HARRISBURG, PA - Those wishing to submit comments about the Pennsylvania Game Commission’s 2021-2030 Northern Bobwhite Quail Management Plan draft may do so until Aug. 28.
The draft plan can be found on the Northern Bobwhite Quail page at www.pgc.pa.gov. Comments may be sent by email to RA-BobwhiteComments@pa.gov.
When adopted, the plan will guide efforts to restore this native species, once common in Pennsylvania but missing from our landscape in recent decades.
“The Pennsylvania Game Commission and partner organizations have taken great strides in recent years to create suitable habitat for bobwhite at our focus area, the Letterkenny Army Depot in Franklin County, and we are committed to re-establishing a wild population in the Commonwealth,” Game Commission quail biologist Andrew Ward said to the Pennsylvania Board of Game Commissioners when introducing the plan.
Increases in grassland songbirds and American woodcock already have been documented at Letterkenny, indicating that the habitat conditions are becoming more conducive to supporting a self-sustaining quail population. The management plan outlines strategies to maintain and expand these habitat improvements, translocate wild quail to Letterkenny following established best practices, and monitor populations and habitats post-reintroduction. The plan will also guide work to inform and educate the public, carry out cooperative projects with partners, and extend the restoration effort to other suitable areas in the vicinity of Letterkenny.
A summary of public comments received, and any changes made in response to the comments, will be included in the final version of the Northern Bobwhite Quail Management Plan, which is expected to be presented to the Board of Commissioners for approval at the board’s September meeting.
MEDIA CONTACT: Travis Lau - 717-705-6541
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