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Pennsylvania DCNR Enrolls 75 State Forest, Park Tracts in Deer Management Assistance Program

Posted on: Wednesday, 26 July 2006, 15:00 CDT

HARRISBURG, Pa., July 26 /PRNewswire/ -- More than 874,000 acres of state forest and parkland have been enrolled by the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) in the Pennsylvania Game Commission's Deer Management Assistance Program (DMAP).

The DMAP program, offering landowners the chance to request additional antlerless deer permits to be made available to hunters, enables DCNR and others to more effectively manage white-tailed deer and curb damage to crops and forestland.

"These changes reflect the conditions and responses in forest habitat seen by our forest managers," said DCNR Secretary Michael DiBerardinis. "Boundaries were carefully adjusted to promote regeneration on the most vulnerable and damaged sites. In areas where foresters noted adequate regeneration, the DMAP designation was cautiously removed."

"Our goal is a healthy forest habitat and a healthy deer herd," DiBerardinis said. "Targeting certain areas for additional doe harvests is our best opportunity to balance the deer herd to support a healthy forest ecosystem."

This year, DCNR is requesting the Game Commission issue 17,642 coupons to hunters to pursue deer on 63 state forest sites and 12 separate state park sites. In 2005, 21,561 coupons were sought to hunt in 58 state forests.

In one notable change this year, Tuscarora State Forest will not participate in the DMAP program. Managers of the district encompassing sections of Mifflin, Juniata, Perry and Cumberland counties were satisfied with a recent surge of forest regeneration measured on their tracts, and no longer believe additional doe harvests through the DMAP program are needed. Other areas of state forests were removed, including DMAP Area No. 44, the "Pennsylvania Grand Canyon" region of Tioga State Forest in Tioga County.

"These areas are in their initial stages of habitat recovery," DiBerardinis said. "We will closely monitor the progress of these tracts to ensure we did not prematurely remove them from the DMAP program, but managers are cautiously optimistic about what they are seeing."

Other tracts were added to the program as a result of vegetation and browsing impact analyses. Susquehannock State Forest, in Potter, Clinton and McKean counties, added several tracts south of Coudersport and Denton Hill State Park in Potter County.

State Forester Dr. James W. Grace noted the DMAP changes follow the recent completion of "the most intensive survey of forest regeneration and browsing impact ever done in Pennsylvania."

"In addition to our ongoing monitoring activities, our staff surveyed more than 2 million acres of state forestland during late winter and spring," Dr. Grace said. "Obtaining sound data on deer impact on forest regeneration across our forests helps to guide our management decisions and advance our evolving understanding of the role deer play in forest health."

DCNR implemented DMAP in 2003 on a trial basis within its state forest system only, enrolling 38 tracts totaling 446,821 acres in 11 of its 20 state forest districts.

This year, the Bureau of State Parks has almost 72,000 acres in 22 parks, some of which are included in forestry areas where they are surrounded by state forestland. Enrolled parks include: Bald Eagle, Clear Creek, Cook Forest, Denton Hill, Elk, Hickory Run, Kings Gap, Laurel Ridge, Linn Run, Little Pine, Lyman Run, Moraine, Ohiopyle, Oil Creek, Parker Dam, Presque Isle, Prince Gallitzin, Promised Land, Ricketts Glen, Ryerson Station, Sizerville, and Tobyhanna.

On Monday, Aug. 7, the Bureau of Forestry will begin accepting applications by mail only. Beginning Aug. 21, the bureau will accept applications from walk-ins, and by mail, telephone, and its online application page. To obtain applications for state forest or parkland on or after Aug. 1, hunters can visit DCNR's Forestry web site at http://www.dcnr.state.pa.us/ (follow the links to the DMAP page and then to the specific area where they want to hunt).

For more DMAP details contact Merlin Benner, wildlife specialist, Bureau of Forestry at 570-724-8140 or jobenner@state.pa.us.

In a continuing effort to increase deer hunter participation on its DMAP areas, while supporting the statewide Hunters Sharing the Harvest (HSH) effort, DCNR is offering a financial incentive to hunters donating venison to feed the hungry. DCNR funds will be used to pay for butchering and processing of white-tailed deer donated to HSH efforts, if they were taken in DCNR's designated DMAP areas.

Up to $50 a deer will be covered under this reimbursement program between DCNR and the state Department of Agriculture. Visit http://www.sharedeer.org/, or phone (866) 474-2141.

CONTACT: Terry Brady

(717) 772-9101

Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources

CONTACT: Terry Brady, Pennsylvania Department of Conservation andNatural Resources, +1-717-772-9101

Web site: http://www.dcnr.state.pa.us/http://www.sharedeer.org/

Source: PRNewswire

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