The Forest Lands Beautification Program was created by an act of the legislature in 1998 and is administered by the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR). The program is intended to remediate, prevent and study illegal dumps in Pennsylvania's state forests and state park lands. PROP is pleased to work with PA CleanWays Inc., and the Pennsylvania Environmental Council (PEC) on this worthwhile project.

PROP's role in the program began with a detailed survey of all 67 counties and 2,700 municipalities in Pennsylvania to determine the factors that influence illegal dumping. An analysis of the survey results, "Factors Influencing Illegal Dumping in Pennsylvania" gives valuable insight into the contributing factors behind the problem. The survey also identified a need for technical assistance for communities struggling with the issue of illegal dumping. To meet this need, PROP has been providing free technical assistance to communities located adjacent to or abutting state forest or state park land. To date, eleven communities have requested assistance. To find out if you are eligible for assistance, please contact the Program Manager, Jan Arnold.

As part of the program, PROP has created a series of fact sheets for distribution to elected officials and residents. These facts sheets may be downloaded for free from our site. For more information on the Forests Lands program and the work of our partners, please click here.