This five year project will support the pennsylvania fish and boat commission natural diversity section biologist tasks to protect conserve and enhance pfbc species of greatest conservation need sgcn

The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission (PFBC) received a $359,194 Formula Grant award from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service under the State Wildlife Grants Program (CFDA 15.634) effective May 12, 2025, with completion scheduled for December 31, 2030. This five-year project supports biologist tasks within the PFBC's Natural Diversity Section to protect, conserve, and enhance species of greatest conservation need (SGCN), with particular focus on state and federally listed endangered, threatened, and candidate species as identified in Pennsylvania's active Wildlife Action Plan. The primary deliverables include the development of species action plans to guide conservation initiatives by the PFBC and its partners; conducting surveys to address data gaps for priority species; processing environmental reviews; and developing technical materials to support management decisions that reduce species endangerment. Work will be conducted in Pennsylvania with potential coordination with neighboring states and federal agencies on species with shared jurisdictional interests.

The grant benefits all Pennsylvanians with interests in fish and wildlife quality, particularly through the creation of proactive species action plans that provide science-based information to support conservation management decisions. The PFBC serves as the responsible project administrator for this award, which represents a formula-based allocation under the State Wildlife Grants Program designed to support state wildlife agency strategic conservation programs before species become federally endangered.

The work will focus on state and federally listed endangered threatened and candidate species and high priority rare species as identified in the active PA wildlife action plan. Work will be conducted in pennsylvania but may require coordination with neighboring states and federal agencies on species with shared jurisdiction or mutual interests. A major focus of the work will be developing species action plans which will serve as proactive tools to guide conservation initiatives by pfbc and partners. Tasks will also include addressing data gaps by conducting surveys for priority species processing environmental reviews and developing technical materials as needed benefiting from this work will be all pennsylvanians who care about the quality of the commonwealths fish and wildlife especially those at risk species essential to the overall wellbeing of natural resources. The species action plans will provide the best information supporting management decisions that will reduce species endangerment. The pfbc will be responsible for this project.