About the Pennsylvania Wildlife Action Plan
| Species of Greatest Conservation Need by the Numbers | |
|---|---|
| Birds | 90 |
| Mammals | 19 |
| Amphibians | 18 |
| Reptiles | 22 |
| Fishes | 65 |
| Invertebrates | 450 |
| TOTAL | 664 |
Updated from the first version published in 2005, the 2015 Pennsylvania Wildlife Action Plan is a non-regulatory, proactive conservation blueprint to prevent Species of Greatest Conservation Need (SGCN) from requiring federal protection under the Endangered Species Act. This approach helps reduce the costs of fish and wildlife management by decreasing expensive recoveries of species in need of critical care. Pennsylvania's natural resources are the foundation of our state's beauty and cultural heritage, and the Pennsylvania Wildlife Action Plan provides the framework to secure these resources for future generations.
A U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service-approved Wildlife Action Plan maintains Pennsylvania's eligibility for federal State & Tribal Wildlife Grants funding - the nation's core program to prevent wildlife from becoming endangered. These funds help implement conservation actions recommended in the Plan.
What is in the Pennsylvania Wildlife Action Plan?
- List of Species of Greatest Conservation Need (Appendix 1.3)
- Extent and condition of habitats where these species are found (Chapter 2 & Appendix 2.1)
- Environmental threats to these species (Chapter 1, Appendix 1.1, Appendix 1.4; Chapter 3)
- Conservation actions needed recover and protect these species (Chapter 1, Appendix 1.4; Chapter 4)
- Monitoring needed for species, habitats, and conservation actions (Appendix 1.4; Chapter 5 & Appendix 5.1)
- Plans to revise the Plan by 2025 (Chapter 6)
- Partner and public participation in Plan development and implementation (Chapters 7 & 8)
Who should use the State Wildlife Action Plan?
Everyone! Explore the Wildlife Action Plan and interactive, web-based Conservation Opportunity Area Tool to visualize species distributions statewide or select specific areas of interest to obtain a list of species and conservation actions for an area you identify. Also, get involved by participating in conservation actions found in Chapter 4, Get Involved! Take Action! Don’t wait! Pennsylvania’s Species of Greatest Conservation Need are looking to you for help.
Thank you for your interest in the Pennsylvania Wildlife Action Plan! Please provide your contact information to receive an email notification when a section of the plan has been updated. Registration Form
| Topic (Chapter) | Updates | Contents |
|---|---|---|
| Executive Summary | Overview of the 2015 Plan | |
| Introduction | 03.15.16 | Table of Contents, Acknowledgments, Executive Summary, Foreword, Agency Authorities, Review of 2005 Plan |
| Species (1) | 03.15.16 | Species of Greatest Conservation Need selection, prioritization, threats and conservation action summary |
| Appendices 1.1 & 1.2 | 03.15.16 | Species conservation status assessment reports; flowchart and guidance |
| Appendix 1.3 | 03.18.16 | Species of Greatest Conservation Need list and prioritization |
| Appendix 1.4 | Species Accounts - detailed summaries of species' status, threats, actions, surveys, monitoring and research |
| Birds | Amphibians | Fishes |
| Mammals | Reptiles | Mussels (Federal or state listed only) |
| HABITATS (2) | Habitat extent and condition | |
| Appendices 2.1 & 2.2 | Habitat descriptions and condition, species associations, relationships between 2015 and 2005 habitat types | |
| THREATS (3) | 03.15.16 | Environmental threats to species and habitats |
| CONSERVATION ACTIONS (4) | Conservation actions for addressing threats | |
| MONITORING (5) | 03.15.16 | Approaches for monitoring species, habitats, and Plan implementation |
| REVISION (6) | Process for review and revision of the Plan in the next 10 years | |
| PARTNERSHIPS (7) | 03.15.16 | Agencies and organizations involved in Plan revision |
| PUBLIC PARTICIPATION (8) | Review of public involvement in Plan revision and implementation | |
| LITERATURE CITED (9) | 03.25.16 | Referenced literature |