PA DCNR Unveils New Climate Action Plan to Protect State Parks and Forests

At the Mira Lloyd Dock Resource Conservation Center, the Shapiro Administration released a comprehensive roadmap to protect Pennsylvania’s public lands from extreme weather.

The 182-page Climate Action Plan sets out measurable targets through 2050. Department of Conservation and Natural Resources Secretary Cindy Adams Dunn introduced the strategy to address rising temperatures, severe flooding, and shifting seasonal patterns across state forests and parks.

“Pennsylvania’s state parks and forests are among our greatest natural resources, and we have a responsibility to protect them for generations to come,” Dunn said.

Explore DCNR's New Climate Action Plan — Pennsylvania DCNR

The document includes a statewide climate risk assessment, department-wide greenhouse gas inventories, and updated regional projections. It builds on previous work by Governor Josh Shapiro’s administration, which has invested approximately $315 million in more than 1,100 park and recreation projects since taking office.

Under the new strategy, DCNR committed to reducing direct greenhouse gas emissions from its operations by 80 percent by 2050. The agency also aims to generate or offset all electricity it uses from carbon-free sources by 2035.

DCNR is taking action to address climate change. Today, we released a new Climate Action Plan with clear goals to help Pennsylvania's state lands prepare for climate impacts and reduce our carbon footprint. Read the plan: https://t.co/zUkI0nux1i pic.twitter.com/WH6A9v8HZv

— Post by @DCNRnews on X

Staff training forms another core component of the initiative. The agency plans to provide general and specialized climate change training to all employees by 2030, alongside 60 measurable action goals and 49 bureau-led directives.

The agency has already installed 40 small-scale solar arrays, added more than 50 public electric vehicle charging stations, and built 18 high-performance LEED-certified buildings. Roughly 10 percent of the DCNR vehicle fleet now runs on electric or hybrid models.

Because more than 70 percent of Pennsylvania forests are privately owned, the plan outlines support for private landowners through county-based service foresters. These professionals offer technical guidance to maintain forest health, protect local water supplies, and manage wildfire risks.

“DCNR’s new Climate Action Plan establishes a science-based and measurable roadmap to conserve Pennsylvania’s natural resources against the most urgent threat facing people and nature,” said Lori Brennan, Executive Director of The Nature Conservancy in Pennsylvania and Delaware.

Local governments and school districts can also utilize the document’s regional projections and risk assessments. Department of Environmental Protection Secretary Jessica Shirley said that the initiative aligns with the environmental protections outlined in the Pennsylvania Constitution.

Annual progress reports will track implementation across infrastructure, grant administration, and natural resource management.

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