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The Pennsylvania Game Commission and Fish and Boat Commission recently have approved 10 projects that will benefit some of the Commonwealth's most troubled wildlife and fish species under the State Wildlife Grant Program.
Funded from a $1.89 million allocation provided by the State Wildlife Grant (SWG) Program, a cost-sharing program administered through the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's Federal Aid Program, the 10 projects were selected from a field of 35 proposals which totaled nearly $3.4 million.
Projects approved by the two agencies in the latest grant round include:
Second Breeding Bird Atlas
This funding will support project expenses for the second and third years of the anticipated five years of fieldwork to complete the Second Breeding Bird Atlas, a statewide effort to produce the most important information on bird distributions throughout the Commonwealth. The atlas will provide an updated database of the modern distribution of all nesting bird species, and a comparison with the first atlas that was prepared in the 1980s. It also will update historic locations of species of special concern, providing new information for their management, and helping to ensure their future conservation. (Carnegie Museum of Natural History's Powdermill Nature Reserve - $239,660)
Raptor Habitat Use Along the Kittatinny Ridge
The Kittatinny Ridge (Blue Mountain) is recognized as a critically important corridor for migrating raptors and songbirds. More than 150 species migrate through the area each year, including more than 20,000 raptors, yet little is known about the habitat needs of species using this flyway. This project will provide essential information on habitat needs of raptor species during migration. The results of this study will be used to assist in developing a Kittatinny Ridge conservation plan addressing migratory bird conservation. (Hawk Mountain Sanctuary Association - $163,900)
Plan for Threatened Woodrat
The eastern woodrat is a rapidly declining species in Pennsylvania, and has disappeared from most surrounding states. Yet there is no conservation plan for the maintenance and possible recovery of this threatened species.
This project will use the eastern woodrat to provide a model conservation plan that can be used for other critically declining species in the Commonwealth. This pragmatic approach to recovery planning will list "best management practices" and help integrate woodrat conservation with current activities and plans used by state agencies, primarily the Bureau of Forestry and the Game Commission. When implemented, this recovery plan will help prevent the federal listing of this species. (Jerry Hassinger - $10,100)
Habitat Usage by Massasauga Rattlesnake
The eastern massasauga rattlesnake is rapidly declining throughout its range. This federal candidate species has now likely disappeared from three of the six counties that it formerly occupied in Pennsylvania. This project will identify habitat requirements critical to the conservation of the eastern massasauga rattlesnake in Pennsylvania -- including hibernation, gestation and foraging sites -- as well as appropriate habitat protection buffers. (Western Pennsylvania Conservancy - $119,500)
Spawning Locations of Delaware River Atlantic Sturgeon
In the late 1800s, the Delaware River supported the largest recorded fishery for Atlantic sturgeon in the world. However, Atlantic sturgeon populations collapsed under market pressure around the turn of the century. Their status in the Delaware River now is unknown, but an adult found in 2001 suggests some spawning. This project will investigate the current status and spawning habitat needs of this species at the center of its historic worldwide range. (Delaware State University - $59,500)
Important Mammal Areas Project, Phase III
Pennsylvania leads the world in developing the Important Mammal Areas (IMA) program. This international pilot project works to conserve important mammal habitat through the cooperation of scientists, conservationists, sportsmen, landowners and the general public. IMA began in Pennsylvania by identifying sites critical to mammal conservation. This phase of the project will help accomplish that goal by: developing model conservation assessments for high-priority sites; completing a book manuscript highlighting Pennsylvania Important Mammal Areas; and continuing to raise public awareness of the importance of Pennsylvania's often-overlooked mammals. (National Wildlife Federation and Pennsylvania Wildlife Federation - $99,000)
Invertebrates of Special Concern
Invertebrates make up the least-known and least-understood segment of Pennsylvania wildlife, yet they are critically important to the functioning ecosystems that support our larger species. This project provides the type of basic information on Pennsylvania's invertebrates needed to identify and conserve the state's most imperiled species providing immediate and direct benefits to the conservation and management of Pennsylvania ecosystems. Invertebrates affect wild food chains, public health, and the ability to conserve fish and wildlife species. We must begin to understand their unique conservation needs, and this project begins that process. (Carnegie Museum of Natural History - $102,900)
Habitat Use by Bog Turtles
The federally endangered bog turtle is declining throughout its entire range. While much effort is being invested in protecting bog turtle sites, there is little information on how to manage these protected sites over the long term. This project will investigate the habitat use of bog turtles, particularly their use of late successional habitats and provide information critical to successful habitat restoration. (Shippensburg University - $17,900)
Survey of Rare Species of Fish, Reptiles and Amphibians in SE PA
Historically, the Coastal Plain of southeastern Pennsylvania has been a unique habitat area that supported a number of species not found in the rest of the state. Over time, the Coastal Plain has experienced intense habitat alteration. As a result, a number of species native to this area have declined to the point of being listed as species of special concern. This Philadelphia - $14,700)
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