Relief is Coming, Maybe

[Outdoor Talk Network by Jim Slinsky]
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Relief is Coming, Maybe ©

By Jim Slinsky
07/07/07

Witnessing the workings of the PA legislature over the past sixteen weeks has truly been a life altering experience. Admittedly, my dealings were primarily with members of the House Game and Fisheries Committee (HGFC), but characterizing that committee’s performance as exemplary would not be an exaggeration. I have been impressed with their understanding, compassion and willingness to write legislation to address the ever-growing concerns of our sporting class.

The dedicated determination of our state representatives recently manifested itself in the passage of the Landowner Liability Protection Act. I watched this common sense legislation from its introduction by State Rep Harry Readshaw travel through the House and Senate Game and Fisheries Committees to unanimous passage by both Houses and a signature by the Governor. SR Ed Staback, Chairman of the HGFC and his staff must be commended for their efforts to pass a clean bill and resolve an enormous potential problem. No longer can landowners be held responsible to any degree for hunting accidents occurring on their property or adjoining properties. A bullet traveling miles from the one’s property will hold the shooter entirely responsible, not the landowner. A landmark piece of legislation and a legislature at its best, I’d say.

There have been other legislative success stories and so many emerging heroes this column doesn’t have the space to mention them all. SR Dan Surra’s legislation to shorten a PGC Commissioner term to four years is breakthrough legislation. It passed the House unanimously and sits in the Senate Game and Fisheries Committee awaiting consideration. Come September one can only speculate all eyes will be on the Senate. We shall see if the Senate has the resolve to address some of our long-standing problems dealing with the PGC.

SR Gary Haluska’s House Resolution to audit the PGC’s revenue producing resource potential passed unanimously, as well. Here we have an Agency with almost 1.5 million acres, yet totally undetermined resource extraction potential numbers. Maybe, we shall see the PGC doesn’t need a license increase for ten years or more if they managed their resources differently.

I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the courage of State Rep Sam Rohrer and his House Resolution to conduct a comprehensive audit of the PGC’s wildlife management programs. This one passed unanimously out of the HGFC, but not the full House, yet. Controversy has bombarded his effort. The Legislative Budget and Finance Committee is currently claiming funds are short to proceed. This is the audit that is on everyone’s mind. It will be hard to stop.

SR Dan Moul’s legislation to convert our deer management to independent, Citizen Advisory Boards is having difficulty getting out of Committee, but he is determined to get this on the floor for discussion. His legislation would allow each county to manage deer per their priorities and goals. If a farm county wants the deer dead, so be it. If a forested county wants to create recreation and economic impact from hunting, so be it. This one is intriguing.

SR Tim Mahoney’s legislation is certainly one to watch. SR Mahoney wants to set a minimum of ten deer per square mile for all state land. If deer numbers drop below ten, all doe hunting would cease. Let’s be honest, if you can’t get regeneration at ten, you obviously have a soil problem, not a deer problem. This one takes the maddening discretion of going to zero deer per square mile away from the DCNR and the PGC. Actually, SR Moul’s and SR Mahoney’s legislation could be intertwined.

Let no one be confused in this on-going saga. It is the Unified Sportsmen of PA that has displayed the determination and courage to come forward and work with our legislators to resolve the chaos. Not the PA Federation of Sportsmen’s Clubs or any other group has come forward to work on solutions for the future and security of hunting. It has been Dr. Charles Bolgiano and the Unified Sportsmen of PA doing the heavy lifting.

This fall will be interesting times in Harrisburg. The spotlight will be on our Senators to confirm the efforts of our Representatives. Losing these battles maybe the beginning of the end of hunting in PA. It also maybe the beginning of reshaping our Senate into a body of legislators more responsive to our sporting class.

Jim Slinsky is the host and producer of the “Outdoor Talk Network”, a nationally syndicated, outdoor-talk radio program. For a station near you or to contact Jim, visit his website at www.outdoortalknetwork.com.

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