Bloomfield Forest

Located near the intersection of State Highways 8 and 77 at Riceville Corners, Bloomfield Forest is a blend of woods and reverting farm fields. A small stream and ravine traverse the property, eventually feeding Bloomfield Run, a tributary to Oil Creek. The forest is a mix of hemlock, maple, cherry, oak, and other species. The property was purchased in 2024 from the Alsdorf Family with support from the PA DCNR Community Conservation Partnerships Program via the Keystone Fund.

Year Acquired: 2024

Size: 63 Acres

Location: Bloomfield Twp., Crawford County, PA

Public Access: Yes, open to non-destructive public access. A driveway off of State Highway 77 leads to a well clearing where parking is available, but the access is currently undeveloped and rustic. Please do not block the driveway or access to the well. Four-wheel drive may be necessary to use the driveway.

Public Hunting: Yes

 Google Maps Link 

Blooming Valley Forest

One of the original properties owned by the Foundation for Sustainable Forests, the 128-acre Blooming Valley forest was protected in 2004, after decades of being managed by Founder Troy Firth.

Year Acquired: 2004

Size: 128 acres

Location: Woodcock Twp., Crawford County, PA

Public Access: Yes, open for non-destructive public access. Parking pull-offs are located at the FSF signs on Stoltz Road and Price Road.

Public Hunting: No

 Google Maps Link - Stoltz Rd. 

 Google Maps Link - Price Rd. 

Bo's Woods

Bo’s Woods is a 132-acre property donated by Karen Schindler in memory of her late husband, Robert "Bo" Schindler. Reflecting on Bo’s enjoyment of the land and what the property donation means to her, Karen recalls a lyric from Bo’s favorite band, The Rolling Stones. “A smile relieves a heart that grieves.” We hope walking among the hemlocks at Bo’s Woods brings a smile to your face too.

The property features a hemlock bottomland forest with a small tributary that meanders through the trees on its way to Spring Creek. Drier upland portions of the property contain mixed hardwood forest.

Year Acquired: 2024

Size: 132 acres

Location: Spring Creek Twp., Warren County, PA

Public Access: No, the property is not open to the public at this time.

Public Hunting and Fishing: No

 Google Maps Link 

Buells Corners

This 96-acre tract was donated by Troy Firth in 2019 as part of the  Caldwell Creek Watershed Conservation Project . Part of a Keystone Fund project, the property is open to public access for non-motorized uses, including hunting, hiking, bird-watching, and nature photography.

Year Acquired: 2019

Size: 96 acres

Location: Eldred Twp., Warren County, PA

Public Access: Yes, open to non-destructive public access. Parking pull-off is located at the red gate with FSF sign on Buells Corners Road.

Public Hunting: Yes

 Google Maps Link 

Culbertson Forest

One of the first properties under the FSF's protection, this 40-acre forest was donated by FSF Founder, Troy Firth, in 2005. The forest has two characteristic stands - one area features mature beech and hard maple in the northwest section that has always been wooded, and the southeastern portion consists of red oak, soft maple, and other mixed hardwoods that may have been cleared at one time under previous ownership but has developed into a nice stand. The southwestern portion has recently reverted from old field, and consists mainly of soft maple with some red oak. The property is landlocked, with access for stewardship activity but not for public recreational use.

Year Acquired: 2005

Size: 40 acres

Location: Cussewago Twp., Crawford County, PA

Public Access: No, property is landlocked with access for stewardship activity, but not for public recreational use.

Public Hunting: No

Dotyville Hill Forest

Dotyville Hill Forest includes significant frontage along Caldwell Creek’s public-access fly-fishing corridor, and is a part of the Foundation’s  Caldwell Creek Watershed Conservation Project , which began with 60 acres in 2012 and has grown to over 1,200 acres today. 

These acres are comprised of four adjacent parcels, one purchased from private ownership and three donated by FSF’s Founder and President, Troy Firth, whose generosity provided the in-kind matching donation needed to receive a $430,000 grant from the PA DCNR Community Conservation Partnerships Program via the Keystone Fund. Support was also provided by the John Nesbit Rees and Sarah Henne Rees Foundation of Titusville, Trout Unlimited’s Caldwell Creek and Northwest PA Chapters, and James & Vicki Stec of Pittsfield.

Year Acquired: 2021

Size: 528 acres

Location: Southwest Twp., Warren County, PA

Public Access: Yes, open to non-destructive public access. Parking area is located on Dotyville Hill Road just east of the bridge over Caldwell Creek.

Public Hunting and Fishing: Yes

 Google Maps Link 

Note: Part of this property uphill from Caldwell Creek and along Dotyville Hill Rd. was donated to FSF as land without timber rights. This means that the land can be enjoyed for recreational purposes by the public, but the management of the timber is not under our ownership or control until the year 2060. At that time, the timber rights will transfer to FSF's ownership, and our ecological forestry activities will begin.

Ewing Family Woods

This 144-acre property was donated to the Foundation for Sustainable Forests by Dr. Jane Ewing Woods, Director Emeritus, in 2019. The property is to be conserved in perpetuity as a sustainable working forest and will also serve as a site for educational offerings.

Year Acquired: 2019

Size: 144 acres

Location: Wayne Twp., Erie County, PA

Public Access: Yes, open to non-destructive public access. Parking pull-off is located at green gate with FSF sign on Carter Hill Road.

Public Hunting: No

 Google Maps Link 

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First Forest

Donated in 2019 by Ted & Deb First, the 101-acre First Forest is the first completed project in New York State by the Foundation for Sustainable Forests.

Year Acquired: 2019

Size: 101 acres

Location: Town of Ellery, Chautauqua County, NY

Public Access: Yes, open to non-destructive public access. Parking pull-off is located at red gate on Slide-Fenner Road.

Public Hunting: No

 Google Maps Link 

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Fisherman's Cove

Situated at the confluence of Big Sandy Creek and the Allegheny River, Fisherman’s Cove contains over 50 acres of level river frontage, a steep wooded hillside, and a plateau overlooking the valley. The Allegheny is a nationally designated Wild and Scenic River and has been named Pennsylvania’s 2024 River of the Year. Fisherman’s Cove has a history of human habitation dating back 9,000 years and served as a link in Native American trade routes up and down the Allegheny and Ohio River Valleys. PA Fish and Boat Commission manages a public boat launch on the Allegheny River adjacent to Fisherman’s Cove. The property is also the western trailhead for the Sandy Creek Trail, a 12-mile rail trail between Fisherman’s Cove and Van, PA, with connections to the Allegheny River Trail and Samuel Justus Trail systems.

In 2023, the property was donated to the Foundation for Sustainable Forests (FSF) by the Fisherman’s Cove Preservation Foundation, which purchased the property 15 years prior to ensure its protection. The Western Pennsylvania Conservancy and The Archaeological Conservancy hold a joint conservation easement on Fisherman’s Cove to protect the property’s natural and cultural resources. Under FSF’s ownership, Fisherman’s Cove will be managed as a sustainable working forest with public access for passive recreation and hunting. Archaeological exploration is by permission of The Archaeological Conservancy only.

Year Acquired: 2023

Size: 207 acres

Location: Victory Twp., Venango County, PA

Public Access: Yes, open to non-destructive public access, including hiking, nature observation, showshoeing, cross country skiing, horseback riding, and non-motorized bicycling. Overnight camping is not allowed. Archaeological exploration is by permission of The Archaeological Conservancy only. Parking is available along Fishermans Cove Road at the PA Fish and Boat Commission boat launch or at the trailhead for the  Sandy Creek Trail .

Public Hunting and Fishing: Yes

 Google Maps Link 

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Floraroze Forest

Floraroze Forest was gifted by Diane Esser in 2007 as a bargain sale, and a portion of the property's interest was later gifted as a bargain sale in 2013 by her sister, Darlene Guadalupe. Diane Esser remains a partner in protection and stewardship on the property. Located in Girard Township, Erie County, the 106 acres are in an area experiencing high development pressure and protect several small streams amidst the forest. The woods transition from black cherry, sugar maple and beech in the southern portion to an old farm field grown up to red maple and black locust at the north end. Originally quite thick with understory invasive species such as multiflora rose, thoughtful overstory tree selection, small group selections (gaps), and on-the-ground stewardship have favored native understory regeneration. Although not eradicated entirely, which is not necessarily a realistic objective, the invasive species component of the forest has been significantly reduced.

Year Acquired: 2007

Size: 106 acres

Location: Girard Twp., Erie County, PA

Public Access: Yes, open to non-destructive public access. Parking pull-off is located at the FSF sign on South Creek Road.

Public Hunting: No

 Google Maps Link 

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Gentle Bear Run

Gentle Bear Run is named after a beloved dog of property donors Blaine and Terry Aikin, that enjoyed playing in the waters of a small creek in the forest. Bear was an exceptionally large and loveable white Labrador who regularly visited the woods on long walks with Blaine, but the forest provides habitat for actual bears, bobcats, fishers, ruffed grouse, and many other species too. Gentle Bear Run feeds nearby Lake Creek, a tributary to Sugar Creek in the French Creek Watershed. In 2024, the property was acquired from the Aikin Family with a charitable sale.

Year Acquired: 2024

Size: 100 acres

Location: Jackson Township, Venango County, PA

Public Access: Yes, open to non-destructive public access. Parking is available along Donation Hill Road.

Public Hunting: Yes

 Google Maps Link 

Hartwood Farm

Hartwood Farm is a former farmstead that has been in the donor’s family for several generations. While the fields and pastures have since reverted to hardwood forest, remnants of stone foundations among the trees are a reminder of the property’s history. The property is located in the South Sandy Creek watershed and shares its eastern boundary with State Game Lands 039.

Year Acquired: 2024

Size: 79 acres

Location: Worth Twp., Mercer County, PA

Public Access: Yes, open to non-destructive public access. A driveway off of Brown Road leads into the property with parking available on the pipeline clearing.

Public Hunting: No

 Google Maps Link 

Hell's Kitchen Forest

Hell's Kitchen Forest, named for the road that passes through it, is located in Venango County adjacent to State Game Lands 039. The forest is primarily comprised of cherry, oak, maple, and birch, and features two unnamed tributaries to South Sandy Creek. In 2024, Hell's Kitchen Forest was donated by FSF’s Founder and President, Troy Firth, whose generosity provided the in-kind matching donation needed to receive a grant from the PA DCNR Community Conservation Partnerships Program via the Keystone Fund.

Year Acquired: 2024

Size: 475 acres

Location: Mineral Twp., Venango County, PA

Public Access: Yes, open to non-destructive public access. Parking is available along Hell's Kitchen Rd.

Public Hunting: Yes

 Google Maps Link 

Note: This property was donated to FSF as land without timber rights. This means that the land can be enjoyed for recreational purposes by the public, but the management of the timber is not under our ownership or control until the year 2060. At that time, the timber rights will transfer to FSF's ownership, and our ecological forestry activities will begin.

Hubbel Hill

This property is comprised of forested land and tributaries to Hubbel Run, and is in close proximity to the Wattsburg Fen Natural Area and Titus Bog.

Hubbel Hill is conserved in perpetuity as a working forest which the public can access for passive recreation such as hunting and hiking. It also affords the opportunity to collaborate with our partners and neighbors to foster the health of critical wetland habitats downstream; as well as the broader French Creek watershed.

Year Acquired: 2023

Size: 24 acres

Location: Wayne Twp., Erie County, PA

Public Access: Yes, open to non-destructive public access. Parking is available along Stuart Rd.

Public Hunting: Yes

 Google Maps Link 

Lay-Dopyera Forest

This 106-acre forest in Eldred Township was initially donated by Margaret and John Lay-Dopyera in 2015, and Troy Firth donated the timber rights on the property to the FSF in 2019. Margaret & John built a large, rustic lodge themselves in the early 1990's on an adjacent tract of land, and used it as a wooded retreat for musicians, creating a rich legacy for the property. The property is part of the  Caldwell Creek Watershed Conservation Project .

Year Acquired: 2015

Size: 106 acres

Location: Eldred Twp., Warren County, PA

Public Access: Yes, open to non-destructive public access. Parking is available along the driveway on Spring Creek Road / Oil Creek Road.

Public Hunting: Yes

 Google Maps Link 

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Mallory Family Woodland

This property surrounds the headwater wetlands to Lilley Run, a tributary to South Branch French Creek, and features stands of hemlock, black cherry, and red maple. The property's southern corner adjoins State Game Lands 144. In 2024, the property was purchased from the Mallory Family in a charitable sale supported by the Foundation for Pennsylvania Watersheds and others.

Year Acquired: 2024

Size: 77 acres

Location: Concord Twp., Erie County, PA

Public Access: Yes, open to non-destructive public recreational uses. Parking is available along Concord Road, but please use caution as there is presently no designated parking area. You can also access the property from the south by parking on Chelton Hill Road and walking through Pennsylvania State Gamelands 144 to the adjacent corner.

Public Hunting: Yes

 Google Maps Link 

Moxie Woods

The 128-acre Moxie Woods is the FSF's first conservation project in Mercer County, completed in 2016 as a charitable sale from donors Jean Engle and Glorianne Leck.

Year Acquired: 2016

Size: 128 acres

Location: Otter Creek Twp., Mercer County, PA

Public Access: Yes, open to non-destructive public access. Parking is available along Linn Tyro Road for walk-in access at the red gate.

Public Hunting: No

 Google Maps Link 

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Northwestern REC Community Forest

This 106-acre forest was acquired in 2024 through the generosity of the Northwestern Rural Electric Cooperative Association and a grant by the USDA Forest Service Community Forest Program. In addition to being managed as a sustainable working woodland, the Community Forest offers recreation and education opportunities for the Cambridge Springs community and greater region.

Year Acquired: 2024

Size: 106 acres

Location: Cambridge Twp., Crawford County, PA

Public Access: Yes, open to non-destructive public access. West of Rt. 86, parking is available via a stone driveway at the property sign. East of Rt. 86, parking is available along Electric Dr. / Wenner Dr.

Public Hunting: Yes

 Google Maps Link 

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Ongley Hill

Purchased from the Slagter Family in 2018, this 15.6 acre property is part of the  Caldwell Creek Watershed Conservation Project  to conserve and enhance the quality of the forested watershed surrounding Caldwell Creek.

Year Acquired: 2013

Size: 16 acres

Location: Southwest Twp., Warren County, PA

Public Access: Yes, open to non-destructive public access. Parking is available along Ongley Hill Road.

Public Hunting: Yes

 Google Maps Link 

Savitz Forest

The Foundation for Sustainable Forests purchased the Savitz Tract in 2012 as one of the earliest acquisitions for the  Caldwell Creek Watershed Conservation Project . A number of public and private donors made its conservation possible.

Year Acquired: 2012

Size: 85 acres

Location: Southwest Twp., Warren County, PA

Public Access: Yes, open to non-destructive public access. Parking area is located at the red gate on Flat Road.

Public Hunting: No

Public Fishing: Yes

 Google Maps Link 

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Selkirk Forest

This 50-acre tract was donated by Troy Firth in 2019 as part of the  Caldwell Creek Watershed Conservation Project . Supported by a Keystone Fund project, the property is open to public access for non-motorized uses, including hunting, hiking, bird-watching, and nature photography.

Year Acquired: 2019

Size: 50 acres

Location: Southwest Twp., Warren County, PA

Public Access: Yes, open to non-destructive public access.

Public Hunting: Yes

 Google Maps Link 

Slagter Forest Easement

The Conservation Easement at Slagter Forest is a true partnership with the Slagter Family to protect the integrity of riparian forest along Caldwell Creek. Located along the PA Fish and Boat Commission Public Access Corridor for Catch & Release Fly-Fishing of trout, this 51 acre easement was donated to the Foundation in 2013. With the donation of the easement, the Slagter Family donated the timber rights to the property as a form of stewardship endowment. As such, FSF will manage the forest in perpetuity, and any revenue generated through management will cover the stewardship costs on the property.

This property is part of FSF's  Caldwell Creek Watershed Conservation Project. 

Year Acquired: 2013

Size: 51 acres

Location: Southwest Twp., Warren County, PA

Public Access: No, property is privately owned. However, Stony Hollow Trail, which runs through the property is available for walk-in public access.

Public Hunting: No

Public Fishing: Yes, walk-in only

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Sparta Sportsmen's Community Forest

Sparta Sportsmen's Community Forest features an exceptional stand of sugar maple that has served as a sugar bush for several decades. Over a quarter mile of headwater tributaries flow through the property before joining nearby Patrick Run in the East Branch Oil Creek watershed. The property features an access drive that is available for non-motorized use as a loop trail. In 2025, FSF plans to construct a primitive camping area that can serve travelers on the nearby East Branch section of the Erie to Pittsburgh Trail.

In 2024, the forest was purchased from Sparta Sportsmen's Club, which had owned the property since the early 1960s. The project was made possible by the PA DCNR Community Conservation Partnership Program via the Keystone Fund, Western Pennsylvania Conservancy, Commissioners of Crawford County, Foundation for Pennsylvania Watersheds, Crawford Heritage Community Foundation, and Crawford County Sportsmen's Council. Troy Firth, FSF Founder and President, donated additional forestland in Crawford and Venango Counties for conservation purposes in support of this project.

Year Acquired: 2024

Size: 269 acres

Location: Sparta Twp., Crawford County, PA

Public Access: Yes, open to non-destructive public access. The property features a loop trail for non-motorized recreation. Parking is available off of Old PA-77.

Public Hunting: Yes

 Google Maps Link 

Spring Creek Forest

Acquired via purchase from the Cleer Family in 2011, this 50-acre forest was one of the earliest conservation projects for the organization.

Year Acquired: 2011

Size: 50 acres

Location: Spring Creek Twp., Warren County, PA

Public Access: Yes, open to non-destructive public access. Parking pull-off is available along Bush Road.

Public Hunting: No

 Google Maps Link 

Note: The property boundary has been marked with purple paint by the hunting lesser, but is still open to the public for other recreational use.

Stony Hollow Forest

Stony Hollow is a 292-acre woodland that was formerly an industrial timberland. It encompasses Stony Hollow Run, a natural reproduction trout stream, and feeds into the public access fly-fishing corridor in Caldwell Creek. The conservation of Stony Hollow in 2019 was the culmination of many years of hard work led by FSF Coordinator John Bartlett, and was acquired in large part with a grant from the PA DCNR Community Conservation Partnerships Program, made possible by the Keystone Fund.

This property is part of FSF's  Caldwell Creek Watershed Conservation Project. 

Year Acquired: 2019

Size: 292 acres

Location: Southwest Twp., Warren County, PA

Public Access: Yes, open to non-destructive public access. Parking area is located on FSF's neighboring Savitz Forest to the east at the red gate on Flat Road.

Public Hunting and Fishing: Yes

 Google Maps Link 

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Stony Hollow Trail

Donated by the Slagter Family in 2022, the Stony Hollow Trail is a 1.7 mile stretch of former railroad grade that has been converted to a trail for non-motorized recreation. The trail connects multiple FSF-conserved properties and fishing access areas along Caldwell Creek. Along this corridor, a diversity of wildlife can be found.

This property is part of FSF's  Caldwell Creek Watershed Conservation Project. 

Year Acquired: 2022

Size: 10 acres, 1.7 miles

Location: Southwest Twp., Warren County, PA

Public Access: Yes, open for non-motorized, non-destructive public access. Parking is available at the fishing access parking areas on Selkirk Road, Dotyville Hill Road, and Flat Road.

Public Hunting and Fishing: Yes

 Google Maps Link 

Subagh Preserve

This property was donated to the Foundation for Sustainable Forests by Subagh Singh Khalsa and Linda Winkelstern, to forever protect the land as a healthy, working forest.

Year Acquired: 2022

Size: 40 acres

Location: Town of Chautauqua, Chautauqua County, NY

Public Access: Yes, open to non-destructive public access. The Winkelsterns will continue to enjoy a portion of the property around their cabin and garden. Please refrain from entering the private area shown in red on the map to the right. You may cross the power line right-of-way that runs through the property.

Public Hunting: No

 Google Maps Link 

Thompsons' Wood

The 194-acre Thompsons' Wood is comprised of five adjacent properties that are owned by the FSF and conserved in perpetuity as sustainable working forests. Two of the parcels, totaling 70 acres, were acquired in 2019 and 2020 thanks to the remarkable generosity of Virginia-based couple Jim & Connie Thompson, who first heard of the FSF in Wendell Berry's essay collection "Our Only World" and were inspired to further the FSF's mission through the purchase of a forest. They visited the property in 2019, and were 'smitten', and committed to ensuring the long-term conservation of the additional acreage. Supporting donations from other valued members made possible the most recent acquisition, the 15-acre Sugar Creek Access.

Year Acquired: 2006

Size: 194 acres

Location: Troy Twp., Crawford County, PA

Public Access: Yes, open to non-destructive public access. Parking pull-off is located at the driveway beside the pond on State Highway 408 or via the driveway on Ghering Rd.

Public Hunting: No

 Google Maps Link 

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