1/12/2007
Forwarded:
YOUR IMMEDIATE HELP IS NEEDED!
The vote on S1 is scheduled for next week.
The very first bill introduced in the U.S. Senate this session is S1 - "The
Legislative Transparency and Accountability Act of 2007." One would assume
that this would regulate the ethical actions of our elected officials,
especially as related to lobbyists. Much of the bill does just that - but
Section 220 goes after "grassroots lobbying." By definition within the
bill, these are groups that "attempt to influence" more than 500 members of
the general public on legislative actions. In other words, these groups put
out alerts about issues being debated in Congress and upcoming votes to more
than 500 people and ask their constituents to call their legislators. (Much
like this very e-mail!) These are organizations and churches that speak for
the grassroots. Such groups will be forced to register with the government
and provide numerous quarterly reports. Clearly, most small grassroots
groups do not have the money or staff to meet these requirements. And
failure to submit the reports could result in huge fines.
For those who are interested, here is a link to S1.
http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c110:S.1:
Here is a link to an article from "citizenlink."
http://www.citizenlink.org/CLtopstories/A000003607.cfm
Sen. Robert Bennett of Utah, a co-sponsor of S1, has written an amendment to
strip these provisions from S1.
In order to preserve the First Amendment right of all Americans to voice
their opinions to their elected officials,
we are joining other organizations in
asking you to call or e-mail Pennsylvania's two senators.
Ask Sen. Specter and Sen. Casey to support the Bennett Amendment to S1.
Senator Arlen Specter
Phone: 202-224-4254
Use webform at
<http://specter.senate.gov/index.cfm?FuseAction=ContactInfo.Home>
Senator Bob Casey, Jr.
Phone: 202-224-6324
Fax: 202-228-0604
E-mail form: http://casey.senate.gov/contact.cfm
Thank you for your ongoing support of the rights of small grassroots
groups.
Ruth Baker
*******
AGENDA POSTED FOR FISH &
BOAT COMMISSION WINTER MEETING
|
January 11, 2007
|
 |
| The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat
Commission (PFBC) will hold its winter quarterly meeting January 22-23 at
agency headquarters, 1601 Elmerton Avenue in Harrisburg.Commission
committees will meet beginning at approximately 9:45 a.m. onMonday, January
22, and again at 8 a.m on Tuesday, January 23. The fullCommission will meet
for formal consideration of the agenda beginningat 1 p.m. on Tuesday. All
committee meetings and the review of theagenda are open to the public and
attendance is encouraged.
Among the items to be considered at the meeting are grant applications as
part of the Commission’s
Boating Facility Grant Programand acquisition of a 19-acre parcel of
land in Fairview Township, ErieCounty. The potential acquisition, which
includes 900 feet of streamfrontage along Walnut Creek, a popular steelhead
fishing destination,is proposed to be funded from a special account funded
by the sale ofLake Erie Fishing Permits. Proposals that would expand
existingregulations that mandate lifejacket use to certain small boats
willalso be discussed. A proposed prohibition on transporting live fish
outof the Lake Erie drainage will be introduced.
A complete agenda for the meeting and schedule of events can be found on
the
Agendas & Minutes section of the Commission’s web site. |
|
|
| RELATED |
*******
Release #03-07
Jan. 11, 2007
For Information Contact:
Jerry Feaser
717-705-6541
PGCNEWS@state.pa.us
The following news release contains two articles:
1) GAME COMMISSION OFFICIALS TO APPEAR ON PCN "CALL-IN" PROGRAM
2) GAME COMMISSION POSTS AGENDA FOR JANUARY MEETING ON WEBSITE
GAME COMMISSION OFFICIALS TO APPEAR ON PCN "CALL-IN" PROGRAM
HARRISBURG - Pennsylvania Game Commission officials - Dr. Christopher Rosenberry,
Deer Management Section Supervisor, and Jerry Feaser, press secretary - will
appear on Pennsylvania Cable Network's "PCN Call-In" program on Thursday, Jan.
25, at 7 p.m. Viewers of the hour-long program can call in questions to PCN
toll-free at 1-877-PA65001 (726-5001). (Please check local listings for the PCN
channel in your area.)
The call-in program, which is facilitated by PCN staff, will come just two days
after the Board of Game Commissioners holds its annual January meeting, Jan.
21-23.
Available on nearly 150 cable systems throughout the state, PCN is a nonprofit,
nonpartisan cable television network that airs unedited live and same-day
coverage of Pennsylvania House and Senate sessions, press conferences, speeches
and other public forums where the business of the state is debated, discussed,
and decided.
PCN's live interactive "Call-In" program allows viewers to speak directly with
government officials, newsmakers, and other knowledgeable parties on current
Commonwealth issues. For more information, visit PCN's website (www.pcntv.com).
Created in 1895 as an independent state agency, the Game Commission is
responsible for conserving and managing all wild birds and mammals in the
Commonwealth, establishing hunting seasons and bag limits, enforcing hunting and
trapping laws, and managing habitat on the 1.4 million acres of State Game Lands
it has purchased over the years with hunting and furtaking license dollars to
safeguard wildlife habitat. The agency also conducts numerous wildlife
conservation programs for schools, civic organizations and sportsmen's clubs.
The Game Commission does not receive any general state taxpayer dollars for its
annual operating budget. The agency is funded by license sales revenues; the
state's share of the federal Pittman-Robertson program, which is an excise tax
collected through the sale of sporting arms and ammunition; and monies from the
sale of oil, gas, coal, timber and minerals derived from State Game Lands.
GAME COMMISSION POSTS AGENDA FOR JANUARY MEETING ON WEBSITE
The agenda for the Pennsylvania Board of Game Commissioners meeting, which is
slated for Jan. 21-23, was posted on the agency's website today, and can be
viewed by clicking the "Next Commissioners' Meeting" box in the center of the
homepage and then on the agenda link.
The Board meeting will be held in the auditorium of the agency's Harrisburg
headquarters to collect additional recommendations on the 2007-08 seasons and
bag limits, and to conduct a workshop and formal meeting. The headquarters is
at 2001 Elmerton Ave., just off the Progress Avenue exit of Interstate 81 in
Harrisburg.
On Sunday, Jan. 21, beginning at 1 p.m., the Board will hear public
recommendations for 2007-08 hunting and furtaking seasons and bag limits. Doors
will open at noon. Individuals interested in offering public testimony -
limited to five minutes -- may begin to register at noon on a first-come,
first-to-speak basis.
On Monday, Jan. 22, the Board will gather any additional public comments and
hear Game Commission staff reports beginning at 8:30 a.m. Doors open at 7:45
a.m. Registration for those interested in offering public testimony - limited
to five minutes - also will begin at that time.
On Tuesday, Jan. 23, beginning at 8:30 a.m., the Game Commission will take up
its prepared agenda to, among other things, give preliminary approval to hunting
and trapping seasons and bag limits for 2007-08. Doors open at 7:45 a.m.
Antlerless deer license allocations for the 2007-08 seasons will be presented
for the Board to consider at its meeting in April. Harvest results from the
2006-07 deer seasons will be announced in mid-March.
Dates for the Board's April, June and October 2007 meetings, and for the January
2008 meeting, will be set by the Board as well.
"In the past, we printed and mailed copies of the agenda to 130 sportsmen's club
representatives, outdoor writers and legislators," said Carl G. Roe, Game
Commission executive director. "However, in our ongoing efforts to cut
operational costs, we have decided that it would be better to post this
information on our website providing a wider and more uniform distribution,
while saving money for important conservation work."
A limited number of copies of the agenda, which is 56 pages, will be made
available to those who attend the meeting.
Once the January meeting ends, Roe also noted that a copy of the January meeting
minutes will be posted on the website as soon as they are transcribed, which
generally takes between two to three weeks. Previous meeting minutes are posted
on the website (www.pgc.state.pa.us)
in the "Reports" section of the homepage.
"Posting the minutes on the website allows us to cut the costs of printing and
mailing copies of this document, which averages around 140 double-sided pages,
and reach a wider audience," Roe said. "It's a cost-savings move that makes
Game Commission actions and decisions more accessible to the public."
Created in 1895 as an independent state agency, the Game Commission is
responsible for conserving and managing all wild birds and mammals in the
Commonwealth, establishing hunting seasons and bag limits, enforcing hunting and
trapping laws, and managing habitat on the 1.4 million acres of State Game Lands
it has purchased over the years with hunting and furtaking license dollars to
safeguard wildlife habitat. The agency also conducts numerous wildlife
conservation programs for schools, civic organizations and sportsmen's clubs.
The Game Commission does not receive any general state taxpayer dollars for its
annual operating budget. The agency is funded by license sales revenues; the
state's share of the federal Pittman-Robertson program, which is an excise tax
collected through the sale of sporting arms and ammunition; and monies from the
sale of oil, gas, coal, timber and minerals derived from State Game Lands.
# # #
1/10/2007
We knew they wouldn't waste any time...
Note: Although I don't have confirmation, word is
that Rep. Caltagirone (Berks) will be the next majority chairman of the
Judiciary Committee. His voting record on gun issues has been somewhat "inconsistant"
in the past.
Also see the memo from new Rep. King (Bucks)
below. His position on gun issues was "un-known"....but his press release
pretty much shows which side he will be on.
Political leaders from southeastern
Pennsylvania are making an announcement this morning about crime and gun
violence. The event is headlined by Rep. Dwight Evans, a Democrat running for
mayor of Philadelphia. Rep. Mike Gerber (D-Montgomery), State Rep. Josh
Shapiro (D-Montgomery), Allentown Mayor Ed Pawlowski, and other leaders are
expected to attend the event, which was scheduled for 10:00 a.m. in the Fourth
Floor Caucus Room of City Hall in Philadelphia.
|
FOR
IMMEDIATE RELEASE
|
|
|
CONTACT:
Johnna A. Pro
Phone: 717-783-1540
Cell: 717-418-3749
Email: jpro@pahouse.net
Barbara
Fellencer
Phone: 717-772-3353
Email:
bfellenc@pahouse.net
|
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DWIGHT EVANS, LOCAL
LAWMAKERS ANNOUNCE 2007 CRIME PACKAGE
Legislators, Mayors
optimistic about common sense strategies to reduce violence
PHILADELPHIA (Jan. 10, 2007) --- State Rep. Dwight
Evans, legislators from the Southeast and local mayors today pledged to join
forces in a unified effort to pass legislation that will strengthen
Pennsylvania laws and curb increased violence statewide associated with
illegal guns and drugs.
“Today I am here to announce that this group of
legislators, and others who could not be here, are resubmitting 13 bills that
will make Pennsylvania a model state in terms of gun policies. This is
legislation will help local officials make their communities safe places where
education, commerce and culture can thrive,” said Evans, a leading voice in
the legislature on the issue of guns, crime and violence. “Common sense gun
policies can be enacted without infringing on the rights of law-abiding
hunters and sportsmen. But it’s time to admit we need to give police and
prosecutors more tools to fight violent crime.”
The timing of the announcement follows increasing
concern in the public about rising levels of violence and the release of an
editorial by the Delaware County Times which on Jan. 4, said the legislature
should start a new session of reform and effective government by “…tackling
the scourge that is ravaging our streets – gun violence.”
Joining Evans at Philadelphia City Hall for the
announcement were Philadelphia Delegation Chair
Jewell Williams and locally elected city officials; suburban legislators and
Allentown Mayor Ed Pawlowski.
Pawlowski called said
the crime package is comprised of “common sense, practical laws.”
“Crime is affecting cities throughout
Pennsylvania,” said Pawlowski, who is active with
the Pennsylvania League of Cities and Municipalities and represented its
member mayors. The organization has been on the forefront supporting common
sense gun legislation.
“Guns.
Gangs. Drugs,” Pawlowski
said. “You mix those together and you have problems.”
The package of 13 bills includes measures that
would:
*limit handgun purchases to one per month;
*ban the sale of military style assault weapons
*give police and prosecutors new tools for
investigating crimes;
*increase bail and sentencing for violent crimes
and for repeat offenders;
*allow communities to enact their own gun laws;
and
*require gun owners to file police reports when
their guns are lost or stolen.
All of the bills have been in the legislature
previously, but it was not until recently that they had any measurable amount
of support.
Evans said that with more than 50 new members in
the House, intense pressure from the public and the backing of Gov. Edward G.
Rendell, support for common sense gun policy is growing. In the past,
conservative lawmakers and special interest groups have managed to stop even a
discussion on such legislation.
In September, though, largely due to the efforts
of Evans and the members of the Philadelphia caucus, Republican lawmakers, who
then controlled the flow of legislation, agreed to an unprecedented special
session devoted to debating crime bills. The session ran an unexpected three
days and resulted in lawmakers signaling support for funding more police
statewide, expanding social programs and other prevention strategies; and
strengthening some laws.
The key pieces of legislation, though, which are
among those in the package being reintroduced, still fell short of support in
the House.
State Rep. Thomas Caltagirone,
D-Berks, chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, said the new bills will
move to the floor quickly for debate.
“I have made a commitment to Dwight that this
legislation will be dealt with,” Caltagirone said.
“It’s the right time. It’s the right thing to do.”
Rep. Michael Gerber, D-Montgomery, who is among
suburban legislators backing the bills, said he’s confident about the support
from several levels of government, especially fellow House members.
“Last year, when we started this campaign for
safer and more secure neighborhoods, there were skeptics who viewed our
efforts as mere election time politics. The fact is we were not playing
politics and we are determined to keep guns off of our streets,” Gerber said.
“There is another important aspect of what we are doing that transcends our
efforts to reduce gun violence. Over the course of history, suburban and city
legislators failed to work together. They were divided by geography, by race
and by party. Our continued effort to curb gun violence shows we are serious
about breaking down those barriers, governing cooperatively and addressing
other critical regional issues such as mass transit, homeland security and
sprawl.”
Others attending the
news conference include: Mark Cohen, Harold James,
Babette Josephs, William Keller, Mike O’Brien, Cherelle Parker, Tony
Payton, Jr., John Sabatina, all D-Philadelphia;
John Galloway and Chris King, both D-Bucks; Bryan Lentz, D-Delaware and Rick
Taylor, D-Montgomery.
-30-
Memo from Rep. Evans to Legislators on
their "public safety package" of bills to be introduced:
TO: All House Members
FROM: Representative Dwight Evans Representative John Myers
Representative Cherelle Parker Representative Harold James Representative
Jewel Williams Representative Dan Frankel
DATE: January 9, 2007
RE: Co-Sponsorship of Public Safety Legislative Package
We plan to reintroduce legislation from the
2005/06 session in a public safety package. This 13-bill package will go a
long way toward ensuring the security and safety of the citizens of the
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Each bill is described below. If you would like
to co-sponsor any of the bills, please contact Lisa Fraelich in Rep. Dwight
Evan’s Harrisburg office at 717-783-1540 or
lfraelich@pahouse.net and let her know the bills in which you are
interested in co-sponsoring.
Thank you.
#1) Exceptions to the state preemption on local
firearm regulation (HB 2483 in 2005/06 Session)
(Sponsor: D. Evans)
This bill will amend Title 18 (Crimes and
Offenses) and Title 53 (Municipalities Generally) to soften, not eliminate,
the state preemption on local firearm regulation, by allowing local government
to enact specified exceptions to the preemption. It would also give more
latitude to the city of Philadelphia than to other jurisdictions. Changes in
local law must have local voter approval. The voters in the City of
Philadelphia voted in a referendum in May 2005 by a margin of more than 4-to-1
to allow Philadelphia to create its own firearm laws and regulations.
#2) Armed Violent Career Criminal Statute (HB 1198
in 2005/06 Session)
(Sponsor: D. Evans)
This bill will amend Title 18 (Crimes and
Offenses) to create a mandatory five year sentence for a person who had two
prior convictions for a serious crime of violence or a serious drug
trafficking offense and that person subsequently is convicted of possessing,
using, selling, controlling, transferring, or manufacturing a firearm. The
bill would also create a ten year mandatory sentence for a person who has
three or more prior convictions for serious crimes of violence or serious drug
trafficking and that person is subsequently convicted of possessing, using,
controlling, selling, transferring or manufacturing a firearm. It targets
dangerous and repeat offenders and increases the penalties to keep them off
the streets longer.
#3) Firearms storage requirement (HB 17 in 2005/06
Session)
(Sponsor: D. Evans)
This bill (introduced by Representative Rooney in
the last session) will amend Title 18 (Crimes and Offenses) to require the
safe storage—trigger locks and locked boxes—of firearms on premises with
minors to prevent access to the minor without the parent’s or guardian’s
knowledge. It can only be enforced if a crime with the firearm occurs.
Retailers would be required to notify customers of these requirements, and of
the existence of firelock mechanisms.
#4) Bail amounts for offenses involving firearms (HB
2916 in 2005/06 Session)
(Sponsor: James)
The bill will amend Title 42 (Judiciary and
Judicial Procedure) to impose a minimum bail amount for individuals charged
with offenses in which a firearm was used or displayed. Specifically, the
amount set could not be less than $50,000 unless special circumstances are
presented. By imposing a minimum bail amount for individuals charged with
offenses in which a firearm was used or displayed, it should help to keep some
violent criminals off the streets and therefore limit their opportunity to
commit further crimes. In addition, it could serve as a deterrent to
potentially violent criminals who would then know if they are apprehended,
their bail amounts will be set high, making it more difficult for them to be
out on bail before their trial begins.
#5) Statewide one handgun a month limit (HB 871 in
2005/06 Session)
(Sponsor: Myers)
This bill amends Title 18 (Crimes and Offenses) to
create a statewide limit on the purchase of handguns to no more than one in
any thirty day period. Exceptions include licensed dealers, collectors, and
appropriate law enforcement and security personnel. Revenues from the fines
would be dedicated to violence prevention programs and for grants to law
enforcement agencies. The legislation will provide a way to address the issue
of straw purchases, which occurs when someone legally purchases a gun, then
sells or gives it to someone else, particularly someone who could not legally
purchase a gun.
#6) Philadelphia one handgun a month limit (HB 872
in 2005/06 Session)
(Sponsor: Myers)
This bill amends Title 18 (Crimes and Offenses)
and Title 53 (Municipalities Generally) to enable the City of Philadelphia to
enact an ordinance limiting the sale of handguns to no more than one per
thirty day period. An ordinance adopted pursuant to this legislation would
not become effective until it was approved by a voter referendum.
#7) Mandatory tracing of recovered firearms from
minors (HB 873 in 2005/06 Session)
(Sponsor: Myers)
This bill amends Title 18 (Crimes and Offenses) to
mandate that police departments utilize the National Tracing Center of Federal
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms for any firearm recovered from anyone
under the age of 21 who was illegally in possession of the firearm. It will
provide information to law enforcement so they can understand how guns are
getting illegally into the hands of youth. This is a tool for law enforcement.
#8) Philadelphia assault weapons ban—(HB 874 in
2005/2006 Session)
(Sponsor: Myers)
This bill will amend Title 18 (Crimes and
Offenses) and Title 53 (Municipalities Generally) to enable the City of
Philadelphia to enact an ordinance limiting the sale and ownership of assault
weapons, pending approval of the voters. The reason is obvious. These weapons
are made to “efficiently” kill many people and are used by the military for
purposes of war. Who needs to keep these weapons? You can’t use them to shoot
deer. These are not weapons that hunters use. You can’t use them for personal
defense. Our police put their lives on the line everyday. Do we want them to
face down offenders holding these weapons?
#9) Disclosures of grand jury matters (HB 2735 in
2005/06 Session)
(Sponsor: Parker)
This bill will amend Title 42 (Judiciary and
Judicial Procedure) to create a first degree misdemeanor for individuals
disclosing grand jury matters, including testimony, with the intent to
intimidate a witness, retaliate against a witness, victim or prosecutor, or
tampering with jurors. This proposal would provide protection for a witness,
juror, or prosecutor who is involved in grand jury matters. In the case of
witnesses, they would be more likely to cooperate and agree to serve as a
witness in the trial, with less fear that they will be intimidated.
#10) Witness relocation (HB 2736 in 2005/06
Session)
(Sponsor: Parker)
This bill will amend Title 44 (Law and Justice) to
create in statute (formalize) a state witness relocation program within the
Office of the Attorney General. Currently the witness relocation program is
housed in the Attorney General’s Office, but is not established by statute. By
codifying the program, it is assured to exist, regardless of changes in
Administration or Administration priorities. The General Fund Budget currently
includes a $1 million annual appropriation.
#11) Illegal possession of firearms (HB 954 in
2005/06 Session)
(Sponsor: Williams)
This bill will amend Title 18 (Crimes and
Offenses) to provide that a person, who has been convicted of a felony
offense, relating to firearms not to be carried without a license or relating
to carrying firearms on public streets or public property in Philadelphia,
would be prohibited from possessing a firearm in the Commonwealth. Under
current law, serious criminals are prohibited from owning or possessing
firearms. This proposal would recognize the seriousness of those criminals who
have firearm violations. The penalty is raised on those individuals
statutorily ineligible to carry a firearm if they are caught violating state
law by walking around or brandishing a gun on the streets of Philadelphia.
#12) Require the reporting of lost or stolen
firearms (HB 1013 in 2005/06 Session)
(Sponsor: Williams)
This bill will amend Title 18 (Crimes and
Offenses) to require gun owners to report lost or stolen firearms within 24
hours of discovering the gun missing or face a penalty that includes fines
and/or jail time. The legislation provides a way to address the issue of straw
purchases. As it stands now, police and prosecutors are finding repeated
instances of people purchasing guns legally, then giving or selling them to
someone ineligible to own a gun. If gun is used in a crime and then traced to
the original buyer, that original buyer simply says it was lost or stolen,
even though no report was filed. With this law in place, police and
prosecutors in the short term will have a tool to use in determining who had
the gun when a crime was committed. In the long term, the hope is that people
will stop buying guns legally then turning them over to others illegally if
they know they themselves can face a penalty.
#13) Statewide assault weapons ban (HB 764 in
2005/06 Session)
(Sponsor: Frankel)
Representative Frankel’s bill establishing a
statewide assault weapons ban, for which you should have received a separate
co-sponsorship memo, will be included in this package of bills. Please contact
his office if you are interested in co-sponsoring his bill.
**********
|
FOR
IMMEDIATE RELEASE
|
CONTACT: Nicole Reigelman
House Democratic Communications Office
Phone: 717-787-7895
Fax: 717-783-6839
Email:
nreigelm@pahouse.net
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King joins
colleagues in speaking against violence
PHILADELPHIA, Jan. 10 –
Alarmed by the staggering
rise in violent crime in Philadelphia and surrounding suburban communities,
state Rep. Chris King, D-Bucks, joined fellow lawmakers today to announce
their intention to address the violence that permeates the region,
specifically gun violence.
King said the group of
legislators is re-introducing a safety and security bill package. The package
was first introduced as part of the state House’s Committee of the Whole last
autumn.
“The safety of our communities
has to be a top priority,” King said. “Violence isn’t just a city crisis
anymore. As our region expands, so do the challenges we encounter.”
King said polling of residents
in Bucks, Montgomery, Delaware and Chester counties last August indicated
widespread support for tougher laws and prevention programs to reduce violent
crime.
Among the most popular
measures were those to ban military style assault weapons, provide more
funding for police departments to hire officers and buy equipment, and require
gun owners to report lost or stolen weapons within 24 hours.
“Many of the measures
supported by the community are commonsense,” King said. “Local and state
leaders from across Pennsylvania need to cooperate to get these proposals
passed in this session. We can begin saving lives once we enact smart laws.”
King said he intends to sign
onto a number of the measures included in the safety and security bill
package.
###
1/10/2007
Release #002-07
Jan. 10, 2007
For Information Contact:
Jerry Feaser
717-705-6541
PGCNews@state.pa.us
GAME COMMISSION HAILS COMMONWEALTH COURT'S RULING TO THROW OUT CHALLENGE TO
DEER MANAGEMENT CASE
HARRISBURG - Pennsylvania Game Commission Executive Director Carl G. Roe today
hailed a Commonwealth Court ruling that dismissed, with prejudice, the Unified
Sportsmen of Pennsylvania's challenge to the agency's deer management
program. The decision to throw out the case was made "with prejudice,"
meaning that the lawsuit may not be re-filed.
"Today's court ruling is a strong statement that the Game Commission's deer
management program is being conducted in a sound, methodical and scientific
manner," Roe said. "We believe that most hunters and the general public
recognize that the need to reduce and stabilize our state's deer herd is a
short-term pain that we must endure in order to achieve long-term gains.
"Our hope is that this ruling will cease the unnecessary expenditure of
sportsmen's dollars and tax dollars fighting frivolous and ill-conceived
lawsuits."
Roe noted that, since 2000, the Game Commission has worked to implement a deer
management program that takes into account the concerns of all Pennsylvanians,
and the agency has been consistent and open in its approach.
"The deer management plan, which is available on our website, was developed
with public input to improve the health of the state's deer herd; to encourage
healthy habitat, which deer and all other wildlife depend on; and to reduce
deer-human conflicts," Roe said. "We believe this deer management program
will improve the health of our deer herd and the habitat that supports it and
other wildlife.
"Yes, hunting has become more challenging in many areas. However, the
benefits from our program changes are unmistakable, as hunters have reported
seeing and harvesting larger deer; land managers and foresters are seeing some
regeneration recovery in our forests; and farmers are telling us that they
have seen less damage to their crops.
"We have reduced deer herds in many of our more rural Wildlife Management
Units, and our focus has been to stabilize deer herds in those areas over the
past two hunting seasons. However, we continue to focus our efforts on
reducing deer impacts in our most urbanized WMUs - 2B, 5C and 5D - in the
southwestern and southeastern portions of the state."
Created in 1895 as an independent state agency, the Game Commission is
responsible for conserving and managing all wild birds and mammals in the
Commonwealth, establishing hunting seasons and bag limits, enforcing hunting
and trapping laws, and managing habitat on the 1.4 million acres of State Game
Lands it has purchased over the years with hunting and furtaking license
dollars to safeguard wildlife habitat. The agency also conducts numerous
wildlife conservation programs for schools, civic organizations and
sportsmen's clubs.
The Game Commission does not receive any general state taxpayer dollars for
its annual operating budget. The agency is funded by license sales revenues;
the state's share of the federal Pittman-Robertson program, which is an excise
tax collected through the sale of sporting arms and ammunition; and monies
from the sale of oil, gas, coal, timber and minerals derived from State Game
Lands.
# # #
Court rejects deer-management lawsuit
Wednesday, January 10, 2007
By Peter Jackson, The Associated Press
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) -- A state court Wednesday dismissed a lawsuit
challenging the Pennsylvania Game Commission's deer-management program, saying
the sportsmen's group that sued lacks a legal foundation for its claim.
The Unified Sportsmen of Pennsylvania asked the Commonwealth Court to order
specific changes in the program, including an immediate end to the hunting of
female deer pending a scientific study, on grounds that the current rules
threaten to decimate the herd.
But a three-judge panel said the game commission is legally required to
manage the deer and has discretion over how to do that. The panel said the
sportsmen's group cannot use the courts to change policies it disagrees with.
Members of the group, which claims to represent more than 40,000 hunters
and outdoorsmen, "do not aver the game commission failed to exercise its
discretion; rather, they seek to compel the exercise of discretion in a
specific manner," Judge Robert Simpson said in a 12-page decision.
The commission hailed the ruling as judicial recognition that the
deer-management program "is being conducted in a sound, methodical and
scientific manner."
"We believe that most hunters and the general public recognize the need to
reduce our state's deer herd is a short-term pain that we must endure in order
to achieve long-term gain," said commission spokesman Jerry Feaser.
The chairman of the sportsmen's group, Gregory Levengood of Boyertown, did
not immediately respond to a telephone message left at his home.
The lawsuit, originally filed in August 2005 and since amended, was part of
a campaign by some hunters to increase the deer population. That pitted them
against state officials, conservationists and farmers who warned of the
environmental dangers of overpopulation.
Feaser said the rules are designed to improve the health of the deer herd,
encourage a healthy habitat for the animals and reduce conflicts between
humans and deer.
(
Copyright 2006 Associated Press. All rights reserved.
This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)
Any article listed above does not necessarily
reflect the opinion or endorsement of The PA Federation of Sportsmen’s Clubs,
Inc. (PFSC)
NOTICE: In compliance with Title 17 U.S.C.
section 107, this material is distributed free without profit or payment for
non-profit research and educational purposes only.
If you do not wish to receive news
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# # #
1-4-07
Mary Jane Phelps
- director of the
Pennsylvania Bulletin - has notified
State Secretary of the
Department of Environmental Protection
Kathleen A. McGinty
that the Bulletin will not
publish the final regulations further restricting mercury emission standards
inasmuch as the State Senate Environmental Resources and Energy Committee had
requested an additional 14 days to review the proposed final rulemaking and
the Senate adjourned sine die
before it could "assert its full 14-day review" of the regulation...Phelps
advised McGinty to re-submit the regulation to the Senate and House Committees
and to the Independent Regulatory Commission no earlier than January
22nd...the Committees would then have 10 days to consider the regulations...
1-8-07
Barbara Adams -
General Counsel to the Governor - has ordered the Director of the
Pennsylvania Bulletin of the
Legislative Reference Bureau
- to publish the "final" mercury
emission reduction regulations...Adams acted after the Bulletin advised
Secretary of Environmental Protection
Kathleen McGinty
last week that it would not publish the regulations because the
State Senate Environmental
Resources and Energy Committee had not completed its required review
before sine die adjournment in
November...Adams essentially says the LRB has overstepped its authority...
Tough Pa. Mercury Rule Blocked by Agency
By MARC LEVY
Associated Press Writer
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) -- An obscure state agency is blocking the implementation
of new restrictions on mercury pollution by refusing to print the rule in a
record of administrative actions.
The Legislative Reference Bureau has sided with opponents of Gov. Ed Rendell's
proposed rule and says it will not publish the text in the Pennsylvania
Bulletin. Publication puts an administrative rule into effect.
Rendell has sought to force the state's coal-fired power plants to cut mercury
pollution by 90 percent by 2015. If it becomes official, Pennsylvania would
become the nation's largest coal-mining and coal-burning state to approve a
tougher-than-federal rule.
Once fully enforced, the rule could transform Pennsylvania from one of the
biggest sources of mercury pollution into one of the cleaner coal-burning
states. The state's 36 coal-fired plants send roughly five tons of mercury into
the air each year.
Attorney General Tom Corbett's office certified the rule Dec. 29, after which
the Rendell administration sought to publish it in the bulletin.
The state Senate voted last June to adopt the federal government's less strict
mercury rule, and insists that it still has time to review the governor's
proposal. But the governor's administration says that review period expired Nov.
30.
"We believe the regulations should be posted and that the Legislative Reference
Bureau has overstepped ... the scope of its authority by not posting them,"
press secretary Kate Philips said Monday.
The bureau's director, Robert W. Zech Jr., would say only that his agency is
drafting a response to a request Thursday by a Rendell lawyer that it publish
the rule.
Opponents of the tougher rule say it could force some older coal-fired power
plants out of business, costing jobs and pushing up electricity bills.
Smokestack mercury accumulates near power plants, working its way up through the
food chain, accumulating in plants, fish and humans, state officials say.
Children and fetuses are particularly vulnerable to effects of the toxic metal,
which can damage the development of the nervous system, according to the
Environmental Protection Agency.
© 2007 The Associated Press
Any article listed above
does not necessarily reflect the opinion or endorsement of The PA Federation of
Sportsmen’s Clubs, Inc. (PFSC)
NOTICE: In
compliance with Title 17 U.S.C. section 107, this material is distributed free
without profit or payment for non-profit research and educational purposes only.
If you
do not wish to receive news alerts from the PFSC, just reply to this email with
the word remove in the subject line.
