The pennsylvania game commission is dedicated to managing and protecting wildlife and theirhabitats for current and future generations

The Pennsylvania Game Commission received a $2,272,275 Formula Grant from the U.S. Department of the Interior Fish and Wildlife Service under the State Wildlife Grants (SWG) Program (CFDA 15.634) for the period of July 1, 2025 through June 30, 2026. The grant supports the implementation of Pennsylvania's Wildlife Action Plan by funding conservation actions and recovery programs for species of greatest conservation need (SGCN), specifically targeting the 400 species of birds and mammals not hunted in the state. These conservation actions are coordinated through the Pennsylvania Game Commission's Wildlife Recovery Division and include species surveys, habitat restoration, population monitoring, research initiatives, and conservation data management activities designed to prevent species decline and advance wildlife recovery before species require endangered species protections.

The funding complements existing state and federal resources, including the state's Wild Resource Conservation Program and other U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service funding mechanisms such as Section 6 grants and White Nose Syndrome capacity grants, creating a comprehensive suite of wildlife management solutions. By addressing specific threats and information gaps identified in the Wildlife Action Plan, the grant enables the agency to sustain and recover populations of Pennsylvania's highest-priority species while coordinating with statewide partners and leveraging non-federal match funding to maximize conservation outcomes.

For the 400 species of birds and mammals not hunted, thisis accomplished by staff throughout the agency, overseen by a small but dynamic wildlife recoverydivision coordinating statewide programs and partners, and guided by the pennsylvania wildlifeaction plan (PA WAP, PGC-pfbc 2015). The PA WAP identifies specific threats, information gaps, and conservation actions to sustain or recover the states species of greatest conservation need(sgcn). State and tribal wildlife grants (SWG) and leveraged non-federal match have been theprimary funding sources for implementing pennsylvanias wildlife action plan, while other sources(e.g., USFWS section 6, WNS capacity grants, the states own wild resource conservation program, and PGC game fund) provide additional and vital support. SWG funds support a robust suite ofconservation actions, within this grant, to further highest-priority sgcn conservation and recovery.