Draft 2025-2035 Pennsylvania Wildlife Action Plan
The draft 2025-2035 Pennsylvania Wildlife Action Plan is open for public comment from August 19 through September 19, 2026.
Special Public Invitation to Review the Draft Pennsylvania Wildlife Action Plan
The Pennsylvania Game Commission (PGC) and Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission (PFBC) seek your feedback on this draft 2025-35 Pennsylvania Wildlife Action Plan (PA WAP).
In collaboration with numerous conservation partners, the Commissions have coordinated and developed this draft of the PA WAP - the most comprehensive assessment of Pennsylvania’s at-risk species and their habitats. Fish and wildlife populations are subject to changing environmental conditions so maintaining this Plan is important to provide efficient and effective conservation action implementation.
Your comments are vital to this effort!
The 2025-35 Pennsylvania Wildlife Action Plan (PA WAP), the third iteration of its kind, is a voluntary, proactive, conservation blueprint to help avoid species endangerment, which might otherwise lead to federal protection under the Endangered Species Act. As a non-regulatory plan, this approach reduces fish and wildlife management costs by decreasing expensive critical care species recoveries and provides better species’ population health. Pennsylvania's natural resources are foundational for the state's beauty and cultural heritage, and this Plan’s framework can help 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.
| Topic (Chapter) | Contents |
|---|---|
| Executive Summary | Overview of the 2025-35 Pennsylvania Wildlife Action Plan (PA WAP) |
| Introduction | Executive Summary, Foreword, Agency Authorities, Plan Goals, Objectives and Strategies, 2015-25 PA WAP Accomplishments, Acknowledgments |
| Species | Species status assessments, Species of Greatest Conservation Need (SGCN) selection and list, threats, conservation actions, research needs, and survey priorities summaries
Appendices: 1.1 Species conservation status assessment reports 1.2 Species selection flowchart and guidance 1.3 SGCN list |
| SPECIES ACCOUNTS | Detailed summaries of species' status, threats, actions, surveys, monitoring and research Appendix (1.4) | |
| Birds | Amphibians and Reptiles | Fishes |
| Mammals | Aquatic and Terrestrial Invertebrates | |
| Habitats | Habitat extent and condition |
| Threats | Environmental threats to species and habitats. |
| Conservation Actions | Conservation actions to address threats to species and habitats. |
| Monitoring | Monitoring efforts for species, habitats, and conservation actions implementation |
| Revision | Process for review and revising the PA WAP in the next 10 years |
| Partnerships | Agencies and organizations involved in revising the PA WAP |
| Public Participation | Public involvement in PA WAP revision and implementation |
A U.S. Fish and Wildlife approved plan will be used to guide critical conservation work in Pennsylvania over the next decade (until October 1, 2035). First submitted in 2005, and subsequently revised in 2015, each PA WAP has been indispensable for guiding conservation actions to recover or diminish imperilment of at-risk species.
This decadal comprehensive review and revision is being conducted on the entire plan including:
- Species of Greatest Conservation Need (SGCN)
- Habitat condition and extent for SGCN.
- Threats to species and habitats.
- Conservation actions for species and habitats.
- Monitoring to gauge implementation progress.
- Pennsylvania’s approach to comprehensively review and revise the Plan.
- Describe coordination with, and participation of, partners and public.
- To comply with U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and congressional requirements for a complete plan review.
- For the Commonwealth to continue receiving federal State & Tribal Wildlife Grant Program funding.