Pennsylvania timber industry urges $270,000 to create Southern hardwood utilization group

The House Agriculture & Rural Affairs Committee heard unified testimony requesting a $270,000 increase in the Department of Agriculture’s hardwood research and promotion line item to establish a Hardwood Utilization Group (HUG) serving southern Pennsylvania.

The proposal would expand the existing statewide network — the Hardwoods Development Council (HDC) and three HUGs that now cover the northern and central parts of the state — to provide technical assistance, workforce development, marketing and export support for 33 southern counties. "If we want to ensure that Pennsylvania remains a national leader in hardwood production, we must extend this model to the southern third of the state," Jonathan (John) Geyer, executive director of the Hardwoods Development Council, told committee members.

Why it matters: Pennsylvania is the nation’s largest hardwood producer by volume, and witnesses cited the sector’s sizable economic footprint and employment. Testimony said the forest products sector supports more than 60,000 jobs and produces a multi‑billion dollar economic impact in the Commonwealth. Proponents said a southern HUG would expand workforce…