On June 22, 1931, the Pennsylvania legislature declared the Eastern Hemlock the official state tree. This affirmed the belief of Dr. Joseph T. Rothrock, otherwise known as the “Father of Pennsylvania Forestry” that “If Pennsylvania were to select one tree as characteristic of our state, nothing would be better than the hemlock.” The Eastern Hemlock was for well over a century, a major part of the commonwealth’s economy. At its peak, more than a billion boards of hemlock were harvested each year for use in building homes. Hemlock bark also served as a source of tannic acid to tan leather by PA’s early settlers and through the late 1800s. Known…