PFSC
Spring 2006 Convention
GAME
& TRAPPING COMMITTEE REPORT
The meeting which started at
First on the agenda, Ned Weston of the PA
Trappers Association presented his organization’s views on the resolution
seeking “to eliminate all the categories of Fur taker License”. In addition to
various points, he repeated the four primary reasons cited in a resolution
response letter from PTA President Rod Zullinger they believe the licenses are
necessary. (See Resolution #2 and attachments for further detail.) The
resolution was defeated by delegate vote at general session. Finally, Ned went
on record on behalf of the PTA supporting the concept of a license fee increase
for the Pennsylvania Game Commission.
Next, Carl Roe, the new Executive Director
of the PGC addressed those in attendance. He stated his three main focus points
with regard to his new role:
1) The significant natural resources of
this commonwealth must be at the forefront and are at the heart of agency
vision. 2) He views the staff and structure of the agency as critical to
achieving PGC goals and believes more communication with all Pennsylvanians is
necessary to enhance the agency’s image. 3) The hunting and trapping heritage
is an essential component of the agency’s conservation and management efforts.
Mr. Roe went on to discuss the
never-ending topic of deer management and concluded by saying that the PGC will
continue to manage deer based on the three management plan goals already established:
1) a healthy herd 2) healthy habitat 3) reduced human/herd conflict. He stated
the team’s intent to further evaluate the many variables involved in reaching
these goals. They are also committed to keeping the existing Wildlife
Management Units in place for the initially prescribed period of five years
before re-adjusting them.
He then went on to discuss the financial
situation of the PGC and his concern over the fact that politics is holding the
license fee increase process hostage. While license revenue dollars have been
decreasing, revenue from habitat cuts has risen but can only be seen as a short
term offset. On another note, Growing Greener II monies have continued to make
habitat improvement projects possible. Executive Director Roe was reluctant to
name further cuts that may be necessary but indicated that gameland
improvements and WCO classes might be curtailed if relief does not come soon.
The best the agency is hoping for would be legislative approval during the
sine/di session this November.
We were also told that the PGC had
selected a vendor in February to provide the necessary mechanism for the Point
Of Sale license system. The agency is hopeful that this system will be on-line
in July of 2007.
After mentioning a number of pieces of
legislation that have come up recently including a bill that would multiply by
three times the ‘in lieu of tax’ payment the PGC makes each September for gamelands and the burden this would cause, Director Roe
said that the agency will be projecting the theme “What have you done for
wildlife today?” to all Pennsylvanians.
A couple of items that also came up during
Q&A were: in two trial areas, birds are to be brought in from the west in
an attempt to re-establish PA’s pheasant population;
200,000 acres of gamelands are to be included in the
flyover deer population studies (FLIR) begun last year by DCNR; everyone should
be concerned about proposed legislation that would hold the agency responsible
for all of its own legal fees eliminating the General Fund monies currently
available; and lastly Executive Director Roe indicated we are not too far from
seeing live-fire re-introduced to the Hunter / Trapper Ed program but that it
will come once the necessary protocol is established.
After lunch, Adrienne Lombaerde,
Jack Sloan and Matt Smith of the Governor’s Youth Council on Hunting Fishing
and Conservation gave a report on council activities. They voiced their support
for the PGC license fee increase, Sunday hunting, and the proposed Mentored
Youth Hunt. Having observed a trial run of the newly developing
Hunter / Trapper Ed program held during
the Eastern Sport and Outdoor Show held recently at the Harrisburg Farm Show
Complex, Matt expressed a question with regard to the lack of first hand
experienced personalized training when using such a remote method of self
study.
Next on the agenda, Rick Carlson, Director
of Policy and Legislation for DCNR reported on several items of interest. He
responded to a request by some sportsmen regionally to address wildlife habitat
concerns on public lands and verbalized the Department’s interest in
cooperating with sportsmen and the PFSC where common “interests intersect”. He
also expressed excitement over the nearly $200 million available for land
conservation issues through Growing Greener II.
Besides re-iterating that DCNR is not
in favor of a merger with the PGC or PFBC, he stated his belief that DCNR and
the PGC must do a better job of getting information out to sportsmen concerning
the various “assumptions” used when arriving at various decisions regarding
resource management. In addition, he stated that DCNR views are basically
in-line with our position on deer management.
Finally, Mr. Carlson discussed several
DCNR proposals designed to “get to a new type of user” which are also part of a
longer range plan of “getting more people connected to the outdoors”. One plan
is to construct a 15-20 room ‘inn’ on the Erie Bluff area in northwestern PA
and another to proceed with development of the “Gateway Center” at the S.B.
Elliot State Park in north central PA.
Mike Krempasky,
Deputy Director of Policy and Legislation for DCNR took over at this point to
give some illustrations of the Department’s efforts to increase tourism while
capitalizing on PA’s natural resources. He cited the
plan that is underway in the 6 north central county elk range.
He stated that a mandate from the Governor
includes: 1) growing outdoor tourism (consistent with ecological concerns and
keeping in mind the capacities and capabilities of our lands) and
encourage/facilitate additional activities and users while servicing
“traditional customers” 2) encourage growth of private services (including
accommodations) and local products 3) ensure community benefit by facilitating
renewal through proper planning and appropriate development 4) and investing in
infrastructure and assets in specific areas. He gave as an example the “Dark
Skies Project” at the
In response to concerns from the floor
regarding the scope of any upcoming plans and whether any safeguards are in
place preventing unlimited growth, Deputy Krempasky
said Governor Rendell wants to show the “right” way to implement improvements
and programs and that “no major incremental changes are planned which would
predict major traffic issues”.
Following one other question from the
floor regarding the possibility of the Department using controlled burning in
the future as a tool for habitat improvement, we were told that DCNR is looking
ahead toward legislation that would allow this option but that the foresters
want to be sure that liability issues are cleared up first.
From this point in the committee meeting,
Biologist Daniel Boone with Citizens for Responsible Wind Power followed by
Wind Reserves Manager with Community Energy, Inc. relayed information regarding
the coming of wind energy development to PA and associated facts and concerns
relative to location, effects on habitat and associated wildlife, and even
human safety issues. This conversation was enlightening from various
perspectives and indicated the need for further study and additional
federal/state regulation to protect PA resources from unforeseen albeit
commercially beneficial wind powered electric generating units. It became clear
that while this technology can be considered a ‘clean energy’ source, it cannot
be left to the power industry or individual municipalities to do as they will.
These presentations and resulting
discussions carried over into the Environmental Affairs Committee immediately
following. (See the report from that meeting for further detail.)
This concluded the meeting of the Game and
Trapping Committee. For any other details or clarification on the information
recorded, please get in touch with either Bernie Spozio
or Lowell Graybill.
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