Wildlife connectivity refers to the ability of animals to move freely across land and water so they can access the habitats and resources they need to survive. A recent example is the naturalistic fish passage at Shikellamy State Park that helps aquatic species move unobstructed around the inflatable dam on the Susquehanna River.
The Governor’s Office established the Pennsylvania Wildlife Connectivity Interagency Work Group, which focuses on advancing wildlife corridors and crossings through coordinated planning, mapping and data collection, landscape conservation efforts, and leveraging state, federal, and other funding.
The Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) and the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) will serve as lead facilitators in convening the Work Group, which builds on previous efforts from both agencies, including PennDOT's work on wildlife crossings and DCNR's efforts to support biodiversity.
The Wildlife Connectivity Work Group will be comprised of the following state agencies:
- Department of Agriculture (PDA)
- Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR)
- Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED)
- Department of Environmental Protection (DEP)
- Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission (PFBC)
- Pennsylvania Game Commission (PGC)
- Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission (PHMC)
- Pennsylvania Department of General Services (DGS)
- Department of Insurance
- Department of Transportation (PennDOT)
- Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission (PTC)
The primary responsibility of the Work Group would be to develop a comprehensive statewide strategic plan, using science-based analysis and wildlife habitat and connectivity data, which prioritizes wildlife connectivity corridors that improve wildlife movement and core habitat protections across landscapes, watersheds, and prioritized transportation corridors.
PennDOT has been awarded $840,000 through the U.S. Department of Transportation Wildlife Crossings Pilot Program (WCPP), which will support the development of the multi-agency strategic plan.
