Overview
Forestry for Wildlife is the use of silviculture to manage forested habitats for a wide range of wildlife in a sustainable and financially responsible manner.
The Game Commission improves nearly 30,000 acres of forested habitats each year through a combination of timber sales, non-commercial habitat projects, and selective use of herbicide to control interfering vegetation. At the heart of every single project is improvement of habitat for wildlife.
More than 60 dedicated professionals who make up the agency’s forestry program improve and innovate the science and practice of forestry to do better for wildlife and enhance the experience of hunters, trappers, and wildlife enthusiasts. They often work with wildlife biologists to constantly improve the approach to habitat management for all Pennsylvania wildlife, particularly species like ruffed grouse that require unique habitat types to survive and thrive. Non-game species are often the focus of unique projects across the state, from flying squirrels to woodrats and songbirds.
Our foresters always have a compass pointing toward actions that provide the best possible habitat. Sometimes that involves financial return on management activities, but often is does not.
Call of the Outdoors Episode 36 Part 1: Healthy Forests, Healthy Deer
The average adult white-tailed deer needs five pounds of browse per day — healthy habitat is critical to a healthy deer population. Chief Forester Paul Weiss and host Matt Morrett discuss how the Game Commission manages habitat for white-tailed deer and hundreds of other species on state game lands throughout Pennsylvania. Learn more about the challenges of maintaining young successional forests and how DMAP permits can help balance deer populations for the future of our forests in this first installment of a two-part series.