Game Committee 04-13-06
Legislation: Hunting License Increase
HB 2600 - Bruce Smith: Amends Title 34 to increase the Adult Resident License from $19 to $29.
Also increases the cost of Junior, Senior, Senior Lifetime, Nonresident, Bear, Muzzleloader, and
Migratory Game Bird licenses. Added is a $10 Pheasant stamp and a $5 Turkey stamp. Revenues
from the Pheasant and Turkey stamps are to be used solely for operation of the two programs. This
legislation is expected to generate an additional $18 million annually.
Introduced into the Game and Fisheries Committee, 3-27-06, at a press conference.
The legislature should not earmark any revenues. It is job of the PGC to internally budget the
Pheasant and Turkey programs.
Rep. Smith said that the Junior license increase was a mistake and will be removed from the bill.
HB 2601 – Bruce Smith: Amends Title 34 to increase the Adult Resident License from $19 to $34.
All other provisions are the same as HB 2600.
Introduced into the Game and Fisheries Committee, 3-27-06.
This legislation was introduced in the event that a license increase is not enacted in a timely
manner, and the Game Commission’s financial condition worsens. There is anticipation that
some legislators will stonewall the license increase, under pressure from constituent sportsmen
over the PGC’s deer management plan.
HB 2602 – Bruce Smith: Amends Title 34 to provide for a Conservation stamp and fee.
Requires a hunting license holder, as well as any individual who goes upon the Gamelands,
to purchase a $20 Conservation stamp.
Introduced into the Game and Fisheries Committee, 3-27-06.
Rep. Smith explained that other states have similar programs, the Commission will look
to those states for guidance, and that the stamp would apply to anyone, including hunters,
horseback riders, and bird watchers.
Other states don’t have a separate Game Commission, and a unique Gameland system.
Conservation stamps would legitimize multi-use of the Gamelands, allowing so-called
stakeholders, with interests other than the consumptive and non-consumptive uses of
wildlife, to eventually influence Gameland policy.
Additionally, $20 is not enough to repair the damage caused by a horse or bicycle.
For hunters, this is simply an additional $20 license increase, by another name.
Game Committee 4/13/06 (2)
PGC News Release #033-06 March 21, 2006
GAME COMMISSION OFFERS TESTIMONY BEFORE HOUSE COMMITTEE ON STRATEGIC PLAN(excerpt)
HARRISBURG - Pennsylvania Game Commission Executive Director Carl G. Roe today presented the agency's testimony before the House Game and Fisheries Committee regarding the recently released Legislative Budget and Finance Committee (LBFC) triennial report on strategic planning in the Game Commission.
Roe noted that he believes the report, which was released to the House Game and Fisheries Committee today, provides the information the General Assembly needs to act on legislation that addresses the agency's funding challenges, which currently impede the agency's ability to fulfill its mission to manage and conserve the state's 465 species of wild birds and mammals, as well as their habitats, for all Pennsylvanians.
One of the LBFC's key findings pointed out: "While the PGC has continued to experience problems in operationalizing its Strategic Plan, the agency's financial condition represents its most significant near-term challenge. Despite expenditure cuts and ongoing cost-containment measures, the Commission is in need of a substantial revenue augmentation in order to stem the decline in the Game Fund balance and avoid further reductions in programs, services, and staff."
The 96-page LBFC report can be viewed at:
http://lbfc.legis.state.pa.us/factsheets/2006/379%20PGCStratPlan.pdf
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PGC News Release #032-06 March 16, 2006
GAME COMMISSION RELEASES 2005-06 DEER HARVEST ESTIMATES(excerpt)
HARRISBURG - Pennsylvania Game Commission officials today announced that the total deer harvest estimate for 2005-06 seasons is 354,390, down from the previous year's harvest estimate of 409,320. While the antlered harvest was similar to the previous year, the reduction in the antlerless deer harvest followed changes in antlerless license allocations, which were decreased in response to declining deer population trends in most Wildlife Management Units (WMUs). – continued -
Game Committee 4/13/06 (3)
"Going into the year, we expected WMU antlerless deer harvests to drop in most WMUs because the Board of Game Commissioners approved an overall antlerless deer license allocation that was down 15 percent from the previous year," said Carl Roe, Game Commission executive director. "For example, in WMU 2G, a 44 percent reduction in the unit's antlerless deer license allocation resulted in a 42 percent drop in the antlerless deer harvest. Most of the changes in the antlerless harvest can be accounted for by the change in antlerless allocations, and demonstrates the strong relationship between antlerless license allocations and harvests.
"Also, as general hunting license sales are down by five percent this year, it is unreasonable to expect the overall deer harvest would have increased."
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Secretary of Interior Announces Sporting Conservation Council
Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation (CSF) News Release – March 23, 2006 (excerpt)
Washington, DC: Secretary of the Interior Gale Norton once again demonstrated the Department of Interior’s strong commitment to the country’s hunting constituency today by announcing the formation of a new federal advisory Sporting Conservation Council. In doing so, Secretary Norton tapped CSF President Jeff Crane to serve on the Council, which will provide input to the Department on issues concerning the nation’s hunters.
“We wanted to find a way of institutionalizing the role of sportsmen and women in the decision-making process at Interior,” Interior Secretary Gale Norton said. “Now, for the first time, sportsmen and women will have an officially sanctioned committee to advise Interior on issues important to them and the country.…This new advisory council will provide a formal mechanism for the department to benefit from the expertise of sportsmen and women as well as become aware of their concerns as we develop federal policies.”
The panel, whose members will serve two-year terms without compensation, is to meet at least twice a year. Members may recommend policies or programs designed to maintain or restore wetlands, forest and rangeland habitats, as well as policies or programs that promote access to hunting and recreation on federal lands. The council will also advise the Interior Secretary about wildlife conservation endeavors that benefit hunting and wildlife resources and that encourage partnerships among members of the public, the sportsmen-conservation community, wildlife conservation groups and state and federal governments.
Also selected to serve on the Sporting Conservation Council are CSF Board Members Rob Keck, CEO of the National Wild Turkey Federation, and Robert Model, Chairman of the Boone and Crockett Club. They will serve alongside former CSF Board Member J. Dart, President and CEO of the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation. Others selected to serve include: John Baughman – International Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies, Dan Dessecker – Ruffed Grouse Society, Steve Mealey – Boone and Crockett Club, Jim Mosher – North American Grouse Partnership, Susan Recce – National Rifle Association, Merle Shepard – Safari Club International, Christine Thomas – Dean and Professor of Resources Management, University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point College of Natural Resources and John Tomke – Chairman of the Board of Ducks Unlimited, Inc.Game Committee 4/13/06 (4)
Secure Rural Schools Forest Service FY 2007 Initiative
US Forest Service -
The FY 2007 President's budget proposes to reauthorize the Secure Rural Schools program for another five years. To help fund this initiative, the Administration recommends selling a limited number of acres of National Forest System lands around the nation.
These parcels meet criteria identified in existing Forest Land Management plans as potentially suitable for conveyance. Many of these lands are isolated from other contiguous National Forest System lands, and because of their location, size or configuration are not efficient to manage as a component of the National Forest system. Isolated tracts can be expensive to manage because of boundary management and encroachment resolution costs.
Lands that are potentially eligible have been identified and are displayed in a table at the following link: http://www.fs.fed.us/land/staff/spd.html
This proposal affects about 300,000 acres (in 35 states) of the 193 million acre National Forest system. The approximately 3000 land parcels are mostly 30 to 100 acres in size. Some are a few hundred acres, and some a few acres. The Allegheny National Forest is not in this proposal.
The proposed sale is designed to compensate for lost timber revenues designated for rural schools. Forested counties receive 25% of all National Forest timber revenues, under a policy of sustainable multiple-use management. The Endangered Species Act, and lawsuits resulting from the National Environmental Policy Act have virtually stopped timbering in the National Forests.
Environmentalists oppose the sale, as land lost to their control.
Pro-hunting conservation groups are concerned about the further loss of wild game habitat and public hunting grounds.
Property Rights advocates support the measure as beneficial for the schools and the private sector. They also point out that government currently owns about half of all the land in America.
Maybe the newly formed Sporting Conservation Council could work to restore multiple-use management policy, in an attempt to relieve the environmental stranglehold on our National Forests. Logging can benefit wildlife when done responsibly.