No longer is the bald eagle a threatened species in Pennsylvania.

At this week's quarterly meeting of the Pennsylvania Game Commission board of game commissioners at agency headquarters in Harrisburg, the eight commissioners voted unanimously reclassify the bald eagle as a Pennsylvania "protected" species. Their vote followed the close of a 60-day period to accept public comments on the proposal.PGC endangered birds biologist Patti Barber told the commissioners 65 comments were submitted in the process; 52 of them were supportive of delisting, and of the 13 comments opposing delisting, 10 of them cited concern that delisting would somehow leave eagles more vulnerable and less protected - which is not the case.In being removed from the state's threatened species list, the bald eagle will be upgraded to "protected" status. As the name implies, Barber said, the eagle will continue to enjoy protections provided by the federal Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act, the Migratory Bird Treaty Act and the Lacey Act.Regulations will continue to restrict activity near eagle nests, she pointed out, and the recommendation to remove the bald eagle from the state's threatened species list is triggered by the PGC's bald-eagle management plan, which calls for delisting when all of four criteria are met for a five-year span. That happened in 2013, when 271 bald-eagle nests were documented in 57 Pennsylvania counties, and there were an average of 1.2 fledglings per successful nest.Removing the bald eagle from the state's threatened species list caps a remarkable recovery for bald eagles in Pennsylvania. In 1983, when the PGC launched what would become a seven-year restoration program, only three known nests remained in Pennsylvania, all of them in Crawford County in the northwestern corner of Pennsylvania, along the Ohio border.**********Seedling orders are available online from the Pennsylvania Game Commission's Howard Nursery. Most seedlings are sold in units of 25, but 100-seedling bundles also are available in mixes to benefit deer, game birds and songbirds, as well as to improve riparian and winter-thermal habitats.Order forms and information about the seedlings for sale are available at the PGC website at

www.pgc.state.pa.us. Orders can also be placed by telephone by calling the Howard Nursery at (814) 355-4434, Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.**********Sunday's edition of "Experience The Outdoors," hosted by award-winning Pennsylvania Outdoor Writers Association member Doyle Dietz, at 7 a.m. on 1410-AM WLSH, at 9:30 a.m. on Magic 105.5-FM and on the Web at

www.wmgh.com by clicking the link to the program, features Quaker Boy Game Calls spokesman Ernie Calandrelli.**********Here is the schedule for upcoming outdoors sports shows:Great American Outdoor Show: Today through Sunday, Feb. 9, Pennsylvania State Farm Show Complex, Harrisburg; for information and tickets, access the website at

www.greatamericanoutdoorshow.com. Hours: Saturdays, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Monday-Friday, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Sundays, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.Greater Philadelphia Outdoor Sportshow: Thursday-Sunday, Feb. 13-16, Greater Philadelphia Expo Center at Oaks, Oak; for information and tickets, access the website at

www.sportshows.com. Hours: Thursday, Noon-8 p.m.; Friday, Noon-8 p.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.Lehigh Valley Sportsman Show: Friday, Feb. 28-Sunday, March 2, Agri-Plex, Allentown Fairgrounds, Allentown; for information, call (610) 395-5280 or access the website at

www.lehighvalleysportsmanshow.com. Hours: Friday, 1-8 p.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.**********Students in grades 6-12 are eligible to participate in the inaugural Pennsylvania Game Commission's Youth Wildlife Art Contest designed to promote wildlife art among young artists, recognize the talents of these young artists and enhance their knowledge of the PGC and the state's endangered and threatened species. Participating students are required to depict one or more Pennsylvania endangered or threatened species in the appropriate habitat. Artwork must be biologically correct in color, proportional size, shape, activity and habitat.Middle school (grades 6-8) and high school (grades 9-12) categories will be judged separately, with prizes of $500-$300-$100-$50 being award for first-fourth places in both categories and the art instructor for first-place winners will receive $100 to be used for art supplies for the school. For information call 717-787-4250, ext. 3623, and artwork must be postmarked by Friday, Feb. 7, and mailed to: Pennsylvania Game Commission, Attn: Robert Wesoloskie, Chief Marketing & Merchandising, 2001 Elmerton Ave., Harrisburg 17110-9797.**********Applications are being accepted from current high school sophomores and juniors for the Youth Education Summit sponsored by the National Rifle Association, which will be held Monday-Sunday, June 23-29, in Washington, D.C. Information on the NRA Youth Education Summit is available by calling 1-800-672-3888, ext. 1351, or by email at

yes@nrahq.org.**********Schuylkill Spurs Chapter of the National Wild Turkey Federation will meet, Thursday, Feb. 6, beginning at 7:30 p.m., at 633 Hancock St., McAdoo. For information, call Kevin Titus at 570-668-5903.