Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources
Logo of the DCNR
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| Agency overview | |
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| 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 |
| Annual budget | $310.5 million (FY 2010) |
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| Child agency | |
| Website | www.dcnr.state.pa.us |
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 117 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. The agency has its headquarters in the Rachel Carson State Office Building in Harrisburg.
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).
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.
DCNR Rangers act much like a National Park Ranger does. 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 do carry sidearms. 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 do enforce game laws as well as fishing and boating laws in state parks, however, although the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission is completely independent of the Pennsylvania Game Commission. Both agencies are independent of DCNR, but do work in cooperation with each other.
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