Harrisburg – The Pennsylvania Game Commission (PGC) and Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission (PFBC) announced today that public input is being accepted related to the agencies’ draft 2025-2035 Pennsylvania Wildlife Action Plan. This is a non-regulatory plan that encourages all Pennsylvanians to participate in fish and wildlife conservation.
The draft Plan and public comment form are available online. Comments may be submitted through September 19, 2026.
First developed in 2005, the Pennsylvania Wildlife Action Plan has been the Commonwealth’s blueprint “to conserve Pennsylvania’s native fish and wildlife, maintain resilient habitat, and protect and enhance Species of Greatest Conservation Need.” As required by Congress, State Wildlife Action Plans must be revised no less than every 10 years.
Over the past decade, the Pennsylvania Wildlife Action Plan and associated funding from State and Tribal Wildlife Grants have been crucial for protecting and recovering at-risk species and their habitats.
A Wildlife Action Plan approved by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) is required for states to receive State & Tribal Wildlife Grant Program funds. The Pennsylvania Wildlife Action Plan is scheduled to be delivered to the USFWS by October 1, 2026.
“This Plan reflects our responsibility to protect Pennsylvania’s remarkable variety of wildlife,” said Pennsylvania Game Commission Executive Director Steve Smith. “In that responsibility, we must do more than just express our commitment to conservation. We must be active stewards to carefully manage and protect the Commonwealth’s natural resources. This Plan provides the framework to fulfill that responsibility while keeping our efforts aligned with the federal government and other states.”
“The Wildlife Action Plan is a call to action to help protect, conserve and enhance Pennsylvania's fish and wildlife,” said PFBC Executive Director Tim Schaeffer. “Our state is home to an incredible diversity of fish, invertebrates, reptiles, and amphibians, and we are entrusted with the responsibility of ensuring their sustainability for generations to come. This Plan will help guide our agencies’ efforts and empower our partners to work collaboratively alongside us to advance common goals.”
To compile the Pennsylvania Wildlife Action Plan, the PGC, PFBC, and conservation partners, work together to gather and analyze information related to native species, habitats, threats, conservation actions to address the threats, and monitoring of these species and habitats.
The revised draft plan has 858 Species of Greatest Need including 86 birds, 21 mammals, 19 amphibians, 18 reptiles, 47 fishes and 667 invertebrates that require attention.