PRINTER'S NO. 2162
No. 1667 Session of 2007
INTRODUCED BY MAHONEY, KULA, BELFANTI, CAPPELLI, CONKLIN,
CREIGHTON, GEORGE, GIBBONS, GINGRICH, HANNA, HARPER,
HORNAMAN, W. KELLER, KIRKLAND, PYLE, READSHAW, SIPTROTH AND
SOLOBAY, JUNE 29, 2007
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON GAME AND FISHERIES, JUNE 29, 2007
AN ACT
1 Amending Title 34 (Game) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated
2 Statutes, establishing citizen task forces for wildlife
3 management units; further providing for regulations of the
4 Pennsylvania Game Commission; and providing for deer
5 population on State game lands and for mandatory harvest
6 report cards.
7 The General Assembly finds and declares that:
8 (1) The Commonwealth has over 3.6 million acres of
9 public lands, which represent approximately 25% of all
10 forested land in this Commonwealth.
11 (2) The tradition of hunting on public land is deeply
12 rooted in many families across this Commonwealth, with about
13 40% of hunters using mostly public lands to hunt deer.
14 (3) Between 1993 and 2002, the antlered buck harvest has
15 decreased by 25% on public land, while private land has only
16 experienced an 11% decrease during that time period.
17 (4) Hunting in the United States generates $88 billion
18 in annual national and State tax revenue and creates nearly
19 6.5 million jobs.
1 (5) The revenue from hunting is a much needed boost to
2 rural economies in the present economic climate.
3 (6) Increasing the deer population on State game lands
4 and harvesting more deer on State game lands is better for
5 hunters and better for the sport.
6 (7) Fewer Pennsylvania hunting licenses are being sold
7 each year, and increasing deer on State game lands can
8 increase interest in the sport.
9 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
10 hereby enacts as follows:
11 Section 1. Title 34 of the Pennsylvania Consolidated
12 Statutes is amended by adding a section to read:
13 § 329. Citizen task forces for wildlife management units.
14 (a) Establishment.--The commission shall establish a citizen
15 task force for each wildlife management unit. A citizen task
16 force shall consist of farmers, foresters, hunters, landowners,
17 conservationists, representatives of the tourism industry and
18 motorists. The members of a citizen task force shall be selected
19 by the game warden of a wildlife management unit.
20 (b) Meetings.--
21 (1) The game warden of a wildlife management unit shall
22 convene at least two meetings each year of the citizen task
23 force in the wildlife management unit.
24 (2) At the meetings, the citizen task force shall
25 discuss the deer population in the wildlife management unit
26 and make suggestions and recommendations to the commission on
27 ways in which the deer population should be managed in that
28 wildlife management unit.
29 (3) The game warden shall forward the suggestions and
30 recommendations in writing to the commission.
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1 Section 2. Section 2102(b) of Title 34 is amended by adding
2 a paragraph to read:
3 § 2102. Regulations.
4 * * *
5 (b) Seasons, possession, bag limits and devices.--
6 * * *
7 (1.1) The commission may not promulgate any regulation
8 or enforce any existing regulation that imposes a limitation
9 on antlered deer in any wildlife management unit in excess of
10 two points to one antler or one antler of three inches in
11 length.
12 * * *
13 Section 3. Title 34 is amended by adding sections to read:
14 § 2104. Deer population on State game lands.
15 The commission shall adopt a policy to increase the deer
16 population on State game lands and shall submit an annual report
17 to the General Assembly that documents the results of the
18 policy.
19 § 2105. Mandatory harvest report cards.
20 The commission shall collect public and private data from
21 mandatory harvest report cards.
22 Section 4. Any regulation inconsistent with this act is
23 abrogated.
24 Section 5. This act shall take effect in 60 days.
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