News

TPL Community Forest Training Program - Now Live!

Beginning this March, Trust for Public Land is pleased to offer a new Community Forest Training Program, in partnership with the U.S. Forest Service, for eligible communities across the Eastern U.S.  

Please see below for more information about the program’s curriculum and eligibility requirements and see this document for further details! 

Program Overview

Community forests are protected forest lands that contribute to healthy, flourishing communities, and they can be powerful tools for helping to enact local visions as articulated by residents. These unique assets are land-based economic development tools that deliver positive outcomes to the residents, visitors, and businesses located in their service areas, including economic development opportunities through recreation, timber, and tourism; environmental benefits such as watershed protection, habitat conservation, and preserved biodiversity; and more.  

Trust for Public Land's free Community Forest Training Program will inform eligible communities across the U.S. about the benefits and possibilities of community forests; provide training and technical assistance that leverages TPL’s best practices to support successful acquisition, governance, and stewardship; and support the creation of community forests on the ground where available. 

This track will meet monthly over Zoom from March - July 2025. Registration for eligible communities is open now until March 5, 2025. Please click here to register. 

Eligibility

This track is the first of four regional offerings that will be provided to communities across the United States over the next two years. This first cohort is available to communities from New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, Tennessee, Kentucky, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, and Florida. 

·         Participants must represent one of the following organizational types: 

·         Local government entity 

·         Land trust 

·         Tribal entity 

·         Participants must be able to attend all five monthly meetings.  

If you have any questions about eligibility, please contact Sophie Neuhaus at sophie.neuhaus@tpl.org.

The Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED), through the Office of Community Planning and the Governor’s Center for Local Government Services, is currently updating the State Land Use and Growth Management Report for 2025, per the Municipalities Planning Code. Stakeholder input along with county and municipal planning agencies, various state agencies, and the State Planning Board. The intent of the report is to assess land use and growth trends and their impacts on Pennsylvania’s landscape, and to inform policies, programs, and decision-making for state and local government officials and planners.

The survey for counties and municipalities only can be accessed here. For all other stakeholder organizations, please respond here. In both cases, the surveys will remain open through March 12, 2025. Please respond to only the applicable survey, with one response per entity.

Questions should be directed to Lisa Mroszczyk Murphy, AICP, Planning Manager with DCED's Governor’s Center for Local Government Services at lmroszczyk@pa.gov or 717-214-5320.

2027 PEDA Fall Conference RFP Issued

The Pennsylvania Economic Development Association (PEDA) is the statewide association of local, state, corporate and non-profit economic development professionals. PEDA's mission is to promote sound economic development policies, provide leading edge economic development education and nurture an effective statewide economic development network to foster the economic growth of the Commonwealth.

PEDA provides opportunities at its two annual conferences for economic development professionals and organizations in Pennsylvania to share best practices and experiences that enhance the professional dialogue. This active engagement ensures Pennsylvania can continue to aggressively position itself to retain, grow and attract businesses and jobs to the Commonwealth.

If you are interested in having your community considered as a potential site for the 2027 PEDA Fall Conference, please respond to all sections of this RFP by close of business on Friday, February 14, 2025. Thank you for your consideration. 

Pennsylvania Economic Development Association
908 North Second Street | Harrisburg, PA 17102
Phone: 717.441.6047 | Fax: 717.236.2046
www.peda.org | Upcoming Events

Click here to read more.

The Pennsylvania Allies Program was designed for professionals working in roles that actively support economic development organizations (EDOs) and their efforts within PA communities. Through the provision of training for local stakeholders, they - along with their local or regional EDOs - will be well-positioned to take advantage of opportunities to jointly champion their communities. With this aim in mind, we're sharing the following story of an economic development success that was made possible because a number of community-minded individuals and organizations recognized the project's importance and committed themselves to working together through the processes necessary to achieve their vision.

Click here to read about a creative workforce training partnership.

The Pennsylvania Allies Program was designed for professionals working in roles that actively support economic development organizations (EDOs) and their efforts within PA communities. Through the provision of training for local stakeholders, they - along with their local or regional EDOs - will be well-positioned to take advantage of opportunities to jointly champion their communities. With this aim in mind, we're sharing the following story of an economic development success that was made possible because a number of community-minded individuals and organizations recognized the project's importance and committed themselves to working together through the processes necessary to achieve their vision.

Click here to read about a Montour County Brownfield that was reenvisioned as a Business Park.

The Pennsylvania Allies Program was designed for professionals working in roles that actively support economic development organizations (EDOs) and their efforts within PA communities. Through the provision of training for local stakeholders, they - along with their local or regional EDOs - will be well-positioned to take advantage of opportunities to jointly champion their communities. With this aim in mind, we're sharing the following story of an economic development success that was made possible because a number of community-minded individuals and organizations recognized the project's importance and committed themselves to working together through the processes necessary to achieve their vision.

Click here to read about the fastest selling real estate market in the country.

The Pennsylvania Allies Program was designed for professionals working in roles that actively support economic development organizations (EDOs) and their efforts within PA communities. Through the provision of training for local stakeholders, they - along with their local or regional EDOs - will be well-positioned to take advantage of opportunities to jointly champion their communities. With this aim in mind, we're sharing the following story of an economic development success that was made possible because a number of community-minded individuals and organizations recognized the project's importance and committed themselves to working together through the processes necessary to achieve their vision.

Click here to read about the RIDC Westmoreland Innovation Park.