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Any article listed below does not
necessarily reflect the opinion or endorsement of The PA Federation of
Sportsmen’s Clubs, Inc. (PFSC)
NOTICE: In compliance with Title 17 U.S.C.
section 107, this material is distributed free without profit or payment for
non-profit research and educational purposes only.
Be
sure to check out our Legislative
Alerts pages to follow legislation PFSC is tracking.
March 2008
Good idea to print these out and take to your
clubs & camps:
PA NWTF turkey hunter
safety message:
IDENTIFY YOUR TARGET AND BEYOND
-- THINK SAFETY - HUNT SAFELY
http://www.panwtf.org/docs/PA_Success_Safety_Brochure.pdf
Click on this panwtf.org site link to view the 2 page, back to back, brochure.
This new NWTF - PA Edition brochure is ready for viewing and distribution
where ever turkey hunters gather across Pennsylvania.
Help get this turkey hunting safety message to turkey hunters in Pennsylvania.
PGC/PANWTF turkey hunter
safety message
POSITIVELY IDENTIFY YOUR TARGET
http://www.panwtf.org/docs/PA-NWTF_ID_Sign.pdf
Basic hunting requirement that needs to be
remembered 100% of the time when turkey hunting. Click on this
panwtf.org site link to view 1 page sign. Sign can be printed and posted in
hunting camps, sportsmen's clubs, sporting goods stores, gun shops, where
ever turkey hunters gather across Pennsylvania.
Help get this turkey hunting safety message to turkey hunters in Pennsylvania.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
NRA-ILA
March 21, 2008
Landmark Gun Ban Case Heard By
Supreme Court
On March 18, the Supreme Court heard oral arguments in District of
Columbia v. Heller, a case the Court has stated is "limited to the
following question: Whether Washington, D.C.'s bans [on handguns, on having
guns in operable condition in the home and on carrying guns within the home]
violate the Second Amendment rights of individuals who are not affiliated
with any state-regulated militia, but who wish to keep handguns and other
firearms for private use in their homes."
Read More
Stop BATFE Abuses -- Urge Your
Congressman To Cosponsor H.R. 4900
Continuing concern about the treatment of firearm dealers by BATFE has caused
members of the U.S. House of Representatives -- with NRA-ILAs
full support -- to push for new and improved reform legislation. That push
has taken the form of H.R. 4900 -- the "Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco,
Firearms and Explosives Reform and Firearms Modernization Act."
Read More
NRA Second Vice President David
Keene to Speak at the Pennsylvania Federation of Sportsmens
Clubs Spring Convention!
David Keene, NRAs Second Vice President, will
address the members of the Pennsylvania Federation of Sportsmens
Clubs (PFSC) at their Spring Convention banquet on Saturday, March 29. The
PFSC Spring Convention banquet and awards ceremony will begin at 6:00
p.m.
and be held at the Hilton Scranton and Conference Center, located at 100 Adams Avenue in Scranton. For tickets or more
information, please contact the PFSC at (717) 232-3480 or email
info@pfsc.org.
Read More
COMMENTARY: Gun rights go to
court
- www.wacotrib.com
The U.S. Supreme Court should allow Dick Heller to keep a handgun in his
home.
Read
More | Read Other News
Whose right to bear arms? Handgun bans
- www.economist.com
Gun laws are a matter of life and death, reckoned both groups of protesters
outside the Supreme Court on March 18th. One side argued that sensible curbs
on gun ownership save lives. The other side retorted that if you outlaw guns,
only criminals will carry them. Plus the police, of course, but gun-lovers
don't find that terribly reassuring. "When seconds count, the police are
only minutes away," read one placard.
Read
More | Read Other News
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Release #029-08
March 21, 2008
For Information Contact:
Jerry Feaser
717-705-6541
PGCNews@state.pa.us
GAME COMMISSION RELEASES 2007-08 DEER HARVEST ESTIMATES
HARRISBURG - The Pennsylvania Game Commission today reported that hunters
harvested an estimated 323,070 deer in the state's 2007-08 seasons.
That's down 11 percent from the previous seasons' harvest.
Hunters took 109,200 antlered deer in the 2007-08 seasons, down 19 percent
from the previous license year's harvest of 135,290. Also, hunters
harvested 213,870 antlerless deer in 2007-08, a
five percent drop from the 226,270 antlerless deer
taken in 2006-07.
"What stands out most when looking over the harvest data is the
difference in the opening day deer kill of the two-week firearms
season," said Dr. Christopher Rosenberry, Game
Commission Deer Section Supervisor. "Report cards sent in by
hunters show the antlered deer harvest on the opening day, Nov. 26, dropped
more than 50 percent from 2006. Daily harvests for the rest of the two-week
season, Nov. 27-Dec. 8, were similar to 2006.
"The firearms season's opening day antlerless
deer harvest also dropped nearly 50 percent from 2006. However, the antlerless harvest throughout the remainder of the
two-week season increased and, in due course, erased some of the opening
day's harvest shortfall."
Based on past year's results, Rosenberry noted that
it wasn't surprising that the drop in opening day harvests had a larger
effect on the antlered harvest than the antlerless
harvest.
"Historically, a majority of the antlered deer harvest occurs on opening
day, whereas the antlerless harvest is typically
more evenly distributed across the entire two weeks," Rosenberry said.
Bureau of Wildlife Management personnel currently are working to develop antlerless deer license allocation recommendations for
the April Board meeting. Calvin W. DuBrock, Game
Commission Bureau of Wildlife Management director, said that in addition to
harvest data, the staff will be looking at population trend data, deer
reproduction data, forest regeneration data, input from five new Citizen
Advisory Committees, and hunter survey results.
More……
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
NRA-ILA
March
19, 2008
Supreme Court Hears Arguments in D.C.
Gun Ban Case
Fairfax, Va.-Today, the
Supreme Court heard oral arguments in District of Columbia v. Heller, a case
the Court has stated is "limited to the following question: Whether
Washington, D.C.'s bans [on handguns, on having guns in operable condition in
the home and on carrying guns within the home] violate the Second Amendment
rights of individuals who are not affiliated with any state-regulated
militia, but who wish to keep handguns and other firearms for private use in
their homes."
The case came before
the Supreme Court on appeal by the District of Columbia, after a panel of the U.S.
Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit declared the city's gun
bans unconstitutional. The panel's decision was upheld by the full Court of
Appeals.
The Court of Appeals
decision--consistent with the views of the Framers of the Bill of Rights,
respected legal commentators of the 19th century, the Supreme
Court's ruling in U.S. v. Cruikshank (1876),
numerous court decisions of the 19th century, the Supreme Court's ruling
in U.S. v. Miller (1939), the position of the U.S. Department of
Justice, and the vast majority of Second Amendment scholars today-concluded
that "the Second Amendment protects an individual right to keep and bear
arms. That right existed prior to the formation of the new government under
the Constitution and was premised on the private use of arms for activities
such as hunting and self-defense, the latter being understood as resistance
to either private lawlessness or the depredations of a tyrannical government
(or a threat from abroad)."
In today's argument,
the Justices aggressively questioned advocates for all sides, including
Walter Dellinger for the District, Solicitor General Paul Clement for the
Department of Justice, and Alan Gura for the
plaintiffs challenging D.C.'s law.
While it would be a
mistake to predict the outcome of a case from questions at oral argument,
some justices' questions clearly suggested where they stand-as when Chief
Justice John Roberts, questioning the District's Dellinger, scoffed at the
idea that a citizen awakened by an intruder in the middle of the night could
"turn on the lamp . pick
up [his] reading glasses," and disengage a trigger lock. Dellinger
back-pedaled from D.C.'s longstanding position that its laws prohibit
self-defense, claiming that D.C. actually supports citizens having functional
firearms for defense.
Justices extensively
questioned all three attorneys on the meaning and effect of the Second
Amendment's "militia clause," with Dellinger taking the extreme
position that unless a state "had attributes of [a state] militia
contrary to a Federal law," the Second Amendment would have no effect as
a restraint on legislation. Several justices seemed to disagree
strongly with that view, with Justice Antonin Scalia noting that even if the militia clause describes
the purpose of the Second Amendment, it's not unusual for a law to be written
more broadly than necessary for its main purpose.
Justice Anthony Kennedy
questioned the attorneys very actively, especially on the importance of
self-defense in the Founding era. Justice Kennedy suggested that even
the Supreme Court's 1939 Miller decision-which gun control advocates
have often wrongly cited as protecting only a "collective"
right-was "deficient" and may not have addressed the
"interests that must have been foremost in the Framers' minds when they
were concerned about guns being taken away from the people who needed them
for their defense."
Plaintiffs' attorney Gura-in addition to responding to many hypothetical
questions-noted that the Second Amendment was clearly derived from common law
rights described by Blackstone and other 18th Century commentators.
Although the militia clause "gives us some guide post as to how we look
at the Second Amendment," Gura said,
"it's not the exclusive purpose of the Second Amendment."
NRA Executive Vice
President Wayne LaPierre and NRA-ILA Executive
Director Chris Cox (who both attended the arguments) commented, "Washington, D.C.'s ban on keeping handguns and
functional firearms in the home for self-defense is unreasonable and
unconstitutional under any standard. We remain hopeful that the Supreme Court
will agree with the overwhelming majority of the American people, more than
300 members of Congress, 31 state attorneys general and the NRA that the
Second Amendment protects the fundamental, individual right to keep and bear
arms, and that Washington, D.C.'s bans on handguns and functional firearms in
the home for self-defense should be struck down."
Amicus briefs filed
with the Supreme Court in support of the Court of Appeals' decision included
those by the National Rifle Association and the NRA Civil Rights Defense
Fund; Vice-President Dick Cheney (in his capacity as President of the Senate)
and Members of Congress; the state attorneys general; and noted Second
Amendment scholars. All the briefs in the case are available at www.nraila.org/heller.
Listen to the audio recording
of the oral arguments (RealPlayer required)
View the transcript (PDF format)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~`
Release #028-08
March 19, 2008
For Information Contact:
Jerry Feaser
717-705-6541
PGCNews@state.pa.us
GAME COMMISSION RELEASES OFFICIAL 2007 BEAR HARVEST
HARRISBURG - According to official 2007 bear harvest figures released today
by the Pennsylvania Game Commission, hunters took a total of 2,360 bears,
which included 41 bears during the second archery bear season, Nov. 14-15;
2,026 bears during the statewide 3-day season, Nov. 19-21; and 293 bears
during the extended season, Nov. 26-Dec. 1, that was open in select areas of
the state.
This harvest ranks ninth in the overall Pennsylvania
bear harvests. In 2005, hunters set a record harvest of 4,164 bears.
Other recent harvests were: 3,075 in 2000; 3,063 in 2001; 2,686 in 2002;
3,000 in 2003; 2,972 in 2004; and 3,122 in 2006.
"While this season's harvest pales in comparison to the past two years,
we need to keep the harvest in context with weather, food availability and
historical trends," said Mark Ternent, Game
Commission bear biologist. "For the first day of the statewide
season, fog significantly decreased visibility in some areas of northcentral Pennsylvania
- some of the state's best bear hunting territory - at a time when we had the
largest number of bear hunters in the woods."
Ternent also stressed that the bear harvests of
2005 and 2006 were incredible back-to-back records.
"Given the weather conditions hunters encountered and two substantial
bear harvests in the previous two years, a harvest like this, that fell
within the all-time top ten, still is a fine season," he said.
Ternent noted that bears were taken in 49 counties.
The largest bear taken was a 727-pound (estimated live weight) male taken in Dingman Township,
Pike County,
by Scott Spaeth of Philadelphia
on Nov. 28. In all, nine bears taken by hunters weighed 600 pounds or more.
More……
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
NRA-ILA
March
17, 2008
Hunting Under
Discussion in the Management Plan for Erie National Wildlife Refuge:
Staff of
the Erie NWR, an 8,800-acre refuge 35 miles south of Lake Erie in northwestern PA, is
launching the first stage in the process of developing a 15-year management
plan for the refuge. The first stage is to obtain suggestions and
information on the scope of issues to consider. The public is invited
to comment until April 30, 2008. It is important for the refuge
staff to hear from hunters because the refuge is open to waterfowl, big game,
small game, and turkey hunting. We want to ensure that those hunting
opportunities are included and enhanced in the new management plan.
Comments can be sent to northeast/planning@fws.gov.
Include "Erie NWR CCP/EA" in the subject line. Information
about public meetings to be held can be found at http://www.fws.gov/northeast/erie. You
may also call Thomas Roster, Project Leader, at (585) 948-5445.
D.C.'s "Voluntary" Gun Search Program
Raises Concerns: It's quite a quandary for the leaders
of our nation's capitol. They govern a city that has had an outright
ban on handguns for more than three decades, yet they're constantly looking
for panaceas for the District's high rate of gun crime. How ironic it
is that a city that should be an anti-gunner's utopia is constantly plagued
with "gun violence." While dismissing logic and burying their
heads in the sand, these leaders continue to try to avoid the unavoidable
conclusion: Criminals don't obey the law and have been ignoring the gun
ban since its inception. Only the law-abiding obey the law.
Enter their latest
attempt at a remedy--the so-called "Safe
Homes Initiative."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Farm Bill Update: 3-17-08
Before
leaving for a two-week recess, Congress passed, and the President signed, an
extension of the current Farm Bill through April 18. In signing the
extension, the President said ”if a final agreement
is not reached by April 18, I call on Congress to extend current law for at
least one year. While long-term extension of current law is not the desired
outcome, I believe the government has a responsibility to provide America's farmers and ranchers with a timely
and predictable farm program -- not multiple short-term extensions of current
law...”
“I am eager to sign a farm bill that provides a safety net for farmers,
includes significant farm program reform similar to the Administration's farm
bill proposal, and does not include tax increases,” said the President. ”I
have made clear the framework of an agreement that will garner my signature and
urge Congress to pass a bill that meets these criteria.”
With House and Senate members home for two weeks on
recess, now is an excellent time to try to schedule meetings with Senate and
House members, and to urge them to support stronger funding for conservation
programs in the Farm Bill.
Conservation programs remain on the chopping block. A proposal to cut the
Conservation Reserve Program from 39.2 million acres to just 32 million
acres, and to cut the Wetlands Reserve Program from 250,000 acres to just
200,000 acres per year, is still a very real threat.
House Agriculture Committee Chair Collin Peterson (D-MN) and Ranking
Republican Bob Goodlatte (R-VA) initially said
their committee would work on a Farm Bill that would spend no more than the
current budget baseline ($280 billion over five years, or $597 over 10
years). That would likely mean no increase for conservation and most other
titles.
However, Greenwire reported Friday afternoon that
Senate negotiators have talked them out of that approach -- at least for now.
Rep. Goodlatte said "we are going to work with
how we can reach agreement on a $10 billion-above-baseline bill, but if in a
week or so we don't see the money forthcoming, we are going to continue to
work on what to do if we don't have the money -- and that's a baseline
bill,"
A continuing dispute is between the Senate Finance Committee and House
Agriculture Committee. Senate Finance provided a package of revenue that
helped fund increases in conservation and other funding for the Senate Farm
Bill. That package included tax credits for the Grassland Reserve
Program, Conservation Reserve Program and Wetlands Reserve Program that would
replace cash payments for some producers. But, House Agriculture Committee
Chair Collin Peterson has said the committee is unwilling to give up
jurisdiction over farm programs to another committee.
Senate and House members need to hear from individuals and organizations who care about conservation funding in the Farm Bill over
the next two weeks. If you would like help with updates or materials, or
information for reporters or editors, feel free to contact us.
Duane Hovorka
Farm Bill Outreach Coordinator
National Wildlife Federation
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~`
NRA-ILA
March 12, 2008
In Congress, the Uphill Battle for Gun Control
- U.S. News.com
Four out of every 10 Americans own a gun. And nearly 3 out of 4 believe that
the Second Amendment guarantees an individual the right to have a firearm.
Recent Gallup polls show that only 38 percent of Americans think the
most important way to combat gun violence is through stricter gun laws; 58
percent believe more should be done to enforce current laws instead. And more
than two thirds oppose an outright ban on handguns
Read
More | Read Other News
D.C. Gun Ban Proponents Ignore
the Facts
- Fox News
For gun control proponents and opponents a lot is riding on a former security
guard for the Supreme Court Annex. Next Tuesday ,
the Supreme Court will hear arguments over whether the District of Columbia`s ban on handguns and its requirement that any
rifles or shotguns remain locked violates the plaintiff, Dick Heller`s, constitutional rights.
Read More
| Read
Other News
Safety in Defenselessness
- Reason
In a recent Wall Street Journal op-ed piece, Harvard law professor Laurence
Tribe urged the U.S. Supreme Court to uphold the District of Columbia`s gun restrictions. Tribe said that right does
not rule out a decision to ban handguns while allowing "rifles, shotguns
and other weapons less likely to augment urban violence."
Read More |
Read
Other News
Hearing, rally today over local
gun laws
- Daily News
Philadelphia City Council squares off against the
state General Assembly in Commonwealth Court this morning over whether the
city can enforce its own gun laws.
Read
More | Read Other News
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
March 6, 2008
Harrisburg, PA – The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat
Commission is preparing for another action-packed trout season with two opening
days and bigger stocked fish, plus an exciting preseason event at Gander Mountain stores statewide!
Join the Fish and Boat
Commission to celebrate the upcoming trout season as they host educational
trout expos at Gander Mountain stores throughout the state, running
Friday, March 14, through Sunday, March 16, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day. (Participation varies by
store.)
CLICK
HERE to read the full release
2008 ADULT TROUT STOCKING SCHEDULE
AVAILABLE AT FISHANDBOAT.COM
Harrisburg, PA -- The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat
Commission (PFBC) is stocking adult trout in a variety of lakes and streams
that are open to public angling throughout Pennsylvania in 2008 and has posted “where” and
“when” those fish will be released at www.fishandboat.com.
The service allows anglers to
execute a quick search for trout stocking locations and dates of interest. To
make the list, simply go to www.fishandboat.com, click on the stocking
schedule link, select a county and start and end date from the calendars at
the top of the page, then press go.
CLICK
HERE to read the full release
NEW LEGAL NOTICES POSTED
New legal
notices have been posted to the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission's web
site.
Click
here to view the latest legal notices.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~`
The PFBC first stakeholder meeting
in connection with the Norfolk Southern spill will take place on Wed, March 12th, at 11am at the DCNR Region 1 Office located at 260 Sizerville Rd in Emporium.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
2nd Amendment Rally
Mark your calendars
Now: April 7, 2008
Gunowners
Help Needed To Stop Harrisburg Gun Control Juggernaut
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Clean Water
Restoration Act in the US Legislature
3-4-08
The House bill, HR2421, is slated for a legislative hearing In April and will
then be voted on in the House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee.
It should be voted on in the House of Representatives this Spring.
Please call your representatives and to urge them to vote for the Clean Water
Restoration Act.
Supreme Court decisions and actions by the Bush Administration have
threatened to remove Clean Water Act protections from at least 20
million acres of wetlands and many of our streams, rivers, and ponds.
At-risk waters can lose protection from dredge and fill activities, point
source pollution discharges AND liability for oil spill cleanup.
The Restoration Act will simply return Clean Water Act protections to
isolated lakes & streams, wetlands and headwaters whose protection was
removed by recent Supreme Court decisions.
The Clean Water Restoration Act does NOT create any new protections or expand
the Clean Water Act in any way.
The Clean Water Restoration Act preserves ALL existing exemptions to the
Clean Water Act. This includes, "normal farming, silviculture, and ranching," "construction or
maintenance of farm or stock ponds or irrigation ditches and maintenance of
drainage ditches," "construction or maintenance of farm roads or
forest roads or temporary roads for moving mining equipment," and other
activities.
Congress can give back protection for our country’s lakes, streams, and wetlands
by enacting the Clean Water Restoration Act NOW (HR2421, S1870). Please call your US
Representative on March 5 and urge her or him to vote for the Restoration
Act.
Simply call the U.S. Capitol switchboard at 202/224-3121
and ask to be connected to your legislator.
Urge him or her to protect all our country’s waters by supporting the
Clean Water Restoration Act. If you
can’t call on the 5th, call anytime this week!
Find your US
Representative: http://www.house.gov/
Pennsylvania cosponsors should be
thanked. They are: Robert Brady (PA01), Michael Doyle (PA14),
Chaka Fattah (PA02), Paul Kanjorski (PA11), Patrick Murphy (PA08), Todd Platts (PA19), Allyson Schwartz (PA13), and Joe Sestak (PA07) .
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
March 4, 2008
Christina Novak (DCNR): 717-783-1116
Terry Brady (DCNR): 717-772-9101
NEW WEB SITE AIMS TO INSPIRE PENNSYLVANIANS TO CONSERVE, PROTECT, ENJOY
NATURAL RESOURCES
HARRISBURG - Governor Edward G. Rendell today announced the search for
Pennsylvanians who make everyday efforts to conserve natural resources to
share their stories and get inspiration from others through the new iConserve Pennsylvania initiative.
"You can't pick up a newspaper today or have a conversation with your
neighbor that doesn't touch on issues like the Earth's climate warming, how
energy bills are taking a toll on household budgets, or that kids don't play
outside anymore," Governor Rendell said. "Even small actions, when
taken collectively, can make a difference; but it's sometimes hard for
individuals to sort through all of the information to figure out what steps
we can take.
"The iConserve Pennsylvania initiative's Web
site, www.iConservePA.org, can help
by providing a place for people to share their stories about conservation,
get tips, learn why Pennsylvania's natural resources are so special, and be
inspired to start with simple steps," the Governor said.
The new effort is being introduced this week at exhibits that reach the
thousands of visitors at the Philadelphia Flower Show and the Pennsylvania
Garden Expo in Harrisburg.
PA iCons - people who already do things in their
everyday lives to help address alarming environmental trends - are featured
on the Web site. Twelve
"founding" iCons demonstrate some
conservation practices needed to combat Pennsylvania's
core environmental challenges. Others are encouraged to share their
conservation story by filling out a profile with their own tips, stories and
favorite places in Pennsylvania.
"As a family, we practice conservation in many ways from buying organic
and local, to biking to work and using florescent light bulbs, however, we
are most passionate about reducing consumption," said Sarah Ruppert, of Nazareth, one of the 12 founding PA iCons. "We found that by recycling/reusing
everything from water bottles, toys, clothing, furniture, and even household
appliances we minimize our footprint and save money!"
The Department of Conservation and Natural Resources administers the
iConservePA.org Web site.
"We are at an important crossroads for the environment, much as
Pennsylvanians were 100 years ago when mountains were stripped of their
woodlands, and waterways were choked with debris, sediment and
pollution," Department of Conservation and Natural Resources Secretary
Michael DiBerardinis said. "Our issues
are different, but the future of our natural resources still depends on how
we react to them now."
Web site visitors can subscribe to a free monthly electronic newsletter that
will include fun facts and green tips. Also featured are simple
commitments, next steps and lifestyle change ideas that can help anyone
become familiar with conservation, grow their interest, and take action.
Secretary DiBerardinis said iConserve
Pennsylvania will eventually
expand to include partnerships with organizations and businesses that want to
become more active in promoting conservation and stewardship of the state's
natural resources.
Visit www.iConservePA.org to explore
why conservation is needed and what each person can do to make a difference.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Farm Bill Update
3/4/08
Friday, the USDA gave House and Senate Farm Bill
negotiators the Department’s list of changes that the White House wants to
see in a new Farm Bill before President Bush will support spending $10
billion
over ten years above the current budget baseline for Farm Bill programs. Most of the changes involve reforms to the
commodity programs in the Farm Bill.
In a news release, the Farmers Union said House Agriculture Committee
Chairman Collin Peterson told more than 600 Farmers Union members meeting on
Sunday that he is optimistic a farm bill funding agreement will be reached in
the coming week and a bill signed into law by mid-April.
“We’re moving slowly ahead, at least not backwards and we’re close to getting
a final resolution,” Peterson said.
But Chris Clayton (DTN.ag) reported Rep. Peterson
also said there was not much time left to reach agreement, and “at some time,
we have got to fish or cut bait.”
The current Farm Bill extension expires March 15, and House and Senate
leaders have discussed a further extension to April 15 to complete
negotiations on the bill.
Still on the table is a proposal floated by House Agriculture Committee Chair
Collin Peterson (D-MN) and Ranking Republican Bob Goodlatte
(R-VA) to cut the Conservation Reserve Program to just 32 million acres (from
39.2 million authorized in current law), and to cut the Wetlands Reserve
Program annual enrollment to 200,000 acres (from the 250,000 acres allowed
under current law).
Meanwhile, Jerry Hagstrom (DTN.ag)
quoted Secretary of Agriculture Ed Schafer saying some troubling things about
the Conservation Reserve Program at the Farmers Union national convention.
Responding to a question, Schafer reportedly said “I’d like to see all the
CRP acres out there growing switchgrass” that could
be used for bioenergy. Greenwire
reports that Secretary Schafer made similar comments at a renewable fuels
conference Tuesday.
Senate Agriculture Committee Chair Tom Harkin (D-IA) responded, saying “land
in the CRP is producing critical benefits in greater wildlife habitat, a
cleaner environment and conservation of our precious soil and water.
CRP land is not simply idle or nonproductive. We have to keep in mind
our conservation goals and our responsibility to future generations.”
“There are already big challenges in CRP as contracts on millions of acres
expire and landowners face decisions whether to reenroll,” said Harkin. “So
we must be very careful about the consequences of abrupt or sweeping policy
changes affecting land in CRP. I’m a big advocate of producing energy
from biomass, yet I believe that with care and forethought we can have both
more biofuels and more conservation.”
In recent years, the Conservation Reserve Program has put a priority on
growing mixed stands of native grasses and forbs. Those diverse mixes provide
better habitat for a variety of wildlife, and they stand up
better under rainfall and weather conditions that can change substantially
from year to year.
Replacing mixed stands of native grasses and forbs with a single-species
stand of switchgrass would substantially reduce the
value of the program for upland birds and other wildlife.
The Farm Bills passed by the House and Senate already include versions of a
proposal to help farmers grow plants like switchgrass
that could be turned into energy.
Duane Hovorka
Farm Bill Outreach Coordinator
National Wildlife Federation
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~`
U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance
Sportsmen Alert!
For information about the following message, please
contact:
U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance
801 Kingsmill
Parkway, Columbus, OH
43229
Phone: 614 888-4868
Fax: 614 888-0326
Email: info@ussportsmen.org
Website: www.ussportsmen.org
March 4, 2008
Bill Introduced to Allow Hunting on National
River
The U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance
applauds Representative Nick Rahall (D-WV), Chairman of the House Natural
Resources Committee, for introducing a bill that will allow hunting in the New
River Gorge National
River.
Rep. Rahall’s bill, H.R. 5137, mandates that hunting be allowed in the New
River Gorge National
River, while the existing law
says hunting “may” be permitted.
This change will protect sportsmen and their hunting opportunities at the National
River. There had been some
debate as to the future of hunting availability in the area.
“Sportsmen should support H.R. 5137. Rep.
Rahall is to be commended for working to make sure conservation will continue
at New River Gorge,” said Rick Story, U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance (USSA) senior
vice president. “Closing this language loophole will be a step in the
right direction for hunter’s rights in West Virginia.”
New River Gorge
National River
in West Virginia is a part of
the National Parks System.
The U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance is
a national association of sportsmen and sportsmen’s organizations that
protect the rights of hunters, anglers and trappers in the courts,
legislatures, at the ballot, in Congress and through public education
programs. For more information about the U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance
and its work, call (614) 888-4868 or visit its website, www.ussportsmen.org.
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PFBC Access Area Time Restrictions
Notice: Time Restrictions -- Union Access, Susquehanna River, Luzerne County and Mountain Springs Lake, Luzerne County
The Executive Director of the Fish and Boat Commission
(Commission), acting under the authority of 58 Pa. Code §53.4(a) (relating to
limiting access to Commission property and other restrictions), has closed
the following Commission access areas to the public during the hours of 10
p.m. to 5 a.m.: Union Access on the Susquehanna River, Luzerne County and
Mountain Springs Lake, Luzerne County. These time restrictions are effective
when posted at the sites. It is unlawful for any person to enter or remain upon
Commission property during the times it is closed to public use without the
express written consent of the Executive Director or designee.
Click
here for the web page of public notices
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PFBC THINKS BIG IN PITTSBURGH
Harrisburg, PA—The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission is
set to receive $1.35 million in federal funding through the U. S. Fish and
Wildlife Service’s Boating Infrastructure Grant (BIG) program.
BIG provides federal funds for projects designed to
accommodate transient, recreational motorboats that are 26 feet or longer.
The BIG funds awarded to the Fish and Boat Commission will be used to
construct transient boat docks along the South Shore Riverfront Park in Pittsburgh.
CLICK
HERE to read the full release
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