Pinchot State Forest
| Pinchot State Forest | |
| Pennsylvania State Forest | |
 Looking southwest from Pine Hill, Pinchot State Forest, Luzerne and Lackawanna Counties
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| Named for: Gifford Pinchot | |
| Country | United States |
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| State | Pennsylvania |
| Counties | Luzerne, Lackawanna |
| Elevation | 2,265 ft (690.4 m) |
| Coordinates | 41°34′10″N 75°42′30″W / 41.56944°N 75.70833°WCoordinates: 41°34′10″N 75°42′30″W / 41.56944°N 75.70833°W |
| Area | 44,743 acres (18,107 ha) |
| Founded | 1902 |
| Management | Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources |
| IUCN category | Managed Resource Protected Area (IUCN VI) |
 Location of Pinchot State Forest in Pennsylvania
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| Website: Pinchot State Forest | |
Pinchot State Forest is a Pennsylvania State Forest in Pennsylvania Bureau of Forestry District #11. The main offices are located in Lackawanna State Park in North Abington Township in Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania in the United States.
The forest is located on several tracts in Lackawanna, Luzerne, Wyoming, Susquehanna, and Wayne counties. The total area is 44,743 acres (18,107 ha). District #11 also includes Susquehanna, Wayne, and Wyoming counties.
The reorganization of Pennsylvania State Forests that took effect July 1, 2005 added the southern part of Luzerne County to District #11 (it was previously in the defunct Wyoming State Forest). Other aspects of the realignment include moving the District #11 office from Scranton 10 miles (16 km) north to Lackawanna State Park, and the acquisition of a new tract, "Theta Forest" (not included in the description above).
Pinchot State Forest was formed in response to the depletion of the forests of Pennsylvania during the mid-to-late 19th century. Conservationists like Dr. Joseph Rothrock feared that the forests would not regrow if they were not managed properly. Lumber and Iron companies had harvested the old-growth forests on a massive scale. 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. 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 the lumber and iron companies were more than willing to sell their land since that had depleted the natural resources of the forests.
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