MARTEN REINTRODUCTION TO BE FURTHER EXPLORED
The Pennsylvania Board of Game Commissioners today (July 9, 2022) took the next step in considering American marten (Martes americana) reintroduction by directing the Game Commission’s Bureau of Wildlife Management to develop a plan for reintroduction and management.
A native furbearer, the marten once was found commonly in portions of Pennsylvania but extirpated from the Commonwealth in the early 1900s due to deforestation and unregulated harvest. Adult martens weigh between 1 and 3 pounds and measure 19 and 27 inches, the same size as adult mink.
The Bureau of Wildlife Management, in accordance with the agency’s 2020-23 Strategic Plan, has completed a feasibility assessment of marten reintroduction. The assessment considered current habitat suitability, future climatic impacts, interactions with other species, and public opinion. It concluded that based on literature review, diet studies, expert evaluations, and prior, out-of-state reintroduction efforts, marten's impact on other species is minimal. At the same time, impacts from other predators to marten are also minimal.
Habitat suitability modeling shows that there is sufficient habitat within Pennsylvania for a marten population. Extensive research from across the marten’s range proves that most of their diet consists of small mammals such as voles, mice, and shrews, as well as insects, and plants.
Most of the public supports marten reintroduction, and it would likely be successful based on the assessment. Reasons for reintroduction cover ecological, political, social, and cultural aspects and this is an appropriate next step in the Game Commission’s history of species restoration within the Commonwealth. The assessment is available here. More information on American martens can be found here.
The American Marten Reintroduction and Management Plan to be developed by the Bureau of Wildlife Management will identify optimal release sites, and potential source populations, as well as provide specifics on translocation methodology, research and monitoring, cooperative partnerships, and long-term management. An important part of this plan will also be providing the public with information and education on the marten and its ecology. Once completed, this plan will be made available for public review and comment prior to being presented to the Board of Commissioners for their review and final approval to move forward with reintroduction.
