Pennsylvania Game Commission Posts 2008 Citizen Advisory Committee Reports; Agenda...

Pennsylvania Game Commission Posts 2008 Citizen Advisory Committee Reports;
Agenda for Board of Game Commission Meeting Posted

HARRISBURG, Pa., June 19 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- To provide more
information about its deer management public input process and challenges it
faces, the Pennsylvania Game Commission has posted on its website the final
reports from the five Citizen Advisory Committees (CAC) held in Wildlife
Management Units (WMUs) 2A, 4C, 4D, 4E, and 5A in 2008.

To view the most recent reports, as well as all previous CAC reports, go to
the Game Commission's website (www.pgc.state.pa.us), click on "Deer Program"
in the "Quick Clicks" box in the upper right-hand corner of the homepage,
choose "Opportunities for Citizen Input," and then scroll down to the bottom
of the page.

First employed in the Game Commission's deer management program in 2006, CACs
are part of the agency's ongoing effort to heighten public participation in
deer management. Comprised of stakeholders with varying interests in deer,
CACs provide a recommendation to agency wildlife management staff to increase,
decrease or stabilize the deer herd over the next five years. However, final
decisions are made by the Board of Game Commissioners, which also takes into
account impacts on forest habitat health, health and productivity of the deer
herd and deer-human conflicts.

"Citizen Advisory Committees cultivate community outreach, program
understanding and a commitment by the agency to increase regional involvement
in deer management decisions," said Carl G. Roe, Game Commission executive
director. "They provide members a chance to get involved and to see firsthand
the diverse interests, concerns and priorities that influence deer management
decisions. Most realize quickly this is a complex process that is anything but
cut-and-dried."

This year, CACs were used to develop population management recommendations for
WMU 2A, which consists of Greene County and parts of Allegheny, Beaver,
Fayette, Washington and Westmoreland counties; WMU 4C, comprising parts of
Berks, Carbon, Columbia, Dauphin, Lebanon, Lehigh, Luzerne and Schuylkill
counties; WMU 4D, comprising parts of Blair, Cambria, Centre, Clearfield,
Clinton, Huntingdon, Juniata, Lycoming, Mifflin, Snyder and Union counties;
WMU 4E, comprising Northumberland and Montour counties and parts of Columbia,
Dauphin, Lycoming, Luzerne, Schuylkill, Snyder and Union counties; and WMU 5A,
which consist of part of Adams, Cumberland, Franklin and York counties.

When developing their recommendations, CACs consider deer population trend
information in their respective WMUs, WMU-specific deer and forest habitat
health information, as well as solicited public feedback. They conclude their
work by making recommendations to allow deer numbers to increase, decrease or
remain the same. Biologists in the agency's Wildlife Management Bureau
consider that input when proposing antlerless deer license allocations to the
Board of Game Commissioners, who also receive the results of the CAC process.

The five-year recommendations varied significantly from one committee to the
next, illustrating both the differences in WMUs and in member interactions and
expectations. In WMU 2A, the committee recommended no change. In WMU 4E, the
committee recommended a 40 percent population increase. In WMU 5A, the
committee opted for a 12 percent population increase. Each of these
recommendations to stabilize or increase deer populations were incorporated by
the wildlife management staff in developing recommendations for the Board of
Game Commissioners.

However, in WMUs 4C and 4D, the agency's deer biologists chose not to follow
CAC recommendations, which were to increase the deer population by 20 and 15
percent, respectively. The primary reason for not following the
recommendations was that forest habitat health in both units currently is
considered "fair." Forest habitat health must improve and meet a specific
quantitative target for the Wildlife Management Bureau to recommend an
increase in the deer population. If this measure improves - and the deer and
forest habitat health measures are checked annually - then agency staff will
move to accommodate the CAC's desire to see the herd increase.

"We'd like to go along with every CAC recommendation," noted Jeannine Tardiff
Fleegle, a deer biologist with the agency's Wildlife Management Bureau. "But,
it's not that simple. We have to responsibly address all goals in the agency's
deer management program. Deer populations must be balanced with habitat to
ensure healthy forests and whitetail and wildlife populations and limit human
conflicts."

In 2009, CACs are scheduled to be held in five WMUs: WMU 1A, which consists of
Mercer and Lawrence counties and parts of Crawford, Venango, Butler, and
Beaver counties; WMU 2E, comprising parts of Jefferson, Indiana, Clearfield,
and Cambria counties; WMU 3A, comprising parts of McKean, Potter, Tioga, and
Bradford counties; WMU 4A, comprising Blair, Huntingdon, Bedford, Fulton, and
Franklin counties; and WMU 5B, which consist of part of Adams, Cumberland,
Dauphin, Lebanon, Berks, York, Lancaster, and Chester counties.

Information on how to volunteer for a CAC, as well as complete final reports
on each of the 10 CAC meetings held to date, has been posted on the agency's
website (www.pgc.state.pa.us). Click on "Deer Program" in the "Quick Clicks"
box in the upper right-hand corner of the homepage, and then choose
"Opportunities for Citizen Input."

AGENDA FOR BOARD OF GAME COMMISSION MEETING POSTED
The agenda for the Pennsylvania Board of Game Commissioners meeting, which is
slated for June 23-24, was posted on the agency's website
(www.pgc.state.pa.us) today, and can be viewed by clicking the "Next
Commissioners' Meeting" box toward the bottom of the homepage and then on the
agenda link.

The Board meeting will be held in the auditorium of the agency's Harrisburg
headquarters at 2001 Elmerton Ave., just off the Progress Avenue exit of
Interstate 81 in Harrisburg.

On Monday, June 23, beginning at 8:30 a.m., the Board will hear public
comments. Individuals interested in offering public testimony - limited to
five minutes - may begin to register at 7:45 a.m. on a first-come,
first-to-speak basis. At the completion of the public comment period, the
Board will receive various staff reports.

On Tuesday, June 24, beginning at 8:30 a.m., the Game Commission will take up
its prepared agenda. Doors open at 7:45 a.m.

Note to Editors: If you would like to receive Game Commission news releases
via e-mail, please send a note with your name, address, telephone number and
the name of the organization you represent to: PGCNews@state.pa.us

CONTACT: Jerry Feaser of the Pennsylvania Game Commission, +1-717-705-6541,
PGCNews@state.pa.us

SOURCE Pennsylvania Game Commission

Jerry Feaser of the Pennsylvania Game Commission, +1-717-705-6541,
PGCNews@state.pa.us