Formula Grant F23AF03332

PURPOSE.THE PURPOSE OF THIS GRANT IS TO IMPLEMENT THE 2015-25 PENNSYLVANIA WILDLIFE ACTION PLAN (PGC-PFBC 2015), TOINITIATE THE 2025 PA WAP REVISION, AND TO SUPPORT CRITICAL RECOVERY ACTIONS, RESEARCH, AND MONITORING NEEDED TOSTEWARD THE BIODIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIAS BIRDS AND MAMMALS. WITH THESE FUNDS WE WILL ADDRESS CONSERVATION NEEDS WHILE SPECIES ARE STILL COMMON WHILE DIRECTING IMMEDIATE CONSERVATION ACTIONS NEEDED BY OUR MOST-IMPERILED SPECIES.THIS GRANT SUPPORTS RESEARCH AND MONITORING DESIGNED TO UNDERSTAND AND ARREST POPULATION DECLINES BEFORE THEPOPULATION DIPS TO CRITICAL LEVELS AND DIRECTS CONSERVATION ACTIONS TO PRIORITY SPECIES WITH POPULATION DATADEMONSTRATING THE GREATEST DECLINE TO STABILIZE OR REVERSE POPULATION DECLINES PA WAP GOAL 1). SUCH ACTIONS WILLADDRESS THE LIMITING FACTORS AFFECTING THE WHOLE POPULATION. THESE ACTIONS WILL BE FOCUSED ON: 1) STATE ORREGIONAL HIGH-RESPONSIBILITY SPECIES, THROUGH DIRECT RECOVERY, RESEARCH AND MONITORING, HABITAT IMPROVEMENT, ANDOTHER HIGH-PRIORITY ACTIONS 2) HIGH PRIORITY ASSEMBLAGES WITHIN HIBERNACULA, CONIFEROUS FORESTS, EARLY SUCCESSIONALFOREST HABITATS, PRAIRIE AND OLD FIELD HABITATS, SHRUB MOSAIC COMPLEXES, MATURE-FORESTS, AND WETLANDS 3)EMERGING ISSUES WITH POPULATION-LEVEL IMPACTS ON PRIORITY SPECIES.FUNDS WILL ENABLE THE AGENCY TO BASE WILDLIFE CONSERVATION DECISIONS ON THE BEST AVAILABLE SCIENCE (PA WAP GOAL2): FOCUSED ON THE HIGHEST-PRIORITY SPECIES, AND ON THE LARGEST KNOWLEDGE GAPS, WE WILL ADVANCE A TARGETEDRESEARCH AND MONITORING AGENDA TO INCREASE OUR KNOWLEDGE FOR THE BENEFIT OF SGCN. SPECIES THAT HAVE UNDERGONE DECLINES AND REDUCED RANGE HAVE THREATS LISTED IN THE WILDLIFE ACTION PLAN, BUT MIGHT EXPERIENCE OTHER LIMITING FACTORS, SUCH AS LOW GENETIC DIVERSITY, SOME OF WHICH COULD BE ADDRESSED WITH PLANNING AND ACTION.CONTRIBUTE TO RANGE-WIDE CONSERVATION OF SPECIES OF GREATEST CONSERVATION NEED (PA WAP GOAL 3): PENNSYLVANIA IS A CRITICAL KEYSTONE GEOGRAPHY FOR MIGRATORY SPECIES DUE TO ITS LOCATION AS A BOTTLENECK BETWEEN THE ATLANTIC SHORE AND THE GREAT LAKES SYSTEM. TO EFFECTIVELY ACHIEVE LONG-TERM POPULATION IMPROVEMENTS AND STABILITY, WE WILL WORK THROUGH REGIONAL, NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL MULTI-STATE, MULTI-AGENCY PARTNERSHIPS TO ADVANCE PENNSYLVANIA PRIORITY ACTIONS FOR SGCN THROUGHOUT THEIR BREEDING, MIGRATORY, AND WINTERING RANGE.CONTINUE TO IMPROVE COOPERATION WITHIN AND BETWEEN PUBLIC AGENCIES AND OTHER PARTNERS (PA WAP GOAL 5): THE GAME COMMISSION, IN COLLABORATION WITH THE FISH AND BOAT COMMISSION, WILL BEGIN THE CONGRESSIONALLY REQUIRED 10-YEAR PENNSYLVANIA WILDLIFE ACTION PLAN COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW AND REVISION TO MAINTAIN AN EFFECTIVE AND CURRENT PLAN, WHICH IS DUE TO THE U.S. FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE BY SEPTEMBER 30, 2025.CONSEQUENCES OF NOT FUNDING THIS WORK INCLUDE CONTINUED DECLINE OF SPECIES OF GREATEST CONSERVATION NEED, LACK OF STATE OR FEDERAL GUIDANCE IN RECOVERY PLANNING, AND REDUCED ABILITY TO PROACTIVELY RECOVER POPULATIONS HEADING TOWARD FEDERAL LISTING.