The following news release contains two articles:

1) BOARD TAKES STEP TO EXPANDED MENTORED YOUTH OPPORTUNITIES
2) BOARD APPROVES ADDITIONAL URBAN DEER MANAGEMENT OPTION
3) BOARD TAKES OTHER ACTION


BOARD TAKES STEP TO EXPANDED MENTORED YOUTH OPPORTUNITIES
HARRISBURG - Taking a step forward to grow the agency's popular Mentored Youth Hunting Program (MYHP), the Pennsylvania Board of Game Commissioners today gave preliminary approval to add coyotes to the list of species that may be hunted by youths under the age of 12 while under the supervision of a mentor.  To take effect, the Board must approve the proposal at its next meeting, which is scheduled for Oct. 24.

The proposed regulatory change was recommended by the Governor's Advisory Council for Hunting, Fishing and Conservation and the Pennsylvania Fox and Coyote Hunters Association

Under the program, a mentor is defined as a properly licensed individual at least 21 years of age, who serves as a guide to a mentored youth while engaged in hunting or related activities, such as scouting, learning firearm and hunter safety and wildlife identification.  A mentored youth is defined as an unlicensed individual under the age of 12, who is accompanied by a mentor while engaged in hunting or related activities.

The mentor-to-mentored youth ratio may not exceed one mentor to one youth, and the pair may possess only one sporting arm while hunting.  While moving, the sporting arm must be carried by the mentor.  When the pair reaches a stationary hunting location, the mentor may turn over possession of the sporting arm to the youth and must keep the youth within arm's length at all times.

"As with other MYHP opportunities, mentored youth who choose to hunt for coyotes must do so from a stationary hunting location," said Carl G. Roe, Game Commission executive director.  

The MYHP, first implemented by the Board in 2006, also enables participating youth to hunt for squirrel, woodchuck (groundhog), spring gobbler and antlered deer.

Youth and mentors are required to abide by all fluorescent orange regulations, and the mentored youth must tag and report any antlered deer or spring gobbler taken.  Mentored youth may participate in the youth-only squirrel season and the youth-only spring gobbler day, as well as the general squirrel and spring gobbler seasons.

Youths participating in the Mentored Youth Hunting Program are required to follow the same antler restrictions as a junior license holder, which is two or more points on one antler or one antler three or more inches in length.  Mentored youth may only pursue antlered deer, and may only participate in seasons in which antlered deer are legal and must follow appropriate sporting arm restrictions.


BOARD APPROVES ADDITIONAL URBAN DEER MANAGEMENT OPTION
Continuing to implement recommendations of its Urban Deer Management Plan, the Pennsylvania Board of Game Commissioners today gave preliminary approval to a regulatory change to allow homeowners associations and nonprofit land-holding organizations to apply for a Deer Control Permit under the same process provided for political subdivisions, such as boroughs and townships.

"In developed landscapes, lower deer populations result in fewer deer human conflicts," said Carl G. Roe, Game Commission executive director.  "And, although we prefer to use hunting to manage deer populations, hunting is not always feasible in an urbanized setting due to safety zone restrictions.  We must, therefore, consider alternative herd reduction tools for communities to address their growing deer populations.

"Recognizing that urban deer issues do not always affect an entire township or borough, the Board is proposing to expand the list of authorized Deer Control Permit applicants to include homeowners associations and nonprofit land-holding companies.  This does not change the requirements of the review process, but it does make this tool available to more groups experiencing unacceptable levels of deer-human conflicts in developed areas."

The Board must approve the proposal at its next meeting, which is scheduled for Oct. 24, before it can take effect.


BOARD TAKES OTHER ACTION
In other action today, the Board of Game Commissioners:

- Gave final approval to hunting hour tables for the 2008-09 seasons;

- Gave final approval to a regulatory change to allow hunters in special regulation areas counties (Allegheny, Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery and Philadelphia) to harvest more than one deer at a time without first tagging previous harvested deer, provided all deer harvested are lawfully tagged immediately thereafter.  This change is part of the agency's continuing efforts to find solutions to the high deer-human conflicts in these urban counties.  For all other areas, hunters must continue to tag the first deer harvested before attempting to harvest a second.  This measure will take effect for the 2008-09 deer hunting seasons;

- Gave final approval to a measure to allow DMAP antlerless deer permit holders to hunt for antlerless deer on DMAP areas in WMUs 2D, 2G, 3C and 4B for the full two weeks of the regular firearms deer season, Dec. 1-13, similar to all other 18 WMUs.  The Board reiterated that the focus of DMAP is to allow landowners to direct additional hunting pressure on specific areas to meet that landowner's objectives. This measure will take effect for the 2008-09 deer hunting seasons;

- Gave preliminary approval to a series of technical changes to the agency's regulations governing those operating under a wildlife rehabilitation permit.  The Board must approve this measure at its Oct. 23-24 meeting before it takes effect;

- Gave preliminary approval to a series of technical changes to the agency's regulations governing those operating under a commercial wildlife pest control permit, which will be renamed nuisance wildlife control operator permit, consistent with industry standards.  Additionally, those who possess a nuisance wildlife control operator permit will be able to take a second test and become authorized to address nuisance deer situations. The Board must approve this measure at its Oct. 23-24 meeting before it takes effect; and

- Reaffirmed that the Board's next quarterly workshop and meeting will be held on Thursday and Friday, Oct. 23-24, at the Holiday Inn Meadowlands, 340 Racetrack Road in Washington, Washington County.  

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The following news release contains four articles:

1) BOARD APPROVES ADVANTAGEOUS AMENDMENT TO MINING LEASE
2) TWO LAND DONATIONS ACCEPTED BY BOARD
3) LAND EXCHANGES APPROVED BY BOARD
4) IN OTHER BUSINESS:

BOARD APPROVES ADVANTAGEOUS AMENDMENT TO MINING LEASE
HARRISBURG - The Pennsylvania Board of Game Commissioners today agreed to amend the agency's existing 159-acre mining lease on State Game Land (SGL) 75 with Fisher Mining Inc., of Montoursville.

The amended lease will permit Fisher Mining to remove coal from an additional 32.3 acres on SGL 75 in Pine Township, Lycoming County. The mining is expected to produce an estimated 311,490 tons of coal.

The advance royalty will be paid to the Game Commission upon final execution of the lease. In addition, the agency will assess and be reimbursed for all merchantable that is cut or impacted by this mining.

As part of this amended lease, Fisher Mining will reclaim 600 feet of abandoned high-wall on the Flatiron surface mine about 1,500 feet west of the leased area. The reclamation will eliminate an existing safety hazard on the SGL and create a five-acre herbaceous food plot.

All mining will be regulated the state's surface-mining regulations, and the agency's surface mining lease agreement. In addition, all proposed mining has been reviewed and approved in accordance with the state Department of Environmental Protection's surface mining regulations.  

Additionally, the Board reported that, by notational vote, it unanimously approved leasing 2,615 acres of SGL 75 in Pine Township, Lycoming County, to Chesapeake Appalachia LLC, of Charleston, West Virginia, for oil and gas development.

SGL 75 is comprised of 27,437.6 acres in Lycoming County


TWO LAND DONATIONS ACCEPTED BY BOARD
The Board of Game Commissioners today approved a land donation from Eugene and Nancy Dunlap, of Blairsville, of 20.7 acres near SGL 328 in Derry Township, Westmoreland County. The forested tract provides about 2,000 feet of shoreline along Conemaugh River.

SGL 328 currently is comprised of 516 acres in neighboring Indiana County.

The Board also approved the donation of a right-of-way about 400-feet by 20-feet in Penn Forest Township, Carbon County, that provides access to SGL 141 from State Route 1002. This donation, from John and Mary Enck, of Jim Thorpe, is an important acquisition because it allows the agency to perform important habitat work on a portion of SGL 141 that had become inaccessible. It also will provide public access to a new parking area that is planned.

SGL 141 is comprised of 17,047 acres in Carbon County.


LAND EXCHANGES APPROVED BY BOARD
The Board of Game Commissioners today approved a land exchange with Ann Higdon, of Cullowhee, North Carolina, that involves a 16-foot wide easement allowing access and utility support only - not subdivision, through 1,912 feet of SGL 82 in Northampton Township, Somerset County, in exchange for 11 acres adjacent to SGL 82.

The tract being transferred to the Game Commission is comprised of mature hardwoods with some hemlock. As part of the exchange, Higdon has agreed not to build any structures within 150 yards of her property's boundary with SGL 82, which is comprised of 6,760 acres in Somerset County.

In another land transaction, the Board agreed to a land exchange in which Steve Petersheim, of Gap, will receive a permanent easement over a portion of SGL 88 in Northeast Madison Township, Perry County, for eight forested acres adjacent to SGL 88, also in Northeast Madison Township. SGL 88 is comprised of 6,930 acres in Juniata and Perry counties.


IN OTHER BUSINESS:
In other action from the Bureau of Wildilfe Habitat Management, the Board took the following actions:

- Approved an extension in a deadline to allow Trout Unlimited more time complete construction of AMD ponds that were bankrolled by Growing Greener grant received from the state Department of Environmental Protection. The AMD ponds, being constructed on private property, would provide lasting environmental relief to Morgan Run and the watershed. The original agreement was approved Aug. 27, 2007, and called for Trout Unlimited to complete its work by June 30, 2008. The organization not could meet that deadline and sought an extension to Dec. 31, 2009, which the Board granted. In the original deal, Trout Unlimited provided a 68-acre interior parcel to SGL 158 in Reade Township, Cambria County in exchange a 50-foot by 1,000-foot parcel of SGL 51 in Dunbar Township, Fayette County.  SGL 51 is comprised of 16,700 acres in Fayette County; and

- Finalized two land acquisitions in Horton Township, Elk County, for two parcels - one 4,968 acres, another 1,555.6 acres - that adjoin or are near SGL 44. The lands were originally to be purchased with monies from the land exchange with Pennsylvania State University on SGL 176. However, since the timing of U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service approval for the deal may exceed the transaction closing date, other funds were approved - if needed - to complete the acquisitions.   Prior to the acquisitions, SGL 44 contained 24,854 acres in Elk and Jefferson counties.

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I'm happy to see moneys were found to make sure the two tracts of land in Elk will become part of SGL#44 !!

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Dr Trout wrote : - Reaffirmed that the Board's next quarterly workshop and meeting will be held on Thursday and Friday, Oct. 23-24, at the Holiday Inn Meadowlands, 340 Racetrack Road in Washington, Washington County.   #    #    #

For those that have attended one, which of the two days is the most interesting?  This meeting will be about 20 minutes from me and I am going to try to go to one of the two days.

I never attended a workshop, so I can't help ya on this one

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Dr Trout wrote : BOARD APPROVES ADDITIONAL URBAN DEER MANAGEMENT OPTION "In developed landscapes, lower deer populations result in fewer deer human conflicts," said Carl G. Roe, Game Commission executive director.  "And, although we prefer to use hunting to manage deer populations, hunting is not always feasible in an urbanized setting due to safety zone restrictions.  We must, therefore, consider alternative herd reduction tools for communities to address their growing deer populations.

As most know, I hunt alot in the SRA's of SW Pa.  For obvious reason it is extremely difficult to keep the deer herd in check, or as most agree, it continues to expand.

In an area were we cannot kill enough deer I have always questioned why we have AR's in the SRA's and why is the archery season not open from September 1 to Febuary 28 non-stop.

I can understand gun season being kept from expanding because of hunter/public conflict.

Heck they should even allow for 2 buck harvest in these areas.  If an area is overpopulated with deer shouldn't the goal be to kill deer first, buck or doe, and then when and if the population is reduced enough manage the herd as it does elswhere.