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PA GAME COMMISSION TO END TOLL-FREE NUMBERS ON JULY 1

Hunting

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Hunting- As of July 1, the Pennsylvania Game Commission will be disconnecting its toll-free numbers. This action is expected to save the agency $26,000 in fiscal year 2005-06, and is part of an agency-wide cost-reduction effort to keep the agency within its current revenues in light of inflation and spiraling operational costs.

"Earlier this year, the agency announced more than $2.5 million in reduced costs in the 2004-05 fiscal year, and we plan to announce additional cuts in the 2005-06 fiscal year," said Vern Ross, Game Commission Executive Director. "We have been making cuts that enable us to continue providing core services to Pennsylvanians, to hunters and trappers and to wildlife.

"While we have maintained a zero-growth budget for the past three years, the continually increasing costs of doing business since the last license fee increase was approved in 1998 has begun to impact our ability to deliver some of the services expected of our agency. For example, in 1998, gasoline cost roughly $1 per gallon. Today, the price is more than $2 per gallon in most areas of the state. What this means is that we are not able to purchase as much gasoline as in the past to conduct law enforcement patrols, wildlife monitoring and habitat improvement."

In the absence of toll-free numbers, Region Office contact information, and a listing of counties in their jurisdiction, is as follows:

Northwest Region Office, P.O. Box 31, Franklin, PA 16323. 814-432-3188. Butler, Clarion, Crawford, Erie, Forest, Jefferson, Lawrence, Mercer, Venango and Warren counties.

Southwest Region Office, 4820 Route 711, Bolivar, PA 15923. 724-238-9523. Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Cambria, Fayette, Greene, Indiana, Somerset, Washington and Westmoreland counties.

Northcentral Region Office, P.O. Box 5038, Jersey Shore, PA 17740. 570-398-4744. Cameron, Centre, Clearfield, Clinton, Elk, Lycoming, McKean, Potter, Tioga, and Union counties.

Southcentral Region Office, 8627 William Penn Highway, Huntingdon, PA 16652. 814-643-1831. Adams, Bedford, Blair, Cumberland, Franklin, Fulton, Huntingdon, Juniata, Mifflin, Perry and Snyder counties.

Northeast Region Office, P.O. Box 220, Dallas, PA 18612. 570-675-1143. Bradford, Carbon, Columbia, Lackawanna, Luzerne, Monroe, Montour, Northumberland, Pike, Sullivan, Susquehanna, Wayne and Wyoming counties.

Southeast Region Office, 448 Snyder Rd., Reading, PA 19605. 610-926-3136. Berks, Bucks, Chester, Dauphin, Delaware, Lancaster, Lebanon, Lehigh, Montgomery, Northampton, Philadelphia, Schuylkill and York counties.

DEADLINE FOR DMAP APPLICATIONS IS JULY 1

Eligible landowners interested in enrolling in the Pennsylvania Game Commission's Deer Management Assistance Program (DMAP), which is designed to help landowners manage deer on their properties, have until July 1 to submit an application for the 2005-06 hunting seasons to the appropriate Region Office.

In addition, a map describing the property boundaries must be enclosed with the application. Landowners may obtain DMAP applications from the Game Commission's website (www.pgc.state.pa.us) in the "Quick Clicks" box in the upper right-hand corner of the homepage, Region Offices or the agency's Harrisburg headquarters.

Under the proposal given final approval by the Board of Game Commissioners on April 26, eligible lands for DMAP are: public lands; private lands where no fee is charged for hunting; and hunting club lands owned in fee title so long as the club was established prior to Jan. 1, 2000, and they provide a club charter and list of current members to the agency. Previously, private hunting clubs were required to own a minimum of 1,000 contiguous acres before being eligible.

Also, landowners now are permitted to give up to two DMAP coupons to a 2005-06 licensed hunter, who will then apply for the DMAP permits. However, DMAP permit holders who failed to complete and submit the mandatory report information from the 2004-05 deer season will be ineligible for coupons/permits and refunds in the 2005-06 deer season. To avoid being declared ineligible for the 2005-06 seasons, any hunter that has not submitted a DMAP report may do so until June 30.

Coupons for DMAP antlerless deer harvest permits may be issued to landowners at a rate of one coupon for every five acres in agricultural operations or one coupon for every 50 acres for all other land. Management plans will be required only when an applicant for DMAP requests more than the standard rate for issuance of DMAP coupons.

Landowners must designate their boundaries in a manner approved by the Game Commission. Landowners will receive one coupon for each DMAP permit allocated for their property. Landowners may not give more than two DMAP coupons per DMAP area to a licensed hunter, who will then apply to the Game Commission for the DMAP harvest permits. Landowners may not charge or accept any remuneration for a DMAP coupon. Hunters may possess only two DMAP permits for a specific DMAP property in any given license year.

DMAP permit allotments will be made separate from the general antlerless deer license allocations, and will be $6 for residents and $26 for nonresidents.

After August 1, hunters interested in obtaining a listing of DMAP properties having available coupons should consult the agency's website (www.pgc.state.pa.us) or mail a self-addressed, stamped envelope along with a letter indicating their county of interest, to the Game Commission Region Office responsible for that particular county. (For a listing of Region Offices and contact information, please see the article above.)

Source: PA Game Commision