The Pennsylvania Game Commission is asking for public feedback about plans to reclassify a couple species of birds.
Last month the Board of Game Commissioners took preliminary action to revise the status of the northern goshawk from protected to endangered. After a decline in range and breeding population over the past two decades, the agency’s advisory Ornithological Technical Committee has recommended the change which would improve protections for the species as well as mandate a recovery plan.
The commission is also proposing to remove the peregrine falcon from the state’s list of threatened birds and reclassify it as protected. This change in status is possible after achieving the goals of the agency’s peregrine falcon management plan which includes a verified increase in the population of nesting birds.
Written comment on these proposals will be accepted until September 5th. A final vote on this status change is expected to take place at the board’s September meeting.