Forest Fridays: Who Manages our Natural Resources in Pennsylvania? – Technologist

Author: Ryan Reed

I think every adult remembers the fleeting anxiety that comes with anticipating one’s name to be called when a teacher or coach would do the roll call. I am fortunate to have an easy one; the worst butchering of my name was the predictable “Brian (or Bryan)”, which I got a lot. But for some unfortunate others, teachers’ and coaches’ linguistic artistry seemed to stick for a lifetime.

In the DCNR Bureau of Forestry, we don’t have an issue with the public’s pronunciations of our name. At times, we have a problem with assumptions regarding our responsibilities. To many laypersons, we in the BOF (and other natural resource agencies) are all just basically “game wardens.” I certainly don’t mean to insult the readership here, knowing you all are an educated group. I’ll admit it can be confusing, so much so that many other states lump all or some of their natural resource agencies under the “DNR (Department/Division of Natural Resources)” moniker.

This is not likely to happen in Pennsylvania anytime soon. So, please allow me to try to set the record straight, and please help us spread the word.

• PA Game Commission: Their legal authority and primary responsibilities include the regulation and enforcement of hunting and trapping, and the conservation of mammals and birds. They also manage and administer approximately 1.5 million acres of state game lands across the state.
• PA Fish and Boat Commission: Their legal authority and primary responsibilities include the regulation and enforcement of fishing and boating, and the conservation of fish, reptiles, and amphibians. The PFBC also administers many boat launches and lands that provide access to fishing and boating.
• PA Department of Environmental Protection: Their legal authority and primary responsibilities include the protection of air, land, and water quality.
• PA Department of Agriculture: Their work “protects and promotes agriculture and related industries throughout the Commonwealth while providing consumer protection through inspection services that impact the health and financial security of Pennsylvania’s citizens.” Their regulatory authority also includes some insects that are known to be detrimental to the agricultural sector, like spotted lanternflies.

Other sources of confusion pertain to land management authorities. For instance, the US Forest Service manages the Allegheny National Forest in northwestern PA, and the US National Park Service manages the Delaware Water Gap along the PA/New Jersey border. The US Army Corps of Engineers manages Raystown Lake in Huntingdon County.

Although we are both under the same umbrella, the DCNR Bureau of Forestry and the DCNR Bureau of State Parks manage different areas and have different legal responsibilities. The DCNR Bureau of State Parks manages 124 state parks across the Commonwealth, comprising over 300,000 acres. The DCNR Bureau of Forestry manages over 2.2 million acres of state forest lands and is the legal authority with respect to wildfire and native wild plants.

Pennsylvanians benefit greatly from their community of conservation-minded agencies. Please consider learning more about them by visiting:

Forest Fridays is a project of the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, Bureau of Forestry.