Best Practices in Stewardship

In Mount Gretna, the forest is our backdrop, our shade, our stormwater and source water filter, and our living connection to the region’s history. Yet, there is currently no coordinated, proactive stewardship plan for Mount Gretna’s communal woodlands or the broader community forest as a whole. Without intentional care, the threats already affecting our trees — from chestnut oak decline to invasive pests and plants — will continue to chip away at the canopy and the ecosystem services it provides.

This page outlines proven, science-based practices for maintaining a healthy, resilient forest in our unique environment. While these steps are drawn from state and national forestry guidance, they are grounded in Mount Gretna’s specific conditions and vulnerabilities.

Core Best Practices

1. Forest Health & Regeneration - As outlined in Understanding Our Forest, Mount Gretna’s woodland is dominated by a few species, leaving it vulnerable to pests and stress. Best practices for forest health therefore emphasize diversifying with underrepresented native species and ensuring regeneration in canopy gaps.

• Promote native species diversity by planting underrepresented trees and shrubs, including american beech, eastern white pine, sassafras, witch hazel, mapleleaf viburnum, arrowwood viburnum, spicebush, and flowering dogwood.

• Preserve native understory layers, including ferns, mosses, and sedges, which help maintain soil stability, filter runoff, and support pollinators.

• Retain healthy mature trees — they provide greater ecological benefits than young replacements for decades to come.

• Encourage natural regeneration in canopy gaps, supplementing with native plantings where regeneration is weak.

2. Invasive Species Control

• • Identify and remove invasive plants like Japanese stiltgrass, multiflora rose, garlic mustard, Japanese barberry, and tree-of-heaven before they dominate.

  • Monitor for aggressive vines such as oriental bittersweet and mile-a-minute weed, which can quickly smother young trees.

  • Recognize that even some natives (like black locust, boxelder, and red maple in overabundance) can reduce forest diversity if left unchecked.

  • Prioritize early detection and rapid response — removal is most effective (and least costly) when infestations are small.

  • Avoid disturbing soil unnecessarily, which can open space for invasives to spread.

3. Wildlife Habitat Protection

• • Retain snags (standing dead trees) when safe — they provide habitat for birds, bats, and insects.

  • Preserve downed woody debris in low-traffic areas to shelter small mammals, amphibians, and beneficial fungi.

  • Maintain shade and cover along stream corridors to protect aquatic life and water quality.

4. Water Quality & Stormwater Protection

• Maintain vegetated buffers along Conewago Creek and around Lake Conewago to filter runoff and reduce erosion.

• Use permeable pathways on trails to allow infiltration and prevent soil compaction.

• Plant deep-rooted native trees and shrubs in areas prone to erosion.

5. Source Water Protection

• • Identify and safeguard critical recharge areas that supply local wells and springs.

  • Prevent chemical runoff by avoiding pesticide and fertilizer use near infiltration zones.

  • Maintain continuous native vegetation in headwater areas to protect groundwater quality.

  • Monitor for erosion or sedimentation near drinking water intakes and address promptly.

  • Use woody debris wisely — Where dead trees fall naturally or are cut, strategically position woody debris along slopes or drainage paths to slow stormwater, trap sediment, and reduce erosion.

  • Maintaining mature canopy and a healthy understory throughout the watershed not only reduces stormwater impacts but also helps recharge and protect local drinking water sources.

6. Climate Resilience & Storm Preparedness

• • Increase canopy diversity to reduce the risk of large-scale loss from a single pest or storm.

  • Select species adapted to predicted climate conditions in Pennsylvania (warmer winters, wetter springs, hotter summers).

  • Prune for strong branch structure to minimize wind damage while preserving natural form.

Local Application in Mount Gretna

These practices aren’t just abstract forestry principles — they directly address the current conditions in our community.

These best practices apply to all Mount Gretna woodlands, ensuring consistent care across the entire connected forest system.

Coordinated stewardship across these lands also safeguards the Southern Chautauqua Woodland’s role as a vital link to State Game Lands #145 and the larger Pennsylvania Highlands wildlife corridor, which supports biodiversity, migration routes, and climate resilience.

• Tree diversity gaps: As shown in the Simpson inventory (2023), a handful of species dominate the canopy, leaving the forest more vulnerable. 

• Sensitive species: Eastern hemlocks, already reduced by hemlock woolly adelgid, should be preserved where possible, especially near streams.

• Understory preservation: Protecting existing mapleleaf viburnum, arrowwood viburnum, spicebush, dogwood, and native ferns helps maintain biodiversity and layered habitat.

• Shared spaces: Because much of the Chautauqua-owned forest is open to public use, coordinated action among residents, community groups, and the Pennsylvania Chautauqua Board of Managers is essential.