Agency overview | |
---|---|
Formed | July 1, 1995 |
Jurisdiction | Government of Pennsylvania |
Headquarters | Rachel Carson State Office Building, 400 Market Street, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, U.S. 40°15′45″N 76°52′47″W / 40.26250°N 76.87972°W |
Agency executive |
|
Website | Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources |
The Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR), established in 1995, is the agency in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania responsible for maintaining and preserving the state's 124 state parks and 20 state forests; providing information on the state's natural resources; and working with communities to benefit local recreation and natural areas.[1] The agency has its headquarters in the Rachel Carson State Office Building in Harrisburg.[2]
The department was formed on July 1, 1995 when then-governor Tom Ridge split the Department of Environmental Resources (DER) into the DCNR and Department of Environmental Protection (DEP).
The DCNR comprises the following subunits:[3][4][5]
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. However, they do not have jurisdiction over Pennsylvania State Game Lands, which are patrolled by Wildlife Conservation Officers employed by the Pennsylvania Game Commission. DCNR rangers enforce game laws as well as fishing and boating laws in state parks. However, the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission is completely independent of the Pennsylvania Game Commission. Both agencies are independent of DCNR, but work in cooperation with each other.[citation needed]
DCNR ranger responsibilities have three primary elements:[10]
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.