(Photo credit: Phil Burkhouse)
MISSOULA, Mont. — The Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation and a host of partners supplied more than half a million dollars to enhance habitat for elk, deer, black bears, turkey and other wildlife in Pennsylvania. The funding also supports youth recreational shooting programs and gatherings focused on conservation, hunting, fishing or other outdoor activities.
“Invasive vegetation and insects crowd out and have a negative impact on native plants and grasses that elk and other wildlife rely on for life-sustaining nutrition. Two of the projects are invasive vegetation treatments which will enhance habitat in the heart of the state’s elk range,” said Jenn Doherty, RMEF managing director of Mission Operations.
RMEF supplied $178,424 which helped leverage $349,599 in partner support.
“We appreciate the efforts of our volunteers across Pennsylvania who plan and host banquets and other activities to raise this funding we can put back on the ground in their home state,” said RMEF President and CEO Kyle Weaver.
There are more than 13,000 RMEF members and 29 chapters in Pennsylvania.
Below is a list and approximate location of all 19 projects.
Beaver County
- Supply funding for the Aliquippa Bucktails Youth and Family Day, an event for youth and family members to take part in shooting sports and other outdoor activities (also benefits Allegheny, Butler, Lawrence and Washington Counties).
Bedford County
- Provide funding for the Bedford County Sportsmen’s Club Youth Field Day, a free event for youth ages nine through 15. Activities include fishing, canoeing, ATV safety, archery, trapping and shotgun, .22 rifle and muzzleloader shooting.
- Supply funding support for the Bedford High School Clay Target Shooting Team, a squad open to students in grades six through 12 to participate in shooting competitions.
Cameron County
- Treat 139 acres on State Game Lands (SGL) 14 to remove glossy buckthorn, a highly invasive shrub that thwarts the establishment of early successional habitat for elk and other wildlife. Its removal also helps the growth of native forbs, shrubs and trees.
- Create 139 acres of permanent forage openings on SGL 293 that will be mowed, limed, fertilized, reseeded and/or treated with prescribed burns to improve elk habitat. The project marks RMEF’s first on SGL 293.
Clinton County
- Mow and apply invasive plant treatment at an 8.5-acre wildlife opening within Sproul State Forest to maintain and improve high quality forage.
Crawford County
- Provide funding for the Maplewood High School Trap Team to participate in the Pennsylvania State High School Target League. Students develop skills as they compete with other schools (also benefits Venango County).
- Supply funding support for the Crawford County Youth Conservation Camp, a week-long day camp for youth ages 11 to 17 to learn and experience building duck, bluebird and bat boxes, trap and skeet shooting, hunting and conservation (also benefits Venango County).
Dauphin County
- Supply funding and volunteer support for the Capital Area Sportsmen for Youth Field Day. The program focuses on outdoor education, fishing and shooting for youths ages eight to 16 (also benefits Adams, Cumberland, Franklin, Juniata, Lancaster, Lebanon, Perry and York Counties).
Elk County
- Treat 245 acres across SGL 311 and 14 to suppress hemlock woolly adelgid, a non-native insect that is threatening the state’s hemlock forests; an important habitat component for elk. Various other invasive plants, grasses and insects will also be treated to restore native shrubs and browse for elk and other wildlife.
- Supply funding and volunteer support for the Elk County Youth Field Day, an event for youth ages 10 to 14 to take part in fishing, archery, .22 rifle shooting, conservation and other activities.
- Provide support for the Bennetts Valley Sportsmen’s Club Family Fish Day, an opportunity for anglers of all ages to take part in a day of fishing (also benefits Cameron, Clearfield and Potter Counties).
- Supply funding for the Fox Township Sportsmen’s Club Summer Youth Program. Boys and girls in grades five through seven, many of them first-time participants, learn about firearm safety and shooting skills.
- Provide funding support for the Fox Township Sportsmen’s Club High School Trap League. Three teams with participants in grades eight through 12 take part in interleague competitions while learning about firearm safety, shooting and other skills.
- Seventy-five RMEF volunteers from across the state help the Pennsylvania Game Commission’s annual elk capture and tagging as part of ongoing research.
Lycoming County
- Supply funding to support the Consolidated Sportsmen of Muncy Creek’s annual youth fishing derby (also benefits Sullivan County).
Potter County
- Improve 198 acres of wildlife forage openings within the Susquehannock State Forest with a combination of seeding, lime application and regenerating aspen stands.
Statewide
- Provide funding for the Sinnemahoning Sportsmen’s Club Youth Field Day for boys and girls ages 17 and under to learn hands-on muzzleloader and .22 rifle shooting, trapping, archery, fishing, forestry, animal identification and more.
- Supply funding to support the Wildlife Leadership Academy, which had a 2023 class of 120 students across five schools, to learn about natural resources, wildlife, fisheries conservation and leadership skills.
Project partners include the Pennsylvania Game Commission, Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, Bass Pro Shops & Cabela’s Outdoor Fund, private individuals and volunteers, and other conservation, sportsmen, civic and business organizations.
Since 1991, RMEF and its partners completed 582 conservation and hunting heritage outreach projects in Pennsylvania with a combined value of more than $30.3 million. These projects conserved or enhanced 30,140 acres of habitat and opened or improved public access to 10,838 acres.
About the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation:
Founded in 1984 and fueled by hunters, RMEF has conserved more than 8.9 million acres for elk and other wildlife. RMEF also works to open and improve public access, fund and advocate for science-based resource management, and ensure the future of America’s hunting heritage. Discover why “Hunting Is Conservation” ® at rmef.org or 800-CALL ELK.