The Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR), established on July 1, 1995, is the agency in the

U.S. State In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its sove ...

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...

responsible for maintaining and preserving the state's 124

state parks State parks are parks or other protected areas managed at the sub-national level within those nations which use "state" as a political subdivision. State parks are typically established by a state to preserve a location on account of its natural ...

and 20

state forests A state forest or national forest is a forest that is administered or protected by some agency of a sovereign state, sovereign or federated state, or territory (country subdivision), territory. Background The precise application of the terms va ...

; providing information on the state's natural resources; and working with communities to benefit local recreation and natural areas. The agency has its headquarters in the Rachel Carson State Office Building in

Harrisburg Harrisburg is the capital city of the Pennsylvania, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, Dauphin County. With a population of 50,135 as of the 2021 census, Harrisburg is the List of c ...

. The department was formed when then-governor

Tom Ridge Thomas Joseph Ridge (born August 26, 1945) is an American politician and author who served as the Assistant to the President for Homeland Security from 2001 to 2003, and the first United States Secretary of Homeland Security from 2003 to 2005. ...

split the Department of Environmental Resources (DER) into the DCNR and

Department of Environmental Protection This article lists subnational environmental agencies in the United States, by state. Agencies with a variety of titles and responsibilities are included, e.g. Department of Environment, Department of Environmental Conservation, Department of E ...

(DEP).

History

Current Secretary of Conservation and Natural Resources

* Cindy Adams Dunn (Appointed January 2015)

Past Secretaries of Conservation and Natural Resources

* Ellen Ferretti (Appointed September 2013) * John Quigley (Appointed April 2009) * Michael D. DiBerardinis (Appointed January 2003) * John C. Oliver (Appointed November 1995)

Education

The DCNR is host to many different environmental education programs throughout the summer months. These range from topics such as " Leave No Trace" hiking/camping policy to the different wildlife and plant species of many of the state parks.

Law enforcement

Pennsylvania DCNR rangers act much like National Park Rangers do. They routinely check on cabins and campsites, offer insightful answers to visitors questions, and help to maintain calmness throughout the parks. They have full arrest powers while in park lands and carry

side arms A sidearm is a weapon, usually a handgun, but sometimes a knife, dagger, sword, bayonet, or other melee weapon, which is worn on the body in a holster (in the case of a pistol or revolver) or sheath (in the case of a knife, dagger, sword, ...

. However, they do not have jurisdiction over

Pennsylvania State Game Lands The Pennsylvania State Game Lands (SGL) are lands managed by the Pennsylvania Game Commission (PGC) for hunting, trapping, and fishing. These lands, often not usable for farming or development, are donated to the PGC or purchased by the PGC with hun ...

, which are patrolled by Wildlife Conservation Officers employed by the

Pennsylvania Game Commission The Pennsylvania Game Commission (PGC) is the state agency responsible for wildlife conservation and management in Pennsylvania in the United States. It was originally founded years ago and currently utilizes more than 700 full-time employees and ...

. DCNR rangers enforce game laws as well as fishing and boating laws in state parks. However, the

Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission is an independent state agency responsible for the regulation of all fishing and boating in the state of Pennsylvania within the United States of America. Unlike many U.S. states, Pennsylvania has a sepa ...

is completely independent of the

. Both agencies are independent of DCNR, but work in cooperation with each other. DCNR ranger responsibilities have three primary elements: # Public contact - Assisting visitors to make the outdoor experience safe, educational and enjoyable. # First responder - DCNR "forest" rangers are trained and certified

Department of Health A health department or health ministry is a part of government which focuses on issues related to the general health of the citizenry. Subnational entities, such as states, counties and cities, often also operate a health department of their ow ...

medical first responders capable of providing basic life support in an emergency. Some DCNR rangers have continued their education and training to be certified as

emergency medical technician An emergency medical technician (EMT), also known as an ambulance technician, is a health professional that provides emergency medical services. EMTs are most commonly found working in ambulances. In English-speaking countries, paramedics are ...

s. # Law enforcement - Rangers act as law enforcement officers the same way as typical police officers would, but also enforce game, fishing, and boating laws.

Organizational structure

The DCNR comprises the following subunits: * Deputy Secretary for Parks and Forestry ** Bureau of State Parks ** Bureau of Forestry * Deputy Secretary for Conservation and Technical Services *** Nathan Flood ** Bureau of Geological Survey ** Bureau of Recreation and Conservation ** Bureau of Facility Design and Construction **

Wild Resource Conservation Program The Wild Resource Conservation Program (WRCP) is Pennsylvania’s biodiversity conservation program. As a part of the Office of Conservation Science of the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR), and working closel ...

* Deputy Secretary for Administration *** Brian Grove ** Bureau of Human Resources ** Bureau of Administrative Services ** Bureau of Information Technology * Office of Policy and Planning * Office of Education, Communications and Partnerships * Office of Conservation Science **

Pennsylvania Natural Heritage Program Founded in 1982, the Pennsylvania Natural Heritage Program (PNHP) gathers and manages information regarding the status and location of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania’s rare species and habitats and native natural communities. PHNP's goal is to ...

* Chief Counsel ** Richard Morrison

References

External links

Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources
{{authority control Conservation and Natural Resources Government agencies established in 1995 State environmental protection agencies of the United States Natural resources agencies in the United States 1995 establishments in Pennsylvania