Selling Timber: A Promising Partnership Looks to Yield Big Benefits

In an effort to continuously look at how PennDOT can work more efficiently and ensure taxpayer dollars are spent wisely, PennDOT’s Bureau of Strategic Business Operations (BSBO) is exploring opportunities for PennDOT counties and districts to sell timber in wooded areas that are located in PennDOT’s Right-of-Way (ROW) within the state forest system.

The state forest system, overseen by the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR), comprises more than 2 million acres of forestland in 50 of Pennsylvania’s 67 counties. Traditionally, PennDOT counties and districts pay contractors to clear those wooded areas along its ROW, spending critical dollars that could be better used elsewhere. Maintaining the trees along PennDOT’s ROW is crucial to ensuring a safe environment for motorists that travel on these state-owned roads.

Led by Robert Snyder, program analyst in BSBO, PennDOT and DCNR entered into an Memorandum of Understanding that enables DCNR’s Bureau of Forestry to help PennDOT better manage their ROW within the state forest system. Additionally, this allows PennDOT to recover and return funding to its local maintenance organizations where it is needed to ensure that the agency is delivering on its mission to provide a sustainable, equitable transportation system to the citizens of Pennsylvania. 

“We’re excited to work with our partners at DCNR on this project,” said Damon Wagner, assistant district executive for maintenance in PennDOT Engineering District 2. “It will enhance safety for motorists by increasing sight distances, creating larger clear zones, and removing the potential hazard of old or dead trees falling into the roadway. Removing any canopy will also help by getting more sunlight onto the roadway, which will improve winter services and allow the roadway to dry faster during non-winter months. By partnering with the DCNR, we’re also being good stewards of the taxpayers' money by completing this project at a lower cost than we could working with a third-party vendor.”

If the pilot proves successful, the official program will launch statewide in fall 2026, allowing for timber sales in 2027. In addition, the team is looking at opportunities to expand the program to other areas across PennDOT, including construction.