Public urged to learn about marten, give educated feedback ahead of PGC April 13 reintroduction vote

Riverkeeper's note: The following blog post was written by Northern Tier Regional Director Emily Shosh, pulling from an interview from the most recent Middle Susquehanna Riverkeeper Podcast between Riverkeeper John Zaktansky and PA Game Commission furbearer biologist Tom Keller. 

​A native Pennsylvania wildlife species missing from our woodlands for more than a century faces a critical reintroduction vote in the coming weeks, and Pennsylvanians are encouraged to learn as much about this species and provide feedback -- one way or another -- before it is too late.

The American Marten, a true opportunist and omnivore that plays a number of key roles in the heavily forested habitat regions of the state found ideally in the PA Wilds region, could be reintroduced if it receives enough support at an April 13 Pennsylvania Game Commission board meeting. 

The decision was supposed to be made earlier this year but was tabled to April's discussion, according to agency furbearer biologist Tom Keller.

He is responsible for 16 fur bearing species in PA - from the smallest, the least weasel, up to the largest in his work, the coyote. Through the 1700s and 1800s the marten was imperiled by lack of regulations leading to overharvest and habitat loss by way of logging and deforestation. The American marten is a member of the mustelid (weasel) family and is very similar to mink, but has dark reddish fur, is slightly larger, and inhabits different habitats including large, contiguous forest tracts. 

This means that in present-day Pennsylvania, the best marten habitat is the PA Wilds region. Their omnivorous diet of insects, small mammals and seeds and fruits can also be readily provided by this region.

The American marten is not the only former Pennsylvanian that has been eradicated. Elk and beaver disappeared in the 1850s, with the mountain lion, gray wolf, and marten following shortly after. The 1920s also brought the loss of the fisher and most of PA’s otters.

White-tailed deer and wild turkey were nearly lost heading into the mid 1900s. Then, the dawn of pesticides and their lack of regulation threatened birds especially, including the Peregrine falcon, osprey and bald eagle. 

“Each species has their own story, and the marten’s story really starts with the loss of the specific habitat that they depend upon,” said Keller. The American marten’s requirement of diverse, large forests has been gradually reconstructed where possible by several agencies and groups after our state’s long history of logging and overharvest.

The PA Wilds region’s forests have been managed by the Pennsylvania Game Commission, the Bureau of Forestry, private landowners, and other stakeholders and thus are in a stable period overall. Proposed in 2022, the American Marten reintroduction is the game commission’s endeavor to seize this opportunity, according to Keller, who suggests there are numerous reasons the marten would benefit state's forest ecosystem:

• The ecological significance of Martens is tied to its ability for rodent population control in forests.
• Also, the prevalence of seeds and nuts in its diet leads to effective tree and shrub seed dispersal given the large expanse of home range.
• Culturally, the marten is highly significant to indigenous peoples of the Great Lakes region and throughout Pennsylvania.
• Economically, the reintroduction may bear similar advantages as the reintroduction of elk, the recovery of the eagle population and others.​

Check out the full interview with PGC furbearer biologist Tom Keller in the Middle Susquehanna Riverkeeper Podcast:

Marten pelt comparison (from top to bottom): Fisher, marten, mink and fox squirrel.

Extensive diet studies on the marten have concluded that negative effects from the Marten to currently threatened species will not occur. Furthermore, larger predator species sharing the same habitat with Marten including coyote, bobcat and fisher were deemed unlikely to pose negative effects on the Marten.

“Ecologically, it is likely to have a beneficial outcome because it is a missing piece of our community,” said Keller.

Some social media pushback to the reintroduction includes concern for small livestock animals and chickens, which Keller agrees is a valid response. However, given the marten's habitat preference, he pointed out they are unlikely to venture towards open fields or farms.

Residents of the PA Wilds of course may still be at risk of a chicken coop raid, but Keller explains that any good management of the flock will prevent predation by the Marten. Protections against mink, coyote, raccoons and others will also be effective against martens.  

Keller added that worries for other game species have also been voiced and are also valid. These concerns for species like turkey and grouse have been addressed through marten diet studies, where these species’ abundance in the diet were either low or non-existent.

Pennsylvania has been leading the nation in species reintroduction over the last 100 years, with each generation seeing the work that will benefit the next generation to come.

The process to decide on reintroduction is lengthy but calculated, involving a strategic plan, feasibility assessment, reintroduction and management plan, time for public comment, and education and outreach endeavors. On April 13, the game commission will decide whether or not to move forward with the Marten reintroduction. 

If the decision to move forward comes to be, a 10-year reintroduction and management plan will be put into place and five release sites will be used over six years, with one site being used for release per year. Sixty marten at each site will be released. The marten will likely be sourced from a variety of states and Canadian provinces, according to Keller.

The remaining four years of the reintroduction will involve monitoring and further studies, although “monitoring will occur the moment the first marten is released,” Keller said.

To learn more about the American marten reintroduction, visit the game commission’s page dedicated to this project. Keller also shared that education and outreach events on the subject have been taking place, with some digital resources like this story map also available.

The PGC April 13th board meeting begins at 8:30 AM for those looking to provide comments on the reintroduction decision. Questions on the project can also be forwarded to [email protected] or [email protected] 

In addition to his extensive recent work on the marten reintroduction plan, Keller admitted during the most recent episode of the Middle Susquehanna Riverkeeper Podcast, that in 12 years of working with the game commission plus five years with the USDA Wildlife Services, hefeels fortunate to have experienced many challenges and gratifying opportunities. 

One standout example is his time as a graduate student and field biologist working with the American Woodcock, also nicknamed the “Timberdoodle.” His work involved infrared technology at night to locate nesting sites. Woodcock can be heard this time of year across the watershed singing their unique “peent!” mating call, typically near dusk.

Another example also involves the Peregrine Falcon. While working in the southwest region as a Biologist 1, Tom banded peregrines by rappelling off of bridges, buildings, and other features to reach nests and retrieve hatchlings for study before being returned home. 

Keller additionally worked on several other diverse projects with black bear cubs, bats, woodrats and more.

​You can contact him directly at ​[email protected] ​