STATE COLLEGE, PA and ONLINE — Penn State Extension, in partnership with the Division of Forest Health in the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources’ Bureau of Forestry, will host a conference focused on forest health in March, with options to attend in person or virtually. Organizers note that space is limited, so preregistration is required by Tuesday, February 24. 

The in-person version of the “Forest Health, Insect and Disease Briefing” will occur from 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on Tuesday, March 3, at the Penn Stater Hotel and Conference Center in State College. 

Participants wishing to attend an abbreviated virtual event can join a live webinar from 8:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. on Tuesday, March 10. 

Designed for forestry and other natural resource management professionals, the conference will review the latest in forest health, including current insect, disease and invasive plant issues affecting Pennsylvania’s forests. 

Participants will learn: 

• Current forest health practices and emerging threats facing Pennsylvania’s forests. 
• How insects, diseases, invasive plants and other forest health issues affect forest ecosystems. 
• Management practices and control methods used to maintain and improve forest health. 

The in-person meeting is approved for Pennsylvania pesticide recertification credits, both category and core. Attendees can earn two core credits and five credits in each of the following categories: private, 05, 06, 10, 18 and 23. 

Attendees of the virtual webinar can earn two core credits and three credits in each of the following categories: private, 05, 17, 18 and 23. 

In addition, participants can earn Society of American Foresters continuing forestry education credits, International Society of Arboriculture continuing education units and Sustainable Forestry Initiative training units. 

A fee will be incurred for those webinar registrants who are seeking continuing education credits. Registration is free for non-credit-seeking attendees. 

More information about this workshop is available on the Penn State Extension website at extension.psu.edu/forest-health-workshop. 

Registration is required to receive the link to access the webinar. Registrants also will receive access to the webinar recording. More information about the webinar is available at www.extension.psu.edu/forest-health-insect-and-disease-update.