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Pennsylvania
Biodiversity Conservation Plan |
| The
diversity of life is a key measure of the health of our environment.
. . Urbanization and fragmentation of landscapes, the introduction
of exotic species and air and water pollution all degrade natural
habitats and pose the greatest threats to Pennsylvania's remaining
natural diversity. Future population growth and development will
inevitably continue such pressures on the state's natural diversity
and thus on its environmental health. Without a concerted effort
to maintain and enhance natural diversity, populations of many native
species will continue to decline and several will face extinction.
Despite this mounting hazard, Pennsylvania
lacks a comprehensive policy or strategy for the conservation of
natural diversity. |
Report
of the Pennsylvania 21st Century Environment Commission
September 1998, pg. 34 |
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| In
September 1998, the Pennsylvania 21st Century Environment Commission
presented its findings on the state of the environment and natural
resources in the Commonwealth. This seminal report recognized the
importance of natural diversity (= biodiversity) to both the environmental
and economic health of the state. The loss of biodiversity impacts
all ecosystems and habitats in Pennsylvania - from forests
to fields, from major rivers to small mountain streams, from old
growth forests to urban vacant lots - and thus affects all
citizens regardless of economic level, race, gender, age, or where
they live. Despite the importance of biodiversity, the 21st Century
Report recognized that "Pennsylvania lacks a comprehensive
policy or strategy for the conservation of natural diversity." |
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| To
move forward its many recommendations on protecting and conserving
biodiversity, the Commission proposed that a broad-based public-private
partnership be formed, resulting in formation of the Pennsylvania
Biodiversity Partnership (PBP). PBP members established seven strategies
to achieve our mission of conserving biodiversity statewide, including
the development of a scientifically-based plan for biodiversity
conservation. Even though PBP members represent a wide range of
backgrounds and opinions, a consensus quickly emerged on the priority
of creating a statewide plan and initial funding for this project
was received in 2001. |
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| The
development of the Pennsylvania Biodiversity Conservation Plan is
a multi-phase process, with products including Biodiversity
in Pennsylvania-Snapshot 2002, an Executive Summary of
that report, the PABIODIV listserve, the PBP website, and the final
Pennsylvania Biodiversity Conservation Plan. Public outreach has
been an important component of all phases of the process. |
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| Plan
Development Overview |
| Phase
1: |
Biodiversity
in Pennsylvania: Snapshot 2002 |
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Baseline
report on present state of biodiversity |
| Phase
2: |
Blueprint
for the Biodiversity Conservation Plan |
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General Information Gathering and Public Input: Round 1 |
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- Focus Groups and Comment Forms (end Jun 04) |
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Issues and Recommendations for Draft Plan |
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- Presented at statewide conference in Nov 04 |
| Phase
3: |
Draft
PA Biodiversity Conservation Plan |
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Gather Input on Draft Plan (end Winter 2005) |
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Continued Information Gathering and Plan Revisions |
| Phase
4: |
Final
Strategy Development and Recommendations |
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Phase 3 Input Integrated into Draft Plan |
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Final PA Biodiversity Conservation Plan Released (early 2006) |
| Phase
5: |
Implementation
and Communication |
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Promote and communicate about the Plan |
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Assist partner organizations and members with implementation |
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| Summary
of Plan Development Activities |
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Received funding from state, federal, and private sources for the PA Biodiversity Conservation Plan. |
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Produced
and published Biodiversity in Pennsylvania: Snapshot 2002. |
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Established the PA Biodiversity Listserve (PABIODIV) as a statewide communication tool about biodiversity issues (almost 600 members). |
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Organized two statewide conferences (2001 and 2004) to discuss the biodiversity plan. |
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Hosted
15 focus group meetings and received almost 700 comment forms, representing
all counties in the state. |
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Established the PBP website. |
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Participated as an exhibitor and/or speaker in over 100 events, with direct interaction with thousands of people about the biodiversity plan. |
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Received
extensive media coverage (over 120 articles or programs with potential
audience of over 3,000,000 people) about PBP and the statewide biodiversity
plan. |
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Participated in regional and national biodiversity workshops. |
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| Benefits
of a Statewide Biodiversity Conservation Plan |
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Facilitate
interactions among groups concerned with biodiversity. |
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Increase
cooperation and coordination among government agencies, organizations,
business, and individuals involved in biodiversity issues. |
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Minimize
duplication of efforts among organizations. |
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Establish
informed priorities for inventory, monitoring, and conservation
at a statewide level. |
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Develop
educational and training materials for managing and enhancing Pennsylvania
biodiversity. |
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Increase
voluntary stewardship of biodiversity and thus avoid the need for
additional regulations. |
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Increase
educational opportunities regarding the impact and importance of
biodiversity to our lives and to the ecological and economic health
of Pennsylvania. |
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