Heard on Campus: College of Agricultural Sciences Dean Troy Ott at Timber 2025

ROCK SPRINGS, Pa. — Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences and the Pennsylvania Forest Products Association co-hosted the 2025 Forest Products Equipment and Technology Exposition, held June 6-7 at Penn State's Ag Progress Days site at Rock Springs. The biennial trade exposition is aimed primarily at loggers, foresters, sawmill operators, value-added processors and forest landowners.

Also known as “Timber 2025,” the expo featured nearly 100 indoor and outdoor exhibitors, a variety of live machinery demonstrations, forestry tours, educational seminars and workshops, and other activities.

The leading hardwood producing and exporting state in the U.S., Pennsylvania has almost 17 million acres of forestland and is home to more than 2,100 forest-products companies providing more than 60,000 jobs, accounting for about 10% of manufacturing jobs in the state. The industry generates $21.8 billion in direct economic activity and has a total annual impact of approximately $39 billion on the state's economy, according to the Pennsylvania Hardwoods Development Council.

Penn State has a long history of research and education in forest ecosystem science, forest management and wood science, largely through its Department of Ecosystem Science and Management. The department’s teaching provides undergraduate students hands-on experience with real-world applications, internship experiences and robust scholarship opportunities. Graduate programs offer master’s and doctoral degrees rooted in research through core science and management disciplines.

Research programs focus on generating the new knowledge needed to restore, conserve and better manage ecosystems to be more sustainable. This research includes all areas of natural and agricultural ecosystems, wildlife and fisheries sciences, forest sciences, hydrological sciences, and soil sciences.
 
Extension programs led by the department are aimed at helping people make informed decisions that improve their own well-being and ensure clean water, viable populations of native wildlife, recreational opportunities, attractive communities, and the sustainable production of wood and paper products.