HARRISBURG,
Pa. (Aug. 12) –The Pennsylvania Game Commission and Pennsylvania Fish
and Boat Commission (PFBC) are seeking public input through Sept. 11 on
the draft 2015-2025 Pennsylvania Wildlife Action Plan.
The draft plan and comment forms can be found at: http://fishandboat.com/swap2015.htm. Questions can be directed to the Game Commission at WildlifePlanCmnts@pa.gov or to the Fish and Boat Commission at RA-FBSWAP@pa.gov. Use “SWAP” in the subject line.
The
purpose of the Pennsylvania Wildlife Action Plan is “to conserve
Pennsylvania’s native wildlife, maintain viable habitat, and protect and
enhance Species of Greatest Conservation Need.” First developed in
2005, the plan has been the Commonwealth’s blueprint for managing and
protecting imperiled species. As required by Congress, State Wildlife
Action Plans must be revised no less than every 10 years. For the past
10 years the Pennsylvania Wildlife Action Plan and associated funding
from State and Tribal Wildlife Grants have been crucial for protecting
and recovering imperiled species and their habitats.
“State
Wildlife Action Plans (SWAP) are designed to help keep our common
native species from becoming more rare,” said PFBC Executive Director
John Arway. “For rare species already listed as threatened or
endangered, the plan is a framework to assist with their recovery. The
SWAP is a unique opportunity to plan how we can work together to
protect, conserve and enhance not only our diverse fish and wildlife
resources but also the habitats that allow them to continue to live and
survive on our Commonwealth’s lands and in our waters.”
“Pennsylvania’s
Wildlife Action Plan is a commitment to maintaining the Commonwealth’s
vast diversity of native wildlife, something we are bound to preserve in
accordance with our state constitution,” added Game Commission
Executive Director R. Matthew Hough. “It isn’t enough to say we will. We
are bound by our constitutional promise to generations yet to come and
our conservation ethic to manage all of the state’s natural resources
wisely. This plan helps us do that, and it ensures our efforts will be
in step with the federal government and other states.”
Bringing
together conservation agencies and organizations from across the
Commonwealth, for nearly three years the Game Commission, Fish and Boat
Commission, and their partners have compiled and analyzed information
related to species, habitats, threats, conservation actions to address
the threats, and monitoring of these species and habitats. The revised
draft plan has identified 664 species including 90 birds, 19 mammals, 18
amphibians, 22 reptiles, 65 fishes and 450 invertebrates that require
attention.
A
State Wildlife Action Plan approved by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service is required for states to receive State & Tribal Wildlife
Grant Program funds. The Pennsylvania Wildlife Action Plan is scheduled
to be delivered to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service by Sept. 30, 2015.
