The Pennsylvania Game Commission was created in 1895 to help conserve wildlife through regulations.
Conservation efforts have successfully reintroduced species like white-tailed deer, elk, beavers, and wild turkeys.
Ongoing projects, supported by state agencies and non-profits, continue to restore wildlife populations and habitats.
As the United States turns 250-years-old this summer, Pennsylvania’s history has experienced numerous wildlife redemption efforts for many species.
As the country celebrates the signing of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 2026, it’s important to reflect on the impact a new country had on the forests of Pennsylvania.
It took courage, innovation and resources to build settlements in Pennsylvania. However, those efforts hurt some native species in the Keystone state like elk, white-tailed deer, turkey and beaver. However, Pennsylvanians with the help of state agencies, have recovered many of those species through a variety of projects.
Thomas Keller, fur bearer biologist for the Pennsylvania Game Commission, said on the land that Pennsylvania occupies, there’s evidence of indigenous settlements that date back 10,000 years ago.
“The wildlife community that would have been here would have been relatively intact and unaffected, even with the indigenous tribes that were here. And then what we see is the fur trade start to come in and really impact the wildlife community, specifically with the beaver,” Keller said. “The beaver is really that driving force as it starts to change some of the landscape and really lead to the overall European settlement.
