The award, established in 2004, honors conservation professionals and volunteers for commitment and leadership in conservation.
Ferretti has worked for decades at many levels learning about and championing the conservation of land and responsible stewardship of the environment and the natural resources in Pennsylvania.
In just a few years under Ferretti’s leadership, NBLT developed a robust conservation easement program conserving more acreage across eight counties in Northeast Pennsylvania, including partnering with Earth Conservancy to add more land to the Pinchot State Forest and established a robust environmental education program.
In 2013, Ferretti became Secretary of the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, where she focused on the Enhance Penn’s Woods program – a two-year, $200 million effort to add conserved acreage, repair and update state forests and parks, including improvements to the Commonwealth’s most visited and unique forests and parks.
In 2016, she was named Director of the Brandywine Conservancy, a leading land trust in Chadds Ford, where the staff conserved nearly 6,000 additional acres, contributing to more than 68,000 acres of permanently preserved land.
Ferretti also worked for, then with, the Pennsylvania Environmental Council, first as vice president, regional director, and then coordinator, Pocono Forest and Waters Conservation Landscape.
At PEC, Ferretti engaged in a myriad of conservation and environmental projects: The first Bi-County Open Space Plan for Luzerne and Lackawanna Counties; the creation of the Forest Legacy Program for Luzerne and Lackawanna counties; the Brownfield-Grayfield Task Force, the Wyoming Valley Watershed Association, and the creation of the Pocono Forests and Waters Conservation Landscape to focus on critical connectivity and conservation in the region.
Significantly, she spearheaded the conservation of land formerly owned by Pennsylvania Gas and Water Company, working with The Conservation Fund, Luzerne County Commissioners and the state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources to purchase and conserve as much as possible to be part of Lackawanna State Forest, now the Pinchot State Forest.
Most recently, she returned home to lead the North Branch Land Trust, achieving several goals: working with State Sen. Lisa Baker to turn the Howland Preserve into Vosburg Neck State Park, the first state park in Wyoming County; and, in partnership with Pennsylvania American Water and the state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, successfully completed a conservation easement on the land around the Huntsville Reservoir near Dallas, the first easement by Pennsylvania American Water.
Click Here to read the entire article on Ferretti. [PDF of Article]
The award will be presented on the morning of April 30 during the three-day 2026 Pennsylvania Land Conservation Conference at the Lancaster Marriott at Penn Square.
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[Posted: March 27, 2026] PA Environment Digest
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