Audubon's Dr. Tim Schaeffer and one of 2 deer he harvested last season

The Senate Game and Fisheries Committee held hearings this week to examine deer management issues and receive the Pennsylvania Game Commission's annual report, according to Sen. Chuck McIlhinney (R-Bucks), Majority Chair of the Committee.

Sen. McIlhinney said that the hearings gave committee members an opportunity to gather information on the effect of deer management practices and get valuable feedback from interested parties.

"These hearings offer us an opportunity to learn more about how we are working to provide a healthy, sustainable deer herd across the Commonwealth," Sen. McIlhinney said. "Managing our deer population effectively is essential so our state can continue to provide a healthy habitat for deer and abundant opportunities for sportsmen."

Game Commission Report

Game Commission Executive Director Carl Roe said Pennsylvania has the second-most hunters in the nation and leads the nation in the number of days afield with 16.86 million days. Hunting is a $3 billion-a-year industry and generates $214 million in state and local taxes. Roe also reported that Pennsylvania had its safest hunting season in state history last year.

Video Blog: Carl Roe Presents Annual Report to Committee

"Habitat is a key life requisite for all wildlife and we continue to be concerned about encroachment on wildlife habitat,” said Roe. “As you are well aware, we are responsible for approximately 465 species; 429 birds and 66 mammals; with 22 threatened or endangered. Slowing the loss of wildlife habitat is critical to ensuring a future for many of our native species.

“(Through the) Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program we are putting 265,000 acres of habitat back on the ground,” said Roe. “We are almost finished the upper Susquehanna Basin CREP and will soon have over 200,000 acres of farm land planned and planted that covers both the lower and upper Susquehanna River basin. The other 65,000 acres are in the Ohio River basin where we have approximately 19,000 acres planned and planted. We should complete the CREP program over the next two to three years.

"Although we believe we manage our fiscal resources very responsibly, the expenses we cannot control continue to present a challenge,” said Roe. “The new state labor contract that went into effect on July 1, 2007 will increase our personnel costs by an additional $2 million the first year and at year four, 2010; the annual increase in cost will be around $9.5 million. The total increase in personnel costs over the life of the four-year contract is over $23 million.

"I do not want to dwell on the license cost issue, but the most common observer can see something is wrong when hunters from our neighboring states of New Jersey and Ohio can hunt as a non resident in Pennsylvania cheaper than they can as a resident in their home state.

‘The 2006-07 deer harvest was approximately 361,560 including 135, 290 bucks and 226,270 antlerless deer. Deer hunting continues to be a challenge in some areas, but reports are that deer are larger and antler restrictions are working,” said Roe. “As we revise the deer management plan this year, we are considering two new management goals; the first is to manage the deer herd to provide recreational opportunities and the second is to improve the public's knowledge and understanding about deer and the deer management program.

"There are many ways to enjoy the outdoors and the Pennsylvania Game Commission is here to help you connect with wildlife,” said Roe. “I am sure many of you have your own special wildlife moments and those in Pennsylvania are a large part due to the efforts of the men and women of the Game Commission. Our ability to provide those moments for the citizens of the Commonwealth is directly related to resources available to execute the necessary programs."

Roe added that the Game Commission would increase emphasis on communicating deer management information to hunters in the future.

A copy of the 2007 annual report is available online.

Audubon Pennsylvania

Dr. Timothy Schaeffer, Executive Director of Audubon Pennsylvania told the Committee there is broad scientific agreement that forests in many parts of Pennsylvania have been “decimated” by deer browsing and the Game Commission needs to base its deer management decisions on science, not emotion.

Video Blog: Dr. Tim Schaeffer Calls for Science, Not Emotion on Deer

“There is broad agreement within the scientific community that forests throughout Pennsylvania are still in a seriously degraded ecological condition as a result of high deer densities and impacts,” said Dr. Timothy Schaeffer. “It will take time and lower deer densities to fix these problems created by decades of attempting to satisfy the insatiable desire of some hunters for more deer than landowners, farmers, communities, and resource professionals want.”

Dr. Schaeffer pointed to studies done by the independent Forest Certification Council in 2004 and the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources in 2007 showing the overabundance of deer has decimated the diversity and sustainability of the forest habitat and wildlife.

“Balancing deer impacts with healthy forest ecosystems was ranked as the most important deer management goal for Pennsylvania by a stakeholder group formed by the Game Commission in 2002,” explained Dr. Schaeffer. “Independent public surveys also confirm that managing deer to promote healthy, sustainable forest ecosystems was the number one goal identified by the public generally and by hunters.”

Dr. Schaeffer noted the preliminary results of a study of the Game Commission’s Deer Management Assistance Program (DMAP) shows that hunters have failed to remove even 15 percent of the study population of antlerless deer in Northcentral Pennsylvania because the deer are moving to avoid hunters.

“The consequences of not managing our deer herd based on science is evident in a recent report issued by Audubon entitled, Common Birds in Decline,” said Dr. Schaeffer. “Here in the Commonwealth, we have seen a 62 percent drop in Wood Thrush numbers, and a 22 percent decline in Ruffed Grouse. Each of these species rely on habitats that have been irrefutably over-browsed by white-tailed deer outside of deer fences.”

Deer cause an estimated $90 million in crop losses and $70 million in forest damage each year, according to the Department of Agriculture, over $78 million in property damage from over 39,000 deer/vehicle collisions each year and are responsible for the dramatic increase in Lyme disease in the state, according to the Department of Health.

“The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania has a long history of confusing the deer management tool – hunters – with the deer management goal – that of meeting the public’s economic, health, and ecological needs and expectations for deer management,” said Dr. Schaeffer explaining, “We are sustainably killing more deer today than 20 years ago during a period many hunters today describe as the “good old days.

“Yet, once again there are proposals to go down the path of shortening antlerless seasons, reducing antlerless allocations, and turning hunters from deer managers operating in the public’s interests to recreationists exploiting a public resource,” said Dr. Schaeffer. “Most critics of the deer management program have not supported their arguments with credible science.”

Dr. Schaeffer cited a recent letter by Audubon Pennsylvania, the Pennsylvania Federation of Sportsmen’s Clubs and other hunting, agricultural, land management and conservation groups that urged the Game Commission to make decisions about the deer management program “in the public eye and informed by science rather than emotion.”

Unified Sportsmen

The Committee heard from four representatives of the Unified Sportsmen of Pennsylvania: N. Charles Bolgiano, Legislative Liaison, Stephen Mohr, President, Gregory Levengood, Chairman of the Board, and James Slinsky, Consultant to Unified.

The resenters made several recommendations to the Committee, including:

· Limiting Game Commission Board members to a four year term;

· Amend the Game law to require Commissioners to adhere not only to the scientific aspects of wildlife management, but also the social, economic and recreational aspects;

· Requiring the Governor’s Office, Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, the Governor’s Sportsmen’s Advisory Council on Hunting, Fishing and Conservation to distance themselves from the Game Commissioner selection/removal process;

· Develop a remediation program for forest soils severely impacted by acid rain to the point that forest regeneration cannot occur naturally and have the Game Commission and DCNR admit the real culprit impacting regeneration is not deer but acid rain; and

· Supports the Legislative Budget and Finance Committee audits of the deer management program and on the income derived from timber and mineral sales on Game Lands.

Video Blog: Sen. McIlhinney Asks Questions of Unified Sportsmen

Video of the entire hearing is available online.

Sen. McIlhinney (R-Bucks) serves as Majority Chair of the Committee and Sen. Fontana (D-Allegheny) serves as Minority Chair.

The House Game and Fisheries Committee meets on March 18 to consider House Resolution 642 (Levdansky-D-Allegheny) directing the Legislative Budget and Finance Committee to conduct an audit of the Game Commission’s deer management program.

NewsClips: State Bill on Game Commissioners Terms Concerns Some Sportsmen

Column: On Raising Hunting License Fee

Onorato: Deer Population Must Be Curbed

Wayne’s Mature Forests Showing Fewer Small Trees

PA Environment Digest Video Blog

On the Hill

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· On the Senate/House Agenda

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· You and Your Family Are Invited to a Special World Water Day Event on March 22

· Healthy Farms, Healthy Watersheds Event in the Capitol March 18

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· National Ag Day Student Essay Contest Winner From Lykens, PA

· Westmoreland County Envirothon Challenges High School Students

· Agriculture and Environment: Achieving Balance Conference June 2-3

· EPA Show Us Your Best Photo for Earth Day Contest

· Bald Eagle State Park Hosting Woodcock Festival March 28

· Celebrate Outdoor Heritage Month Starting April 4 in Somerset County

· Pirates Launch Greening Initiatives Program at PNC Park

· Study Helps Butler County Company Save $107,000 in Energy Costs – Video Blog

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· DEP Lauds Lebanon County, PPL Landfill Gas Project, Education Center

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· Join the DCED Planning Energy Trade Mission to South Africa

· Centre County Authority Gives Out Recycling Rebates

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In Memoriam

· Environmental Pioneer Dr. Paul Hess Passes

Spotlight

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Feature

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Grants & Awards

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3/14/2008