Board Takes Step to Re-Evaluate Crossbows

HARRISBURG, Pa., July 9 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — The Pennsylvania Board of Game Commissioners, by a vote of 4-3, today gave preliminary approval to regulatory changes that would, if approved at a subsequent meeting and published in the Pennsylvania Bulletin, restrict the use of crossbows for the upcoming fall hunting seasons.

Those voting in favor of the proposal were Game Commissioner Ron Weaner, who requested that the proposal be placed on the July meeting agenda; as well as Game Commissioners Tom Boop, David Schreffler and Jay Delaney. Those voting against the proposal were Game Commissioners Greg Isabella, David Putnam and Robert Schlemmer. There currently is one vacancy on the eight-member Board.

Under the proposal given preliminary approval today, any archery license-holding hunter could use a crossbow during the first two weeks of the statewide early archery deer season (Oct. 3-16); only disabled hunters with a permit to use a crossbow could use them for the remainder of the early archery season, as well as all of the late archery season. Crossbows would continue to be legal for all deer seasons, including the early and late archery seasons, in WMUs 2B, 5C and 5D. Only those with a disabled person permit to use a crossbow could use a crossbow during the two-day archery bear season. Lastly, crossbows could be used by any muzzleloader license-holding hunter in both the October antlerless muzzleloader season (Oct. 17-24) and the late flintlock muzzleloader season (Dec. 26-Jan. 9).

The Pennsylvania Bulletin is the Commonwealth’s official gazette for information and rulemaking by various branches of government and state agencies, including the Pennsylvania Game Commission. Under the Commonwealth’s Documents Law, any proposed change in regulations must be given preliminary approval by the Board of Game Commissioners at a public meeting. Following its preliminary approval, the proposed rule-making must be reviewed by the state Office of Attorney General and published in the Pennsylvania Bulletin to allow for public comment. After considering public comment, the Board is permitted to take final action on the proposal at a subsequent public meeting, after which it must again be reviewed by the Office of Attorney General and published in the Pennsylvania Bulletin before taking effect.

BOARD TAKES ACTION TO INCREASE STATE GAME LANDS SYSTEM

The Pennsylvania Board of Game Commissioners today approved the purchase of two tracts in Somerset and Clearfield counties, and one land exchange that will increase the total acreage of four State Game Lands in Erie and Warren counties.

The first option is 217 acres in Shade Township, Somerset County, adjacent to State Game Land 93. The purchase price of $130,000 is to be paid to The Conservation Fund. Funding for this acquisition is partially coming from Iberdrola Renewables Inc. of Radnor, in consideration of impacts to upland sandpiper habitat from a wind farm project, with the remainder coming from other third party commitments for compensation of habitat and recreational losses from previously approved Game Commission actions. The sale is subject to a reservation of all coal, oil, coal bed methane and gas underlying the property; however, there are no above-ground operations on the property to remove the same.

Acquiring this property will join two previously acquired detached parcels of existing SGL 93, which were acquired and named in honor of the Flight 93 crew and passengers. This property adjoins the Flight 93 Memorial boundary established by the National Park Service and authorized by The Flight 93 Memorial Act.

About 115 acres of the tract is vegetated in grassland from a previously reclaimed surface mine operation, while the remaining portion is forested with mixed northern hardwoods. The grassland is beneficial to wildlife species requiring large continuous blocks of undisturbed habitat, such as Henslow’s sparrows and upland sandpipers. Public access is provided off Johnson Bottom Road.

The second offering is two tracts totaling 1,095 acres in Huston Township, Clearfield County, adjacent to SGL 331. The purchase price of $438,000 is to be paid to the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy, in part, with funds from the Estate of Blanche Pollum, of DuBois, and the remainder by third party commitments for compensation of habitat and recreational losses from previously approved Commission actions. The option is pending upon final approval from the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy’s Board of Directors, and excepts and reserves all timber for 20 years from the date of settlement. The timber will be managed in close coordination with the Game Commission and follow established best management practices.

The first of these two tracts, referred to as the Bark Camp Run tract, is about 736 acres, and adjoins the northeast boundary of SGL 331. Bark Camp Run, designated as a cold water fishery, runs through the mostly forested tract comprised of mixed northern hardwoods and multiple wetlands associated with the stream corridor.

The second tract, referred to as the Bennett Branch tract, is about 359 acres, and is an indenture into the northwest boundary of SGL 331. This tract is predominantly forested with mixed northern hardwoods, and has frontage on the upper reaches of the Bennett Branch of the

Sinnemahoning Creek, with emergent wetlands along the lower laying areas.

The Board also approved a timber/land exchange with Clear Lake Timber Inc., of Spartansburg, which was previously the high bidder on three of the agency’s timber sales, all of which are in varied stages of herbicide treatment and infrastructure development. The timber sale represents an accumulated bid value of $1,148,112.

Under the exchange, Clear Lake Lumber, in lieu of initial block cut payments due to the Game Commission, will transfer to the agency six tracts of land amounting to around 452 acres. The six tracts are as follows: 134.75- acres in Elk Creek Township, Erie County, adjoining SGL 152; 16 acres in Deerfield Township, Warren County, adjoining SGL 86; three tracts totaling 239.69 acres in Pittsfield Township, Warren County, adjoining SGL 143; and 61.60 acres in Freehold Township, Warren County, adjoining SGL 306.

The Game Commission and Clear Lake Timber have agreed to a total appraised value of $484,000 for all six parcels, allowing for a reservation on certain timber, excluding conifers, for one year from the date of settlement on four of the six tracts. The value of $484,000 is to be credited against the timber sales until the value has been exhausted. All residual monies owed to the Commission from the timber sales will be deposited directly into the Game Fund. This exchange will provide additional hunting acreage contiguous to SGLs 86, 143, 152 and 306.

All the tracts are forested with a good diversity of both hard- and soft-mast producing tree and shrub species, and all tracts provide additional access to established SGLs. In addition, acquiring the tracts adjoining SGL 143 will increase protection of the biologically diverse Brokenstraw Creek, and acquiring the tract adjoining SGL 306 will provide additional protection to the biological diversity of Benson Swamp by securing numerous spring seeps and unnamed tributaries that flow into this diverse wetland.

BOARD APPROVES LAND BANK PROJECTS

The Pennsylvania Board of Game Commissioners today approved two projects for State Game Land Bank Site Agreements for transportation development projects that impact less than five acres of established State Game Lands within PennDOT Engineering Districts 2-0 and 3-0.

On May 15, 2008, the Game Commission entered into a Cooperative Interagency Agreement for Interdepartmental Land Transfer and Establishment of State Game Land Banks with the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation and the Federal Highway Administration. The partnership streamlines transportation development projects by allowing PennDOT Districts to establish State Game Land Banks in advance of highway projects impacting less than five acres of State Game Lands. These agreements expedite the mitigation process where impacts can be debited from existing land banks instead of being addressed on a case-by-case basis.

In Tioga County, PennDOT has agreed to transfer exclusive jurisdiction and control of 104.6 acres of land in Chatham Township, Tioga County, to the Game Commission and retain a right to enter the wetland mitigation portion of the site to conduct monitoring and maintenance. The property, called the Hoffman Wetlands Bank Site, is a detached parcel about eight miles southeast of State Game Land 313. The property consists of 50 acres to be reserved in the Wetland Banking Program and 54.6 acres to be placed in the State Game Lands Banking Program. The following habitat communities are on the property: 18 acres of constructed wetlands; 10 acres of natural wetlands; 12 acres of constructed upland-wetland buffers; 10 acres of natural riparian-wetland buffers; 13 acres of mature deciduous forest; 6.6 acres of pole-sapling deciduous forest; 12 acres of mature hemlock forest; 11 acres of bottomland forest-scrubland; and 12 acres in herbaceous old fields.

In Northumberland County, PennDOT has agreed to transfer exclusive jurisdiction and control of the 45.3 acres of land in Lewis Township, Northumberland County, to the Game Commission and retain a right to enter the wetland mitigation portion of the site to conduct monitoring and maintenance. The property, called the Vargo Wetlands Bank Site, is a detached parcel about four miles north of State Game Land 325. The property consists of 37.3 acres to be reserved in the PennDOT Wetland Banking Program, with eight acres to be placed in the State Game Lands Banking Program. The following habitat communities are on the property: 16 acres of constructed wetlands; one acre of natural wetlands; 17 acres of constructed upland-wetland buffers; 3.3 acres of natural riparian-wetland buffers; five acres of mature riparian deciduous forest; and three acres of herbaceous old fields.

BOARD APPROVES COAL LEASE IN INDIANA COUNTY

The Pennsylvania Board of Game Commissioners today approved a surface mine coal lease with P & N Coal Company Inc., of Punxsutawney, to remove about 15,000 tons of coal from a 10-acre portion of State Game Land 174 in Indiana County. The Game Commission does not own the coal, but is the owner of the surface support rights on this tract of land.

P & N Coal Company currently is surface mining on private lands adjacent to SGL 174, and desires to extend its mining operations onto the SGL. The proposed re-mining operation will have a total surface impact of about seven acres for the actual coal removal, and about three additional acres for erosion and sedimentation controls and operational support. The proposed surface mine area has been previously deep and surface mined areas, which resulted in a scarred landscape containing many dangerous subsidence holes, abandoned mine spoil piles and high walls that must be removed and reclaimed.

The project also will include a permanent relocation of a township road about 100 to 150 feet to the south of its current location. The road relocation will allow for existing coal reserves to be removed from under the road, and will eliminate a sharp curve.

All timber to be impacted as a result of the proposed project will be assessed by the Game Commission forestry staff at double stumpage rate.

In exchange for the lease from the Game Commission, P & N Coal Company will pay the agency a total an estimated royalty value of $41,000 for all the marketable coal removed from the lease area.

Mining will be regulated by the Commonwealth’s Surface Mining Regulations and the Commission’s standard surface mine lease agreement. The five-year surface mining lease will include the standard performance bond and environmental protection measures. In addition, the lease will include a wildlife habitat reclamation and revegetation plan developed by the local Land Management Group Supervisor.

BOARD TAKES OTHER ACTIONS

In other action, the Board of Game Commissioners today:

• Gave final approval to a regulatory change to specifically prohibit the use or possession of drug paraphernalia on State Game Lands. Current regulatory provisions clearly prohibit the use and possession of controlled substances on State Game Lands;
• Gave final approval to a regulatory change to remove the one-way travel limitation for those who possess a disabled person permit to use a vehicle as a blind as it relates to travel permitted on designated State Game Lands’ roads and replace it with an open travel allowance that is subject to further limitation based upon existing weather or road conditions;
• Gave final approval to a regulatory change to permit persons who have previously hunted a controlled goose hunting area at the Game Commission’s Pymatuning or Middle Creek wildlife management areas to make application for unclaimed blinds on the morning of the designated shooting day, but only when there exists an absence of applications for the unclaimed blinds from persons who have not previously hunted a controlled goose hunting area;
• Gave final approval to a regulatory change to consolidate and make technical changes to the current provisions overseeing the issuance of guide permits for elk or bobcat. As part of the proposed change, permit fees for those seeking to guide elk hunters or bobcat hunters or trappers would increase to $25 for residents and $50 for nonresidents;
• Gave final approval to a series of technical changes to expand the agency’s ability to issue permits for the disposition of various wildlife killed on the highway, mistake kills, animals killed for crop damage, and illegal kills to Pennsylvania citizens;
• Gave preliminary approval regulations that would establish a special elk conservation license auction and license issuance process. On Oct. 9, House Bill 747 (Act 101 of 2008) was signed into law, and authorized the Game Commission to auction off one antlered elk license per license year through an eligible wildlife conservation organization. Due to the intermediary role the wildlife conservation organization serves in the sale of this license, the Game Commission has determined that the implementation of a voucher process will streamline and simplify the process of transferring the license to the winning bidder of the auction;
• Gave preliminary approval to sweeping changes to the agency’s falconry permit process to meet new U.S. Fish and Wildlife standards, as well as simplify, reorganize and enhance current state regulations. These changes are supported by the Pennsylvania Falconry and Hawk Trust. Presently, there are 168 permitted falconers in the state;
• Gave preliminary approval to regulatory changes designed to authorize political subdivisions to apply for an agricultural deer control permit for the limited purpose of managing the agricultural deer control activities occurring on a conglomeration of separate, but otherwise individually eligible properties within the boundaries of the political subdivision. This structure will not only reduce demands on each respective landowner, but it will enhance the effectiveness of a larger deer control plan promoted by the community by consolidating the management of the deer control activities into one central location; and
• Affirmed the final 2009 quarterly meeting will be held on Oct. 5-6, at the Holiday Inn Philadelphia Stadium, 900 Packer Avenue, Philadelphia. Also, the January 2010 meeting has been set for Jan. 24, 25 and 26, and will be held at the agency’s Harrisburg headquarters.

   

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SOURCE Pennsylvania Game Commission