The Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation continues to expand its conservation and public access efforts in Pennsylvania’s elk range.
Here’s a recent two-pronged example.
In late 2023, RMEF worked with landowners and the Pennsylvania Game Commission to conserve and protect what were 649 acres of private land just east of St. Marys and place it in the public’s hands as State Game Lands 14.
Ten months later, phase two led to the conservation of 1,731 more acres in the same area that connected State Game Lands 14 to public forest game property that joined State Game Lands 293 and the Elk State Forest.
That formed a contiguous link of more than 21,500 acres of land managed by the Pennsylvania Game Commission, which bolsters future land and wildlife management.
The project conserves winter, year-round and transitional habitat for elk also used by whitetail deer, black bears, birds, wild turkeys and many other wildlife species.
And it conserves stretches of Big Run, Trout Run and other tributaries that support brook trout.
The bottom line is it’s good news for fish, wildlife and hunters, anglers, hikers and others who cherish public access.
Since 1984 RMEF has opened or improved public access to more than 1.6 million acres.
To view the sites and boundaries of RMEF land conservation and access projects, turn on the RMEF layer and use the code RMEF when you sign up for your onX subscription to receive a 20% discount.