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    Pennsylvania Wildlife Action Plan

    The 2015-2025 State Wildlife Action Plan provides the direction for Pennsylvania's development and implementation of conservation actions.

    Close up of a juvenile Bog Turtle walking through ferns

    About the Plan

    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 and 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.

    Species of Greatest Conservation Need By the Numbers

    Birds90
    Mammals19
    Amphibians18
    Reptiles22
    Fishes65
    Invertebrates (aquatic and terrestrial)450
    Total664

    Conservation Area Opportunity Tool 

    The Conservation Opportunity Area Tool is an interactive, web-based tool to support conservation planning and implementation for at-risk species. Users can find information on Species of Greatest Conservation Need, habitats, conservation actions and more. Use this tool to explore statewide features or seek information in an area of interest you draw. Registration is free. Check-out the Quick Start Instructions, or simply dive-in.

    Conservation Opportunity Area Tool Fact Sheet

    What is in the state 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 Wildfile 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.

     

    Topic (Chapter)Update​​​​​Content
    Executive Summary
    		03.15.16​​​​​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 (1.1), flowchart and guidance (1.2)
    Appendix 1.3
    		03.18.16​​​​​Species of Greatest Conservation Need list and prioritization
    Appendix 1.4
    		11.04.19​​​​​Species Accounts - detailed summaries of species' status, threats, actions, surveys, monitoring and research
    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

    Pennsylvania Game Commission State Wildlife Action Plan page

    Questions? Contact the PFBC Conservation Coordinator, RA-FBSWAP@pa.gov