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Wild Resource Conservation Program

The Wild Resource Conservation Fund (WRCF) aims to protect and restore Pennsylvania's native wild flora and fauna and their habitats. Celebrating its 25th anniversary in 2007, WRCF is one of the longest-running non-game wildlife funding programs in the United States.

WRCF produces environmental education materials and gives grants to support Pennsylvania's wild resources. Administered by the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, it educates both children and adults on how to help recognize and preserve some of Pennsylvania's most sensitive flora and fauna.

Over the years, the Wild Resource Conservation Fund has:

Reintroduced 125 river otters to Pennsylvania's waterways,

Reintroduced seven generations of ospreys to Pennsylvania's skies,

Purchased Canoe Creek State Park's "Bat Church," and

Printed and distributed over 1.7 million outdoor activity books to Pennsylvania's school districts.

The fund also sponsors Wild Resource Festivals in Pennsylvania that are geared toward nature lovers of all ages. These festivals bring the public together with the state's leading experts on turtles, fish, small mammals, insects, snakes, hawks, owls, wild plants, and more. In addition, WRCF is sponsoring its first-ever academic symposium to highlight the best research and projects it has conducted over the last 25 years.

The fund is partially supported by Pennsylvania's "Growing Greener" program+a $650 million investment in the state+s environmental health. It also relies heavily on people who contribute either through tax refund donations, the purchase of the otter license plate, or direct donations.

A seven-member board directs the fund's objectives and a 10-member advisory committee advises and recommends conservation projects to the board for approval. In addition to the advisory committee, Pennsylvania's Fish and Boat Commission, Game Commission, and Department of Conservation and Natural Resources also help the fund direct its resources.

The Wild Resource Conservation Fund operates out of the Rachel Carson Building in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.

For further information, contact:
    The Wild Resource Conservation Fund
    P.O. Box 8764
    Harrisburg, PA 17105-8764
    Web site: www.dcnr.state.pa.us/wrcf