On March 4, the PA iMapInvasive Program announced a new program giving property owners the opportunity to replace up to five invasive or non-native plants with native plants at one of five upcoming in Cumberland, Delaware, Erie, Lackawanna and Westmoreland counties.

The Pennsylvania Invasive Replace-ive Program will replace non-native trees and shrubs like Callery pear, tree-of-heaven, Norway maple, burning bush, Japanese barberry, and butterfly bush with native plants.

Property owners are encouraged to remove one or more invasive species and receive up to five free, healthy, native young replacement trees.

Register For Events

Register for one of the following give-away events happening in May to received your free trees--

-- May 3: Erie, Erie County

-- May 3: Darby, Delaware County

-- May 9: Carlisle, Cumberland County

-- May 10: Greensburg, Westmoreland County

-- May 18: Scranton, Lackawanna County

Registration is required.  Click Here to register to get more information on each event.

Funding for this initiative is provided by the U.S. Forest Service.

Partners in this special program include: DCNR, PA Department of Agriculture, PA Sea Grant, Penn State Extension Master Watershed Steward Program and Western PA Conservancy.

Visit the Pennsylvania Invasive Replace-ive Program webpage to learn more.  Questions should be directed to: RA-NRCommunityForest@pa.gov or call 717-515-0475.

Click Here for a copy of the announcement.

Visit the PA iMapInvasive Program and the Governor’s Invasive Species Council webpages to learn more about invasive plants and animals in Pennsylvania.

Related Articles:

-- Keystone 10 Million Trees Partnership, 320 Partners, Thousands Of Volunteers To Plant Nearly 200,000 Trees In PA This Year; Over 8.2 Million Planted Since 2018  [PaEN]

-- Western PA Conservancy: Landowners, Apply Now For Statewide Riparian Tree Plantings  [PaEN]

-- Western PA Conservancy: Apply Now To Treevitalize Pittsburgh For Support In Planting Trees In Pittsburgh, Allegheny County, April 1 Deadline

-- PA iMapInvasives Program: Replace Your Invasive, Non-Native Plants, Shrubs With Native Plants At 5 Upcoming Give-Away Events Starting May 3  [PaEN]

-- Frozen Hoping For A Thaw: Eastern PA Coalition For Abandoned Mine Reclamation Project To Repurpose Fmr Coal Waste Plant Site Into Solar Energy, Mine Water Pool Energy Storage, Cooling Facility In Schuylkill County [PaEN]

-- PA Firefly Festival Hosts Firefly Naturalist Guide Training June 21 At Kellettville Firefly Farm In Forest County  [PaEN]

NewsClips:

-- Middle Susquehanna RiverKeeper: Forest School Educator Dr. Jean Lomino Shares The Benefits, Key Components Ahead Of Naturalist Certification Course Set For April 14-17 In Central PA - By John Zaktansky

-- PA/NJ Chapter The American Chestnut Foundation Spring Growers Meeting March 29, Annville, Lebanon County

-- AP: President Directs Federal Agencies To Find Ways To Bypass Endangered Species Protections To Increase Logging In National Forests  [Allegheny National Forest]

-- AP: $75 Million Was Awarded To Plant Trees In Places That Badly Need Them; In Anti-DEI Push, That’s Over

-- Inquirer - Frank Kummer: President Freezes $12 Million Meant To Help Philly Plant Thousands Of Trees

-- WHYY: Philadelphians Push City To Do More To Plant, Protect Trees; $12 Million Federal Grant Frozen

[Posted: March 4, 2025]

3/10/2025