This project will assess amphibian and reptile habitat use, timing/rate of movement, injury and survival, as well as pre- and post-event habitat conditions in areas of fire management activities…

The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission will receive $537,983.46 under a Formula Grant award from the U.S. Department of the Interior Fish and Wildlife Service Region 5's State Wildlife Grants program. The funding will support a project assessing the habitat use, movement patterns, injuries, and survival of amphibian and reptile species in areas undergoing prescribed fire management activities. Specifically, the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission will partner with the Pennsylvania Game Commission and East Stroudsburg University to conduct qualitative and quantitative surveys of priority species such as the box turtle, timber rattlesnake, and vernal pool-associated amphibians. Through monitoring the distribution and survival of these species in response to different fire management practices, the project aims to identify best practices that minimize negative impacts to herpetofauna while achieving habitat benefits. The grant period runs from July 1, 2022 through June 30, 2027.

This project will assess amphibian and reptile habitat use, timing/rate of movement, injury and survival, as well as pre- and post-event habitat conditions in areas of fire management activities (i.e., prescribed fire). This will be accomplished through qualitative and quantitative surveys targeting species especially box turtle (terrapene carolina) and timber rattlesnake (crotalus horridus), and as opportunities allow, select vernal pool associated species (e.g., marbled salamander ambystoma opacum, jefferson salamander ambystoma jeffersonianum), wood turtle glyptemys insculpta, and spotted turtle clemmys guttata, and their habitats. By assessing survival and distribution in response to fire management activities, the expected outcomes will be best practices for minimizing negative impacts to amphibians and reptiles while supporting the many beneficial habitat goals achieved through fire management conducted by resource management agencies and non-governmental organizations. This project is led by the pennsylvania fish and boat commission (pfbc) in partnership with the pennsylvania game commission (PGC) and a sub-recipient, east stroudsburg university.