Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation helps Pennsylvania conserve wildlife habitat

Missoula, Mont. — The Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation successfully worked with the Pennsylvania Game Commission to acquire 1,731 acres of wildlife habitat in the heart of the state’s elk range that is now a part of State Game Land 14.

“This transaction conserves and protects crucial winter, year-round and transitional habitat for elk but also for whitetail deer, black bears, small mammals, turkeys, upland and songbirds, and many other wildlife species,” said Jenn Doherty, managing director of Mission Operations for the RMEF.

“And it conserves nearly two miles of Big Run, more than a mile of Trout Run and other stream tributaries that supply vital riparian habitat for wild brook trout.”

The project is about five miles east of St. Marys. It connects State Game Land 14 to public forest game property that joins State Game Land 293 and the Elk State Forest.

That forms a contiguous link of more than 21,500 acres of Pennsylvania Game Commission-managed public land previously separated by the Goetz Summit property, which bolsters future land and wildlife management.

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It’s a valuable acquisition with a bright future, made possible through RMEF, according to Pennsylvania Game Commission Executive Director Steve Smith.

“Since their first land acquisition project east of the Mississippi in 1991, RMEF has been a vital partner in expanding and protecting habitat for elk and other Pennsylvania wildlife,” said Smith.

“With this most recent project, the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation continues to demonstrate their commitment to elk and elk habitat protection in the core of Pennsylvania’s elk range.”

By getting this land into public ownership, the group has helped the Game Commission expand habitat management opportunities, as well as opportunities for both hunters and non-hunters who enjoy the outdoors, Smith added.

“We look forward to future partnerships with RMEF and thank them for assisting in another great addition to the state game lands,” he said.

Recent logging operations created wildlife openings, enhancing meadows and creating habitat ideal for elk and other wildlife.

The property is within 20 miles of more than 30 earlier Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation land conservation and habitat stewardship projects, including one that conserved and opened access to 649 acres in late 2023.