Latest news with #PennsylvaniaGameCommission
Axios
5 days ago
- General
- Axios
Birds in Pennsylvania and nationwide are vanishing fast
Birds that call Pennsylvania home are in serious decline. Why it matters: Birds are indicators of the health of their habitats and signal early warnings of broader trouble to the environment, and potentially to people. State of play: Over the past half-century, Pennsylvania species like the piping plover have lost half of their population, per the North American Bird Conservation Initiative's 2025 State of the Birds report. The report identifies the plover and king rail as a " Tipping Point" species, meaning they are highly vulnerable to extinction. That list includes the Wood Thrush and golden-winged warbler, which have experienced long-term population losses but have had relatively stable trends recently. Zoom in: The Pennsylvania Game Commission lists several bird species as endangered and protected, including the great egret, black tern, and plover. Zoom out: Species of Eastern forest birds, like the field sparrow in Pennsylvania, are declining due to habitat loss from residential development and agriculture. Threat level: A blow to birds is a blow to the economy. From birding tourism to pest control and pollination, birds generate $279 billion annually for the U.S. economy, the report finds. The big picture: It's not just Pennsylvania. Researchers tracked species nationwide and found declines almost everywhere — even among birds once thought resilient, like waterfowl. Roughly one-third of U.S. bird species — 229 in total — are now classified as high or moderate conservation concerns. Yes, but: It's not all bad. Thanks to wetland protections, dabbling and diving duck populations have jumped 24% since 1970, while waterbirds are up 16%, per the report.
Yahoo
21-06-2025
- Yahoo
Illegal hedgehog found on the lam in Pennsylvania captured
Saturday morning, Tracie Young received a call from a Pennsylvania Game Commission warden with a request. It happens from time to time. Young is founder and director of the Raven Ridge Wildlife Center in Washington borough in southeastern Lancaster County. This was different. That morning, the game warden was on his way to the West Manchester Township Police Department, which reported that a resident walking his dog that morning saw a critter, according to the Game Commission. Police detained the animal and called the game warden. The game warden told her it was a hedgehog. At first, she said, she thought the police might have misidentified the animal and that it was possibly a baby groundhog that had wandered from its burrow. Hedgehogs are not native to Pennsylvania, and they are illegal to possess in the commonwealth. But that doesn't discourage some people from keeping them as pets, a summary offense under state law. 'When the warden arrived at our center, we discovered that it was, in fact, a hedgehog,' Tracie wrote on the center's Facebook page. More unusual critters: Emu on the loose? 'Round here, folks call in the Mountain Lady to catch this big bird Equine comfort: Horse therapy gave this York veteran with PTSD a Leg Up to find peace on the home front It is the center's first hedgehog in its 10 years of existence, she said. (Young founded the center in 2015 to rehabilitate injured, orphaned and displace wildlife.) Pennsylvania is one of four states to ban ownership of hedgehogs – the others are California, Georgia and Hawaii. They are also banned in all five boroughs of New York City. They are banned for good reason. They are not native to North or South America and are considered an invasive species. They are omnivores, eating just about everything, including crops, fruit, vegetables, worms, bugs, mice, snakes and baby birds, among other things. Game commission's Lt. Amy Nabozny said it was not investigating. 'We have no idea whose it was, where it came from or anything like that. And it's unlikely the person will come forward.' The game commission comes across 'a handful' of hedgehogs every year, Nabozny said. It's not like there's a big infestation of them, she said. 'People get them as pets and when they get them, they probably don't realize they are illegal when they get them,' Nabozny said. 'The intent is not nefarious.' Sometimes, hedgehogs found in the wild merely wander from their homes. But other times, they are released by their owners, who don't realize what they are getting into. It is also a violation of state law to release non-native animals into the wild, something that could result in hefty fines. Why someone would want a hedgehog as a pet is a mystery, she said. 'You have to ask someone who has one." Young believes people might like them as pets because 'it's something different. It's something unusual, not your run-of-the-mill pet.' There have been efforts to legalize them as pets – they are legal in surrounding states and are available for purchase just a short drive away – but they have failed in the legislature. 'This case highlights that someone had irresponsibly turned this hedgehog loose to fend for itself in an unfamiliar environment,' Young wrote on Facebook. 'This particular hedgehog had been wandering around aimlessly for an unknown period and is starting to relax and eat now that it is in a calm area. We are working with reputable out-of-state organizations that specialize in the care of hedgehogs for appropriate placement.' Young wrote, 'For the well-being of animals, please do not release any non-native wildlife into the environment. It is your responsibility to find a proper placement or do your research to understand the care involved for specialized animals and the laws for your state. Animals should not have to suffer after the thrill of owning them is gone.' Columnist/reporter Mike Argento has been a York Daily Record staffer since 1982. Reach him at mike@ This article originally appeared on Pocono Record: Illegal hedgehog found in Pennsylvania will be sent out of state
CBS News
12-06-2025
- Politics
- CBS News
Bill fully repealing Pennsylvania's Sunday hunting ban passes state house, heads to senate
A bill introduced by an Allegheny County state representative, Mandy Steele, passed the Pennsylvania State House of Representatives, and it would fully repeal the commonwealth's Sunday hunting ban. House Bill 1431 was approved by the House Game and Fisheries Committee on June 3 and then passed by the full House yesterday by a vote of 131-72. Now, the legislation heads to the Pennsylvania State Senate for consideration. "Though hunters play an active role in helping to manage wildlife populations, through the purchase of their licenses and other revenue they generate, they also fund wildlife conservation at a larger scale, for all species," said Pennsylvania Game Commission Executive Director Steve Smith. "For those reasons and others, it's important to keep hunters engaged and providing the valuable service they do. These bills would help accomplish that. One of the biggest reasons hunters stop hunting is a lack of time. While no one can add hours to the day or days to the week, removing the prohibition on Sunday hunting holds the potential to add significantly more time to the hunting calendar and keep hunters hunting." Rep. Steele's bill is identical to a similar bill that was introduced in March in the State Senate, and it would end the prohibition on Sunday hunting as well as allow the Pennsylvania Game Commission to include Sundays when they establish yearly hunting seasons. In 2019, Pennsylvania began allowing additional hunting on three designated Sundays, but not on every Sunday.
USA Today
11-06-2025
- USA Today
2 African wildcats seized in Pennsylvania drug bust
2 African wildcats seized in Pennsylvania drug bust The two African wildcats are in the care of the Pennsylvania Game Commission. Show Caption Hide Caption Spider monkey rescued after bizarre drug bust A spider monkey named Violeta has a temporary home at the Oakland Zoo after authorities found her while executing a drug-related search warrant. Two African wildcats were seized during a drug bust in central Pennsylvania, in addition to more than $85,000 worth of methamphetamine, fentanyl, and heroin. Jennifer Dixon, 27, and Nicholas Rumsey, 33, have each been charged with possession with intent to distribute, endangering the welfare of a child, and other related drug charges, according to a Pennsylvania Attorney General's Office news release. During a search of the their residence in Clearfield County, Pennsylvania last week on June 5, about three pounds of methamphetamine, 159 grams of fentanyl, 9 grams of heroin, and $7,390 in cash were seized, according to a news release. Investigators estimate the total value of the drugs to be around $85,800. According to Clearfield County District Attorney Ryan Sayers, about 7,950 doses of fentanyl were seized during the search. Opioid epidemic: Drug overdose deaths plummet to pre-pandemic levels during fentanyl crisis African wildcats discovered in the basement during bust During the search, two African wildcats were located in the basement of Dixon and Rumsey's residence, a news release states. The animals appeared to be unlawfully kept, as permits are required to keep wildcats in the state of Pennsylvania. The Pennsylvania State Game Commission confiscated the wildcats as part of an ongoing investigation. "The rescue of these African wildcats serves the dual benefit of protecting these exotic creatures and protecting the people in that neighborhood," Sayers said in a news release. The Pennsylvania Game Commission did not immediately respond for comment about the status of the African wildcats when contacted by USA TODAY on June 11. Greta Cross is a national trending reporter at USA TODAY. Story idea? Email her at gcross@
Yahoo
11-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Managing Laurel Hill is personal for PGC forester Tom Respet
The ridgetop and hollows of Laurel Hill are in a state of constant change. What was once a vast swath of American chestnut, hemlock and fire-dependent pitch pine is now predominantly oak and other mixed hardwoods. Wildlife populations have ebbed and flowed with those changes regardless of human interference, but efforts by a local forester and his staff are ensuring they all have what they need to thrive. Pennsylvania Game Commission forester Tom Respet, of Champion, has 10 game lands encompassing 50,000 acres in Somerset and Westmoreland counties in his care. 'My projects on (State Game Lands No.) 42 are geared toward forestry for wildlife,' Respet said. 'People don't like to see trees cut, but some of the species that they don't see around much more depend on that early successional and the young forest – that dynamic of tight-knit trees. There's grouse on that game lands. A lot of it is due to the habitat being provided to them by cutting trees.' Respet has a special connection to Laurel Hill. Growing up in Smithton, he hiked on it as a young Boy Scout, shot his first buck on it, hunted bear with family on its broad summit and skied down its slopes. Now, he has the pleasure of managing its forests. 'I can honestly say it is a dream come true to be responsible for managing some of the areas that were such a meaningful part of youth into adulthood,' Respet said. Besides chainsaws and mowers, Respet and his crew use prescribed fire and chemical application to foster conditions that will best provide food and cover for species such as grouse, woodcock, turkeys and a variety of songbirds by creating what he calls 'flush undergrowth' – that is, high-quality cover. 'We're trying to utilize forestry for wildlife,' Respet said. 'I know a lot of people in the public think that we cut trees just to make money for that almighty dollar, but that's far from the truth with regard to us. We take pride in our work.' Although a carpet of ferns sprawling under a canopy of mature hardwoods is picturesque, it is not healthy wildlife habitat. 'We're trying to get sunlight down to the forest floor for regeneration purposes of trees,' Respet said. 'Red oak, oak of all types, maple, poplar – they're all under there, just waiting on their time. When that sunlight hits, they take off.' What the U.S. Department of Agriculture calls 'an introduced fungal disease' caused a chestnut blight in the 1820s, which spread throughout eastern hardwood forests at a rate of 24 miles per year. By the 1950s, almost all mature American chestnuts had succumbed to it. Mixed hardwoods now reign on the ridge. 'On our ridge over here, it's really difficult to regenerate the oak stands the way they were,' Respet said. 'We're having the birch take over.' That birch, as well as red maple and ferns, block sunlight from reaching the more desirable oaks that feed wildlife with their acorns. Since ferns and birch are not preferred browse for deer, they can quickly choke out the more beneficial species. 'Hopefully there is some oak re-gen under there, and when we eliminate that (interference), it will have time to shoot up and outcompete the birch,' Respet said. Fenced-in sections of woods, called deer exclosures, remain a vital tool for him. There are four on Laurel Hill. 'We're just trying to prevent deer from browsing down all our preferred re-gen,' Respet said. The exclosures need to remain for roughly 10 years to have any desired results, but fallen trees and branches destroy fencing and allow deer to enter and feast. Respet said that people have cut the fences as well. 'Our main objective is providing wildlife habitat – good, quality wildlife habitat,' Respet said. 'Hunters benefit from that along the way. We definitely want the hunters because they help us out. There's too many deer. They're over-browsing our regeneration that we're trying to keep, so we're working for both purposes – wildlife and hunters. 'We're trying to create young forests – it's the habitat that's been missing across the landscape.' His projects benefit bird species and mammals such as rabbits, squirrels, chipmunks and black bears. Standing dead trees, called snags, and mast-producers are spared the chainsaw's blade during clear-cutting. Photosynthesis allows blackberry, huckleberry, laurel, scrub oak and witch hazel to flourish as well. Respet has even begun managing areas for timber rattlesnakes on the ridge. 'My goal is to go into some of these rocky areas and just open them up to sunlight,' Respet said. He said the technique will also draw insects, which in turn will attract bats. Current oak and cherry stand projects he and his crews are working on are expected to yield positive results decades into the future. 'As those stands get from, say, 10 to 20 to 30 (years old), there's stem exclusion,' Respet said. 'They're competing with each other. We're just helping that along.' Playing such a pivotal role in Laurel Hill's future is an assignment that is very personal to Respet. 'I love the Laurel Highlands,' he said. 'I've grown up here. Anytime I'm on it, I'm happy.' John Rucosky is a photographer for The Tribune-Democrat. He can be reached at 814-532-5055. Follow him on Twitter @JohnRucosky.
