Here is Melody's testimony at the January PGC Meeting-----


Pennsylvania Game Commission Meeting
January 27, 2008

Good afternoon President Boop, Commissioners, Executive Director Roe, staff and guests.  My name is Melody Zullinger and I am the Executive Director of the Pennsylvania Federation of Sportsmen’s Clubs (PFSC).  PFSC represents almost 100,000 sportsmen, women and conservationists.

We have a number of issues we would like to comment on today.

 Our members in the northwest have questioned why the duck/goose season is closed during the second week of the rifle deer season, and they have requested that you consider keeping it open that week; otherwise please provide us with the supporting data as to why it is closed.

 The recent court ruling with respect to the agency’s involvement in regulated shooting grounds is a matter that we are following closely; we hope that you will move cautiously as you address that issue, but perhaps this will allow for stronger regulations and enforcement of the inter and intra state movement of hogs for these regulated shooting grounds, as well as stronger regulations and enforcement against those who have hogs escape from their regulated shooting grounds.

 With respect to feral hogs, we have serious concerns that establishing season and bag regulations may create a mindset among hunters that these are game animals that are here to stay.  Your goal should be to eradicate these animals.  We support regulations allowing for incidental harvests by properly licensed hunters already in the field during the regular hunting seasons and hope the agency will continue to work in a cooperative manner with the PA Department of Agriculture and the US Department of Agriculture in their endeavor to eradicate feral hogs from Pennsylvania.  

 We are still receiving feedback from our members on the proposed boundary changes to the WMU’s.  Thus far, our feedback from Lehigh and Northampton County has been supportive of the change to shotgun only for rifle deer season; however feedback from Berks, Bucks and Beaver Counties has not been supportive of rolling them into the special regulation areas.  We will be following the comments and discussion and will forward our positions to you as things progress.

 With respect to the proposal to reduce the antlerless seasons in four WMU’s for the purposes of studying other alternatives, our Board agreed to support such a proposal at this time, provided it is justifiable and based on sound science.  Concerns were expressed about the timing of such a proposal, considering the Legislative Budget and Finance Committee is about to embark on an audit of the deer program methodology, not to mention the political pressure that has been applied regarding deer management and financial aid.  Some questioned what the potential impacts will be to current studies being conducted in those WMUs.  






From the beginning of this current deer management program, PFSC has for the most part, supported following the biologists’ recommendations when they were made based on sound scientific data and the parameters of healthy deer, healthy habitats, and deer human conflicts.  We have continued to ask for adjustments to be made when and where appropriate.  We trust that these proposed changes are from the biologists and are appropriate based on those parameters.  Since this is a tentative proposal for public comment, we look forward to reviewing the biologists’ proposal more in-depth and we will gather feedback from our members.  

 PFSC will continue to push for transfer of the Rockview State Penitentiary (Spring Creek Canyon) property to the PGC, and we ask for your continued support in making that transfer a reality.  It is unfortunate that the agency wasn’t allowed to testify at an October hearing of the State Government Committee concerning the transfer.  It is also unfortunate that the agency, under the current political atmosphere, is unable to fight publicly for this land; land to replace game lands lost to Penn State because of their sewage treatment facility.  This land should be protected for its pristine value and enjoyed by all, not sold to a private entity for a privileged few.  The PGC is the only entity that can provide the long-term protection merited.

 Once again we’d like to thank you and the agency for implementing the Mentored Youth Hunting program.  The stories and photos we are hearing and seeing are proof positive the program is a success.  We continue to ask that mentored youth hunters be given the opportunity to participate in the doe harvest as well, whether through some type of permitting process, or allowing the mentor to transfer his unused doe tag to the youth.  We are willing to work for a legislative fix if that is what’s necessary to accomplish this goal, but we wonder why a program similar to DMAP permits could not be implemented to do so.  We feel the current legislative language gives the agency flexibility in creating new programs for our mentored youth.

PFSC will continue to work in pursuit of increased funding for the agency, either through a license increase or alternative sources of funding.  We are disappointed and discouraged that the current legislative body appears to have little interest in taking their role of fiduciary oversight seriously, other than to use it as leverage for personal agendas or against agency policies.  It is the responsibility of the State Legislature and Governor’s Office to provide adequate funding for all state agencies so they may fulfill their mandated missions and objectives.  If the Game Commission or any other State Agency is not adequately funded, it is the sole fault of the Legislative Body of the Commonwealth.  While some may be patting themselves on the back thinking they are a friend of sportsmen for bringing the agency to its knees financially…well, does the word “merger” ring any bells?  We would ask that this Board again reiterate their opposition to any merger.

Legislative interference in resource management is a sad commentary on some of our elected officials, as well as those hunters encouraging it.  Allowing wildlife management to be controlled by politics or emotion based on personal desires over sound science will only bring us closer to allowing those with the most money or political clout to set all wildlife management regulations.  With dwindling numbers of hunters nationwide, we should all realize the dangerous consequences of setting such bad precedence.  One only needs to look to our neighbors in New Jersey for bad examples of politically controlled wildlife management.

Thank you for allowing us the time to testify here today.  As always, we look forward to our continued mutual working relationship with you for the betterment of our resources and outdoor heritage