Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources

Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources
	Logo of the DCNR
Agency overview
Formed	July 1, 1995
Jurisdiction	Government of Pennsylvania
Headquarters	Rachel Carson State Office Building; 400 Market Street; Harrisburg, Pennsylvania; 40°15′45″N 76°52′47″W / 40.26250°N 76.87972°W
Agency executive	Cindy Adams Dunn, Secretary of Conservation and Natural Resources;
Website	[1] www.dcnr.pa.gov

The Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR), established on July 1, 1995, is the agency in the U.S. State of Pennsylvania responsible for maintaining and preserving the state's 121 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 when then-governor Tom Ridge split the Department of Environmental Resources (DER) into the DCNR and Department of Environmental Protection (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)^[3]
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. 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.

Organizational structure[]

The DCNR comprises the following subunits:^[4]^[5]^[6]

Deputy Secretary for Parks and Forestry
- Bureau of State Parks
- Bureau of Forestry
Deputy Secretary for Conservation and Technical Services
- - Nathan Flood
- Bureau of Topographic and Geologic Survey
- Bureau of Recreation and Conservation
- Bureau of Facility Design and Construction
- Wild Resource Conservation Program
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
Chief Counsel
- Richard Morrison

References[]

^ Pa. Dept. of Conservation and Natural Resources
^ "Contact DCNR." Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. Retrieved on October 18, 2010. "Department of Conservation and Natural Resources Rachel Carson State Office Building PO Box 8767 400 Market Street Harrisburg, PA 17105-8767."
^ https://www.timesleader.com/archive/386732/news-local-news-151299675-ferretti-out-as-dcnr-secretary
^ DCNR Bureaus. Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Recreation. Retrieved on 2009-05-31.
^ DCNR Organization Chart. Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Recreation. Retrieved on 2009-05-31.
^ DCNR Executive Staff. Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Recreation. Retrieved on 2009-05-31.