Pennsylvania Wildlife Action Plan

The 2025-2035 Pennsylvania Wildlife Action Plan is a non-regulatory, proactive conservation blueprint to prevent Species of Greatest Conservation Need from requiring federal protection under the Endangered Species Act.

Officially submitted by 1 October 2026, the document is currently under review by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

About the Pennsylvania Wildlife Action Plan

Species of Greatest Conservation Need

Check out the Wildlife Action Map

What's in the Pennsylvania Wildlife Action Plan?

Contents of Pennsylvania Wildlife Action Plan

Who should use the Pennsylvania Wildlife Action Plan?

About the Pennsylvania Wildlife Action Plan

The 2025-2035 Pennsylvania Wildlife Action Plan (PA WAP) is the Commonwealth’s authoritative, non-regulatory reference for Species of Greatest Conservation Need (SGCN) and necessary conservation actions, developed by the Game Commission and Fish and Boat Commission with input from partners and the public working together toward a shared purpose. Implementing the PA WAP reduces fish and wildlife management costs by decreasing expensive recoveries of species in need of critical care. Investing in the PA WAP now conserves fish, wildlife, and vital natural areas 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 PA WAP.

Recommended citation: PGC-PFBC (Pennsylvania Game Commission and Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission). 2026. Pennsylvania Wildlife Action Plan, 2025-2035. C. Haffner, D. Day, and N. Welte, editors. Pennsylvania Game Commission and Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.

The PA WAP is exceedingly important for maintaining Pennsylvania’s natural heritage and is part of the Commonwealth’s public trust responsibility for fish and wildlife conservation.

- Charles Bier, Wildlife Action Plan Foreword

Species of Greatest Conservation Need (SGCN) By the Numbers

Canada Warbler perched on a tree branch.

Birds = 86

Snowshoe Hare sitting on a rocky landscape surrounded by grass

Mammals = 21

Fishes = 47

Close-up of a Green Salamander on a muddy rock. Photo by Jarren Uplinger

Amphibians = 19

Close-up of a Queen Snake coiled up on a rock

Reptiles = 18

Frosted Elfin Butterfly sitting on a lead. Photo by Pete Woods

Aquatic & Terrestrial Invertebrates = 667

SGCN Total = 858

Non-SGCN Data Deficient Species = 604

Check out the Wildlife Action Map

Thank you for wanting to help fish and wildlife Species of Greatest Conservation Need (SGCN)! 

The Wildlife Action Map (WAM) includes three interactive, web-based tools to explore species distributions and support conservation planning and implementation for Pennsylvania’s at-risk fish and wildlife. Registration is free and needed for full functionality.

Planning - Conservation Opportunity Area (COA) Tool. For user-determined areas of interest, this tool provides information on Species of Greatest Conservation Need, associated habitats, needed conservation actions, and more.

Implementation - Conservation Action Tracker (CAT). This tool enables users to delineate on a map areas where conservation actions are planned or implemented. The action information provided can be displayed on a map to allow all users to see our collective conservation work and foster collaborations.

Exploration - A Statewide Search feature allows users to explore Species of Greatest Conservation Need distribution at the county or watershed scale, generating a list and map.

Homepage view of the PA Wildlife Action Map website

Go to Pennsylvania Wildlife Action Map

Cover page of the PA Wildlife Action Plan Fact Sheet

PA Wildlife Action Map Fact Sheet

A two-page fact sheet explaining how and when to use the Conservation Opportunity Area Tool (COA) and the Conservation Action Tracker (CAT) as part of the PA Wildlife Action Map.

PA Wildlife Action Map Fact Sheet

Cover page of the PA Wildlife Action Plan User Guide

PA Wildlife Action Map User Guide

Instruction for how to register and use the Pennsylvania Wildlife Action Map (WAM), including the Conservation Opportunity Area (COA) Tool and Conservation Action Tracker (CAT).

PA Wildlife Action Map User Guide

What's in the Pennsylvania Wildlife Action Plan?

List of Species of Greatest Conservation Need (Appendix 1.3)
List of Data Deficient species (not SGCN) (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 2035 (Chapter 6)
Partner and public participation in Plan development and implementation (Chapters 7 & 8)
Implementation Case Studies (Chapter 9)

2025-2035 Pennsylvania Wildlife Action Plan Contents

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 (1)	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 and Data Deficient species lists -- PDF -- Excel (SGCN-only) 1.4 SGCN species accounts (see below)

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 (1)

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 and Data Deficient species lists -- PDF -- Excel (SGCN-only)

1.4 SGCN species accounts (see below)

SPECIES ACCOUNTS	Detailed summaries of species' status, threats, actions, surveys, monitoring and research Appendix (1.4) (TIP: In each species account file, on the cover page, copy and paste species names into the search bar.)
Birds	Amphibians and Reptiles	Fishes
Mammals	Aquatic and Terrestrial Invertebrates

Habitats (2)	Habitat extent and condition Appendix 2.1 - Terrestrial and Aquatic Habitat Descriptions
Threats (3)	Environmental threats to species and habitats
Conservation Actions (4)	Conservation actions to address threats to species and habitats
Monitoring (5)	Monitoring efforts for species, habitats, and conservation actions implementation
Revision (6)	Process for review and revising the PA WAP in the next 10 years
Partnerships (7)	Agencies and organizations involved in revising the PA WAP
Public Participation (8)	Public involvement in PA WAP revision and implementation
Implementation Case Studies (9)	Pennsylvania conservation in action

Contents last updated: 9-29-2026

Who should use the Pennsylvania Wildlife Action Plan?

Everyone! Explore the PA WAP and interactive, web-based Wildlife Action Map 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. Don’t wait! Pennsylvania’s Species of Greatest Conservation Need are looking to you for help.

Thank you for your interest in the Pennsylvania Wildlife Action Plan!

Please provide your contact information to receive an email notification when a section of the plan has been updated.

Sign-Up for PA WAP Updates