 |
| PGC To Consider Banning Foot Access During Hunting Seasons |
The agenda for the
January meeting of the Pennsylvania Game Commission is now available and
it contains some disturbing news for non-consumptive users of state
game lands. I firmly support non-consumptive users contributing to the
upkeep of the game lands by being required to have either a hunting
license or a use permit of equivalent cost, but if this goes through as
proposed everyone but hunters and trappers actually engaged in lawfully
hunting will be banned from the game lands from the last Saturday in
September until the third Saturday in January and from the second
Saturday in April until the last Saturday in May (Memorial Day
inclusive), except on Sundays or while lawfully engaged in hunting,
trapping or fishing.
This
differs from the agenda for the September meeting of the PGC in that
foot travel was not listed as a activity to be regulated as best as I
can tell.
Here is the proposed rule as published. To read it on the PGC Website click Here.
and then click on agenda which will give you the option to download the
pdf document on the entire agenda for the January meeting.
BUREAU OF WILDLIFE HABITAT MANAGEMENT
PROPOSED RULE MAKING
A. Amend 58 Pa. Code §§ 135.41 and
create Chapter 147, Subchapter AA.
Commentary: At the Board of
Commissioners meeting conducted on June 10, 2014, the Bureau of
Wildlife Habitat Management was directed to study the feasibility of
the Game Commission enacting a permit requirement for all game lands
secondary users who are not currently in possession of a valid
hunting or furtaking license. At the Commissioner’s Working Group
Meeting on August 11, 2014, a briefing and recommendation was
presented by the Bureau of Wildlife Habitat Management to require the
permit for those individuals that were utilizing designated trails on
State Game Lands for the purpose of bicycling, horseback riding and
snowmobiling. At the Commission Meeting on September 23, the proposed
rulemaking was tabled to allow for additional input from Commission
Staff. Based on those staff discussions and the public comments
received and in order to manage the game lands for its intended uses,
the following proposed rulemaking is being offered for Board
consideration. This proposal allows the agency to disseminate
information to the secondary users of game lands that do not purchase
a hunting or furtaking license (and therefore do not receive the
annual hunting and trapping digest) and to collect information from
these individuals to further protect and enhance the primary purposes
of hunting, trapping, and wildlife management on game lands.
CHAPTER 135. LANDS AND BUILDINGS
Subchapter C. STATE GAME LANDS
§ 135.41. State game lands.
* * * * *
(c) Additional prohibitions. In
addition to the prohibitions contained in the act pertaining to State
game lands and § 135.2, except with the written permission of the
Director, it is unlawful to:
* * * * *
(5) [Ride] Hike on foot or ride a
nonmotorized vehicle, conveyance or animal from the last Saturday in
September until the third Saturday in January, and [before 1p.m.]
from the second Saturday in April through [the last Saturday in May]
Memorial Day inclusive, except on Sundays or while lawfully engaged
in hunting, trapping or fishing.
* * * * *
(23) Ride on designated bike trails,
snowmobile trails or horse trails or hike on foot on any lands or
waters designated as State game lands, unless the person is in
possession of a valid hunting or furtaker license or a valid SGL
permit signed by its holder. This provision shall not be construed to
apply to: (i) Persons 15 years of age or younger or up to one person
accompanying another person in possession of a valid Pennsylvania
hunting or furtaking license or a Commission-issued trail permit.
(ii) Persons using the Appalachian
Trail, Laurel Highlands Trail, Horse-Shoe Trail, rails-to-trails or
other trails on State game lands under current written agreement or
other formal legal authorization permitting such use.
CHAPTER 147. SPECIAL PERMITS
Subchapter AA. STATE GAME LANDS TRAIL
PERMIT
§ 147.1021. Purpose and scope.
This subchapter provides for trail
permits to be issued to eligible persons to authorize their holders
to ride on designated bike trails, snowmobile trails or horse trails
or hike on foot on lands and waters designated as State game lands.
§ 147.1022. Eligibility and
application.
(a) Trail permits will only be issued
to persons 16 years of age or older who do not possess a valid
Pennsylvania hunting or furtaker license.
(b) Applications for trail permits
issued under this subchapter shall be made on a form provided by the
Commission.
(c) Applications must include the name
and contact information of the permit applicant.
(d) There is no fee for a trail permit.
§ 147.1023. Trail permit.
(a) A trail permit issued under this
subchapter authorizes the permittee to ride on designated bike
trails, snowmobile trails or horse trails or hike on foot on lands
and waters designated as State game lands.
(b) Permittees shall utilize designated
bike trails, snowmobile trails or horse trails or hike on foot on
lands and waters designated as State game lands in a manner
consistent with applicable requirements, conditions and restrictions
provided for in the act and §§ 135.2 and
135.41 (relating to unlawful actions
and State game lands).
§ 147.687. Sunset clause.
The provisions of this
subchapter shall become effective July 1, 2015 and shall expire and be
rendered void on June 30, 2018, unless the Commission further authorizes
their legal effectiveness prior to this termination date.
Originally published at Pennsylvania Wildlife Photographer by Willard Hill.
5 comments:
Those who want to have their opinions heard can send comments to pgccomments@pa.gov to be shared with the board. However, do it quickly, as they meet on January 25. This would really affect photographers, bird watchers, hikers, and all nature lovers. Offer to pay for a non-hunting use permit, etc. Losing access to State Game Lands for nearly half the year would hurt many of us.
A user fee to contribute to the management and acquisition of State Game Lands would be very appropriate. But to close SGLs to everyone but hunters and trappers for almost half the year is something else entirely.
If the PGC wants to turn a horde of non-hunters into anti-hunters and as a bonus get a lot of additional land posted against hunting this is the way to do it. It's hard to think of a better way to get bad PR for the agency, but I'm sure they could come up with some if they tried.
It was bad enough that non-consumptive users must pay a usage fee when they do not alter the ecosystem in any way and do not require services necessitated by hunters and trappers but now you wish to ban these taxpayers? This is an ugly attempt to take advantage of the perceived fact that non-consumptive users are not as organized nor as influential as the above-cited groups. Bad move. You will find that you are wrong and that non-consumptive use of State lands is both beneficial and desirable. Do not pass further restrictions.
I'm sorry, Rhonda Buttacavoli, but your very presence in nature alters the ecosystem. Parking your vehicle and walking the trails has an effect on the terrain. Most days when I am hunting, I don't do much more than park the vehicle and walk the trails.
With that said, I will be sending an email asking the PGC not to make this policy change.
I would suggest a more radical change: Change the PA Game Commission to the PA Wildlife Commission to reflect the growing use of wildlife for non-consumptive purposes. I would support then a modest license for non-consumptive use. I think it should be less than the price of hunting licenses, because hunting requires a lot of expenses that non-consumptive use does not-- wardens/enforcement, herd management, etc.
Post a Comment