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PRIOR PRINTER'S NO. 544 PRINTER'S NO. 2714
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
HOUSE RESOLUTION
No. 66
Session of
2025
INTRODUCED BY PIELLI, SANCHEZ, VITALI, GIRAL, HILL-EVANS,
HOHENSTEIN, OTTEN, ISAACSON, D. WILLIAMS, MADDEN, HOWARD,
PROBST, STEELE AND WEBSTER, FEBRUARY 10, 2025
AS REPORTED FROM COMMITTEE ON ENVIRONMENTAL AND NATURAL RESOURCE
PROTECTION, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, AS AMENDED,
DECEMBER 17, 2025
A RESOLUTION
Directing the Legislative Budget and Finance Committee, in
consultation with taxonomists, biologists and other
interested persons, to conduct a study and issue a report on
wild native terrestrial invertebrate management.
WHEREAS, Invertebrates such as butterflies, worms, bees and
beetles are integral to our environment and play vital roles in
maintaining healthy ecosystems, but they are often imperiled by
human activity; and
WHEREAS, NATIVE INVERTEBRATES ALSO PLAY A CRITICAL ROLE IN
AGRICULTURE, POLLINATING CROPS, CONTROLLING PESTS AND REGULATING
SOIL HEALTH, AND INSECT POLLINATION CONTRIBUTES MORE THAN $250
MILLION IN ECONOMIC VALUE TO AGRICULTURAL PRODUCERS IN THIS
COMMONWEALTH; AND
WHEREAS, Section 27 of Article I of the Constitution of
Pennsylvania, the Environmental Rights Amendment, provides that
"The people have a right to clean air, pure water, and to the
preservation of the natural, scenic, historic and esthetic
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values of the environment. Pennsylvania's public natural
resources are the common property of all the people, including
generations yet to come. As trustee of these resources, the
Commonwealth shall conserve and maintain them for the benefit of
all the people"; and
WHEREAS, The Conservation and Natural Resources Act of 1995
assigns the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources
(DCNR) the power and duty "To undertake, conduct and maintain
the organization of a thorough and extended survey of this
Commonwealth for the purpose of inventory, survey and
elucidation of the ecological resources of this Commonwealth, to
gather and digest information from sources within and outside
this Commonwealth and to put the results of the survey into a
form convenient for reference. The ecological survey should
identify the significant natural features of this Commonwealth
and the species which comprise these features"; and
WHEREAS, Understanding the status of insect conservation in
this Commonwealth requires consideration of all relevant data,
including from Federal and State agencies and surrounding
states, nonprofit organizations and universities; and
WHEREAS, DCNR provides coordination for terrestrial
invertebrates through the Pennsylvania Natural Diversity
Inventory process; and
WHEREAS, DCNR has adopted and is implementing the Bureau of
Forestry Native Pollinator Conservation Plan; and
WHEREAS, DCNR is responsible for maintaining lists of
threatened and endangered species of wild native plants; and
WHEREAS, The Pennsylvania Game Commission (PGC) is
responsible for maintaining lists of threatened and endangered
species of wild mammals and wild birds; and
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WHEREAS, The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission (PFBC) is
responsible for maintaining lists of threatened and endangered
species of fish, reptiles, amphibians and aquatic
macroinvertebrates such as mayflies and stoneflies; and
WHEREAS, PGC and PFBC publish a collaborative Pennsylvania
State Wildlife Action Plan (SWAP) every 10 years as a proactive
conservation effort to prevent Species of Greatest Conservation
Need from requiring protection under the Federal Endangered
Species Act; and
WHEREAS, The 2015-2025 SWAP identifies 238 species of
terrestrial invertebrates as Species of Greatest Conservation
Need, including bees, butterflies, moths and spiders, as well as
the conservation status, threats, research and monitoring needs
and priority conservation actions for these species; and
WHEREAS, The Department of Transportation has adopted and is
implementing a Pollinator Habitat Plan; and
WHEREAS, The Department of Agriculture addresses managed
agricultural pollinators and is a stakeholder regarding native
terrestrial invertebrate conservation in Pennsylvania; and
WHEREAS, The Department of Environmental Protection addresses
arthropod disease vectors as part of their Vector Management
program; and
WHEREAS, There are multiple sources of terrestrial
invertebrate data, including sampling and monitoring efforts for
invasive species, academic research programs, Pennsylvania
Natural Heritage Program projects, museum records and community
science projects; and
WHEREAS, The Department of Agriculture manages invasive
insect species to include the monitoring and sampling efforts;
and
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WHEREAS, There are standardized methods for ranking species
regarding their conservation status; and
WHEREAS, Collaboration between State agencies can enhance the
conservation efforts of the agency responsible for native
terrestrial invertebrates; and
WHEREAS, Agency budget requests to address resource adequacy
are addressed in Manual 110.01 (Budget Instructions); and
WHEREAS, Federal Government programs are available to assist
state agencies with threatened and endangered species
conservation; and
WHEREAS, Populations and habitats of terrestrial
invertebrates, even those that have been identified as Species
of Greatest Conservation Need, have not been monitored over long
periods or across a large scale in this Commonwealth; therefore
be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives direct the
Legislative Budget and Finance Committee, in consultation with
taxonomists, biologists and other interested persons, to conduct
a study and issue a report on wild native terrestrial
invertebrate management; and be it further
RESOLVED, That the Legislative Budget and Finance Committee
study include, at a minimum, all of the following:
(1) The evaluation of the Conservation and Natural
Resources Act of 1995 and other existing Commonwealth laws to
clarify existing agency responsibilities regarding wild
native terrestrial invertebrates.
(2) The assessment and review of other states' natural
heritage programs regarding wild native terrestrial
invertebrates, classification processes, levels of
protection, permitting procedures and other regulatory
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processes.
(3) The evaluation of the importance and value of
regulating these species related to biodiversity, human
health, agriculture, medicinal research and development and
economic impact.
(4) (3) The assessment of staffing, resources and
funding recommended for jurisdictional authority of wild
native terrestrial invertebrates based on other states'
natural heritage programs in the northeastern United States;
and be it further
RESOLVED, That the Legislative Budget and Finance Committee
report its findings and recommendations to the General Assembly
no later than 180 days after the adoption of this resolution.
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