Joseph Rothrock

McVEYTOWN, Pa. — The forested hills of central Pennsylvania may seem like a given in 2026. Seth Cassell, Pennsylvania’s state forester said, “I’m the 17th person to hold this position but it all started with Dr. [Joseph] Rothrock and all that he meant to the forestry community in Pennsylvania and establishing forestry as a profession and a program within state government”. He showed the remnants of a Civilian Conservation Corps camp in Elizabethville as an example of the benefits of properly-maintained woodlands along the banks of a creek once dammed for drinking water.Pennsylvania has enjoyed and, in much of the state — especially the Pennsylvania Wilds region — continues to enjoy abundant, stunning forests. That was quickly changing for the worse in the 1800’s as Joseph Rothrock was growing up in western Mifflin County. The industrial revolution was taking hold and forests were eyed for fuel, resources, and more.