Tuscarora State Forest was formed as a direct result of the depletion of the forests of Pennsylvania that took place during the mid-to-late 19th century. Conservationists like Dr.
Joseph Rothrock became concerned that the forests would not regrow if they were not managed properly. Lumber and iron companies had harvested the
old-growth forests for various reasons. They
clear cut the forests and left behind nothing but dried tree tops and rotting stumps. The sparks of passing
steam locomotives ignited
wildfires that prevented the formation of
second growth forests. The conservationists feared that the forest would never regrow if there was not a change in the philosophy of forest management. They called for the state to purchase land from the lumber and iron companies, and these companies were more than willing to sell their land since they had already depleted the natural resources of the forests. The changes began to take place in 1895 when Dr. Rothrock was appointed the first commissioner of the Pennsylvania Department of Forests and Waters, the forerunner of today's
Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. The
Pennsylvania General Assembly passed a piece of legislation in 1897 that authorized the purchase of "unseated lands for forest reservations." This was the beginning of the State Forest system. The newly purchased land was largely barren. This was due to the widespread
wildfires that swept over the hills and through the valleys when the sparks cast off by passing
steam trains would ignite fires in the dried tree tops that were left behind by the lumbermen. The founding of the
Civilian Conservation Corps by President
Franklin D. Roosevelt during the
Great Depression was vital in creating the thriving
second growth forests that make up Tuscarora State Forest today. The young men of the CCC cleared the forests and streams of dried brush. They lived in one of six camps spread throughout Tuscarora State Forest. In addition to clearing brush they also built roads, bridges and trails in the forests and constructed many of the recreational facilities still in use today at several
state parks in the Tuscarora State Forest area. ==Natural and wild areas==