HARRISBURG – Based on a motion by Game Commission David W. Schreffler, of Bedford County, the Pennsylvania Board of Game Commissioners unanimously voted to direct the Executive Director to use his regulatory authority to issue an order to remove protection on wild boars, also known as feral swine.
This authority, found in Section 139.3(b) of the Game Commission regulations (Title 58), also allows the Executive Director to modify the order to allow protection in those townships and/or counties where trap-and-removal efforts are underway.
On Dec. 27, 2007, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruled that wild boars are protected mammals under the Game and Wildlife Code. As a result, the agency must take regulatory action to remove protection from wild boars.
“By taking this action, the Game Commission will avoid confusion that feral swine are a game species, and clearly deliver the message that the agency’s goal is the eradication of this invasive species,” Schreffler said.