(15/P84) TRENTON –The 21st annual Fall Forestry Festival, a popular event which was scheduled to be held at the Department of Environmental Protection’s Forest Resource Education Center in Jackson on Saturday, has been canceled due to anticipated rainy and windy weather.

The festival will not be rescheduled this year, but will return next year.

“We’re disappointed to have to cancel this popular and fun event,” said DEP Assistant Commissioner for Natural and Historic Resources Rich Boornazian. “But as the Fall Forestry Festival is mostly an outdoor event and inclement weather in the forecast, we came to a mutual decision with our vendors to cancel it.”

“We look forward to the return of the Fall Forestry Festival next year,” said State Forester Lynn Fleming. “We also encourage people to come to the Forest Resource Education Center throughout the year for visitors to gain a better understanding of the importance of trees in our lives and to our state’s history.”

As the impacts of Friday’s nor’easter and possible severe weather from Hurricane Joaquin are realized, the State Park Service will post any park closures at: http://www.nj.gov/dep/parksandforests/parks/parks_open_close.html

In 1994, the Department of Environmental Protection’s Forest Resource Education Center (FREC) hosted the first Fall Forestry Festival, drawing attention to the work the center does in educating the public about forest stewardship — managing New Jersey's forest resources so that we have healthy trees and forests, clean air and water, and places to learn about and enjoy the outdoors.

The FREC, operated by the DEP's State Forestry Services, is committed to providing exceptional conservation education programs that promote benefits of trees and forest stewardship to all age groups at no cost. It is the sole public facility in NJ focused on forestry education.

The New Jersey Forest Tree Nursery, located on the same property, grows 300,000 seedlings yearly for reforestation efforts across the state.

For more information on the FREC, visit: www.forestrycenter.nj.gov