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PA Board of Game Commissioners Approves Acquisition of Nearly 160 Acres; Board Approves Mining Lease Amendment in Dauphin County; Board Approves Mineral Lease in Lehigh County

Posted on: Tuesday, 3 October 2006, 15:00 CDT

HARRISBURG, Pa., Oct. 3 /PRNewswire/ -- The Pennsylvania Board of Game Commissioners today approved two options that will increase the State Game Lands system by nearly 160 acres.

In Williams Township, Dauphin County, the Board approved the purchase of 46.33 acres adjoining SGL 264. The parcel provides improved access to SGL 264, and is comprised mostly of woodland. The Wiconisco Creek runs through the southern portion of the tract.

There are no reservations on the parcel. The purchase price of $18,532 will be paid in lump sum to the Central Pennsylvania Conservancy from monies escrowed from a coal lease on SGL 264 to Ladnar Inc.

In West Finley Township, Washington County, the Board approved accepting a donation of a 112-acre indenture on SGL 302 from CNX Gas Company. The parcel contains nearly 82 acres of woodland and about 30 acres of farmland, which is comprised of six tillable acres and 24 acres reverting into early successional forest habitat. The property has a section of Enlow Fork running along the southwest portion of the tract.

CNX has reserved all coal and other minerals with the surface rights necessary to mine and remove the minerals. CNX also reserved its perpetual right to use the surface for extraction of oil, gas and minerals, and has reserved all timber for a period of three years.

"The Game Commission's ability to purchase and preserve lands for wildlife and for public hunting and trapping has always been limited by rising property values and, during certain tight financial times, the limited availability of funds," said Carl G. Roe, agency executive director. "The agency's last license fee increase was in 1999, and since that time we have been forced to make considerable cuts in the agency's budget in an attempt to keep pace with inflation.

"For the foreseeable future, nearly all land purchases we will approve are those being funded through escrowed funds, conservation partners and donations. However, if we receive a license fee increase, we hope to restore our land acquisition line item."

In addition to relying on the agency's land purchase escrow funds, Roe noted that the agency has maximized land acquisition efforts by working closely with conservation partners, such as the various land conservancies.

"Conservation-minded individuals and organizations, such as the Central Pennsylvania Conservancy, are helping the Game Commission leave a legacy for all Pennsylvanians to admire," Roe said. For more information on how to contribute either land or money, visit the Game Commission's website (http://www.pgc.state.pa.us/) and click on "Wildlife Donations" on the homepage.

The Game Commission has been purchasing State Game Lands since 1920. The State Game Lands system currently contains more than 1.4 million acres. Under state law, the Game Commission is authorized to purchase property for no more than $400 per acre from the Game Fund, with certain exceptions regarding interior holdings, indentures and for administrative purposes. Any purchase that equals or exceeds $300,000 must be approved by the General Assembly and Governor through the capital budget appropriation process.

"State Game Lands represent a tangible asset that hunters and trappers of this state can literally point to as a product of their license fees," Roe said. "In addition to the bountiful wildlife in our state, this is one more reason to view the price of Pennsylvania hunting or furtaker licenses as a bargain."

In other action, the Board approved a land exchange with ORD Sewer Authority involving a portion of a 6,070-foot railroad grade on SGL 60 in Rush Township, Centre County, to extend sewer to the adjoining residents. In exchange, ORD will provide $3,000 toward the purchase of a new State Game Land in Shade Township, Somerset County, which was approved for purchase by the Board in June. This new SGL was designated as SGL 93, in honor of the Flight 93 passengers and crew.

The previous SGL 93 in Clearfield County was re-designated as SGL 331.

Created in 1895 as an independent state agency, the Game Commission is responsible for conserving and managing all wild birds and mammals in the Commonwealth, establishing hunting seasons and bag limits, enforcing hunting and trapping laws, and managing habitat on the 1.4 million acres of State Game Lands it has purchased over the years with hunting and furtaking license dollars to safeguard wildlife habitat. The agency also conducts numerous wildlife conservation programs for schools, civic organizations and sportsmen's clubs.

The Game Commission does not receive any general state taxpayer dollars for its annual operating budget. The agency is funded by license sales revenues; the state's share of the federal Pittman-Robertson program, which is an excise tax collected through the sale of sporting arms and ammunition; and monies from the sale of oil, gas, coal, timber and minerals derived from State Game Lands.

BOARD APPROVES MINING LEASE AMENDMENT IN DAUPHIN COUNTY

The Board of Game Commissioners today approved an amended anthracite coal deep mining lease on State Game Land 264 in Williams Township, Dauphin County, and Porter Township, Schuylkill County, with Ladnar Inc., of Hummelstown. The amendment will add an additional 13 acres to Ladnar's existing lease on SGL 264. The proposed amendment area will encompass 5 acres for mine portal development and 8 acres for surface support to include a right of way for an electric line to provide power to the mine.

The royalty rate for each ton of coal mined, removed and marketed from the deep mine will be $2 per ton or 5.5 percent of the current F.O.B. pit price, whichever is greater. This is an increase from the current lease royalty rate for deep mined coal, which is now at 3.5 percent of the then current F.O.B. pit price. The proposed lease amendment has a potential coal royalty value to the Game Commission of nearly $3.2 million over the estimated 10-year life of the mine. All revenues generated from the proposed coal recovery operation will be directly deposited into the agency's Game Fund.

All timber impacted as a result of the proposed amended lease area is deemed to be surface damages and will be assessed by the Southeast Region Forestry staff at the double stumpage rate. Revenues generated from timber impacts will be placed into the Game Fund. The Game Commission may elect to credit a portion of the timber value against the cost of Commission approved abandoned mine reclamation project(s) on SGL 264. These wildlife habitat enhancement and recreational improvement values credited for reclamation/re- vegetation projects shall be at the sole discretion of the Game Commission.

Currently, there are numerous abandoned mine areas on SGL 264 that have adversely impacted the area's wildlife resources and inherent use of the SGL and which may be eligible for these wildlife habitat enhancement and recreational improvement credits.

Mining will be regulated by the Commonwealth Surface and Underground Mining Regulations and the Commission's standard mining lease agreement. All other terms and conditions of the existing lease will remain unchanged.

Created in 1895 as an independent state agency, the Game Commission is responsible for conserving and managing all wild birds and mammals in the Commonwealth, establishing hunting seasons and bag limits, enforcing hunting and trapping laws, and managing habitat on the 1.4 million acres of State Game Lands it has purchased over the years with hunting and furtaking license dollars to safeguard wildlife habitat. The agency also conducts numerous wildlife conservation programs for schools, civic organizations and sportsmen's clubs.

The Game Commission does not receive any general state taxpayer dollars for its annual operating budget. The agency is funded by license sales revenues; the state's share of the federal Pittman-Robertson program, which is an excise tax collected through the sale of sporting arms and ammunition; and monies from the sale of oil, gas, coal, timber and minerals derived from State Game Lands.

BOARD APPROVES MINERAL LEASE IN LEHIGH COUNTY

The Board of Game Commissioners today approved a surface stone removal lease on State Game Land 217 in Lynn Township, Lehigh County, with Delaware Quarries Inc. of New Hope.

Under the lease, Delaware Quarries will remove surface stone from a portion of a 17-acre tract of SGL 217. The Game Commission is considered to be the owner of the mineral rights on this tract of land.

The proposed stone removal operation will have a total surface impact of roughly 13.3 acres for the actual mining and an additional 3.7 acres for support activities. The initial phase of the project allows for removal of stone incidental to the construction of a 2,300-foot administrative road that meets the Game Commission's specifications. The agency intends to use the new administrative road to facilitate a planned timber sale, provide future access and other administrative functions. The administrative road will be completed by April 15, and stone removal will be limited to the immediate road corridor until such time as the road is complete.

Additionally, the reclamation and habitat enhancement plan will require Delaware Quarries to create several small vernal pond and wetland areas at locations designated by the Game Commission.

In exchange for the lease, Delaware Quarries will pay the Game Commission, on a monthly basis, a royalty rate of $5.50 or 12 percent of the then current F.O.B. pit price, whichever the greater, for every marketable ton of stone removed from the lease area. All royalty revenues generated from the proposed operation will be deposited directly into the Game Fund. The proposed lease has a potential royalty value of about $110,000.

The project will be regulated by the Commonwealth's Small Non-Coal Surface mining regulations and the Game Commission's standard lease agreement. The five-year lease will include the standard $10,000 performance bond and environmental protection measures.

In addition, the lease will include a wildlife habitat reclamation and re-vegetation plan developed by the agency's local Land Management Group Supervisor.

Created in 1895 as an independent state agency, the Game Commission is responsible for conserving and managing all wild birds and mammals in the Commonwealth, establishing hunting seasons and bag limits, enforcing hunting and trapping laws, and managing habitat on the 1.4 million acres of State Game Lands it has purchased over the years with hunting and furtaking license dollars to safeguard wildlife habitat. The agency also conducts numerous wildlife conservation programs for schools, civic organizations and sportsmen's clubs.

The Game Commission does not receive any general state taxpayer dollars for its annual operating budget. The agency is funded by license sales revenues; the state's share of the federal Pittman-Robertson program, which is an excise tax collected through the sale of sporting arms and ammunition; and monies from the sale of oil, gas, coal, timber and minerals derived from State Game Lands.

Note to Editors: If you would like to receive Game Commission news releases via e-mail, please send a note with your name, address, telephone number and the name of the organization you represent to: PGCNews@state.pa.us

http://www.pgc.state.pa.us

PA Game Commission

CONTACT: Jerry Feaser of PA Game Commission, +1-717-705-6541,PGCNews@state.pa.us

Web site: http://www.pgc.state.pa.us/

Source: PRNewswire

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