Vast stands of old-growth forest had been harvested by the lumber companies during the mid-to-late 19th century.

[1] The departure of the lumber companies left a forest that was described as a vast wasteland of tree stumps and dried treetops.

The young men of the CCC cleared the forest and streams of the dried underbrush that was the fuel for the devastating wildfires.

On October 19, 1938, during a wildfire near Pepperhill to the north of Sinnamanhoning, eight young men from the CCC lost their lives when they were trapped on a steep hillside while fighting the raging fire.

The Wayside Memorial Spring south of Emporium on Pennsylvania Route 120 in Bucktail State Park Natural Area is maintained as an honor to the men who lost their lives battling forest fires for the CCC.

In an effort to keep the herds away from agricultural areas the game commission maintains the forest in a way that suits the feeding needs of the elk.

The forest that grows in place of the harvested timber provides a variety of browse that is needed by the elk.