in future years. Approximately 60 people were engaged during the two days of volunteer planting held in April.
This project will prevent the increased runoff as well as increase the evapotranspiration as the vegetation matures into a functioning forest ecosystem. The native plants and trees that were used for this project will allow the area to return to the forest cover type that existed prior to mineral extraction. A key aspect of the project was the ability to work with both public and private landowners cooperatively to re-establish the forest in an unfragmented state.
Commonwealth University- Mansfield will utilize the site as a living laboratory as they train future environmental professionals. Their research and data collection will help aid and design future mine reforestation projects as well as document the success at this site.
Read more about the project here and contact Eric Oliver, eric.oliver@greenforestswork.org with Green Forests Work if you have questions!
Share Your Story
It’s your turn! Do you have a success, lesson learned, or project you want to see in our next newsletter? Take 3 minutes to share your story in the form (or by clicking the link below) – your experiences help tell the story of this Partnership and inspire others across the region!
Partner Updates
From Flood to Recovery: NRCS EWP Program in Action
On July 14, 2025, an intense storm with heavy rainfall hit Sullivan County, Pennsylvania. As a result, five projects were identified as needing assistance through the NRCS Emergency Watershed Protection (EWP) Program. NRCS provides financial and engineering assistance to local communities to assist them in stabilizing streambanks, removing debris, establishing vegetative cover, and addressing other natural resource-related concerns caused by flooding. Projects in the Davidson Township area included installing over 1,000 feet of streambank protection along eroded and unstable channel stream banks that posed an imminent threat to six adjacent residences. In addition, the projects provided 480 feet of protection to two township roads, as well as protection of three bridges. Read more about the projects here.
This year, Source Water Protection Week is being celebrated on September 27-October 3, 2026. Join the American Water Works Association and fellow partners to promote all the ways we can “Protect the Source,” by sharing information with your networks, creating posts on social media, and helping to encourage actions aimed at protecting our nation’s drinking water sources. The campaign supports programs that protect drinking water sources such as rivers, lakes, reservoirs and underground wells from pollution, which is the most effective and least expensive way to keep drinking water safe and healthy. It also seeks to foster collaboration and partnerships with various stakeholders, including agriculture, forest management, states, water utilities, local businesses, developers, and all of you. Celebrate this exciting time of year by checking out tools and resources from the Source Water Collaborative which can help you take and promote action during Source Water Protection Week.
Learning Opportunities
Keeping Forests Social Network Explorer
Last month, Keeping Forests released their Network Explorer, which turns their 2023 Social Network Analysis into an analytical tool. What began as a static study of 80 organizations across the U.S. South is now something you can explore on your own. Search by issue and geography, see where resources are offered and needed, find the network’s most powerful influencers, brokers, and information exchangers, and trace how any organization relates to the rest of the network. While the tool is focused on the southeast, many of the players are also active in the northeast or have northeastern counterparts which could help you identify a new partner or way to work with an existing partner! Read more about the development here and launch the explorer here.
Piloting Watershed Investment Models in the U.S. South Webinar
Keeping Forests is also hosting a webinar on investing in watershed resilience on September 30th from 2:00-3:00 PM ET. In this webinar, they’ll share finding from their work at the intersection of forests and water and introduce the next phase of their work: working with a small number of places to identify the forest and land-use challenges that matter locally, understand who benefits from keeping forests working, and explore the partnerships, actions, and sources of investment that could help sustain them.
This conversation is especially relevant for watershed organizations, conservation and forestry partners, utilities and water providers, community and economic development organizations, land trusts, agencies, and others working at the intersection of land, water, and economic change. You can register here.
Funding Opportunities
NRCS Conservation Program Funding
The USDA is making historic investment in conservation on agricultural lands through NRCS as a result of the conservation funding provided by the Working Families Tax Cuts Act. Programs include the Agricultural Conservation Easement Program (ACEP), Agricultural Management Assistance (AMA), Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP), and Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP). While NRCS accepts applications year-round, deadlines for fiscal year 2027 are coming up and vary by state (e.g., October 16th to be considered for FY27 funding from NRCS West Virginia’s Conservation Program). Search for opportunities in your state today and help spread the word!
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