|
![]() |
![]()
![]() |
PGC Hunting License Increase Legislation By Don Heckman, WTM Committee Chairman August 14, 2006 Pennsylvania Chapter NWTF and our 82 local chapters support and fund wild turkey management projects for the betterment of the wild turkey resource and turkey hunting. Through opportunities provided by PGC, DCNR, ANF, and Corps of Engineers NWTF volunteers have met the past challenges of habitat improvement, land acquisition, turkey hunter safety education, and wild turkey management. While our turkey management goals include supporting and funding "Management Plan For Wild Turkeys in Pennsylvania', we also support PGC efforts for all wildlife and game lands management, law enforcement, and hunting and trapping information education services and programs. Improving wildlife habitat, creating new game lands habitat as opportunities become available, and habitat management planning are key objectives for Pennsylvania's wildlife. For PGC to come up to full staffing requirements, provide for WCO education and training, to function in the 21st Century as directed by their strategic plan, and numerous species management plans, additional revenue is vital to meet future fiscal requirements and responsibilities. Cost of doing business has escalated over the past 10 years, and will escalate as much if not more over the next 10 years. PGC communications, outreach programs, and on-going services and planning projects require fiscal management to meet financial requirements. In order to provide expected results, PGC revenue must increase over the next 10 years to meet future business and strategic planning goals. Increasing hunting license and tags through legislation and alternative funding sources are being reviewed on Capitol Hill. Hunting license legislation in the form of HB 2601 has been introduced and is in the House Game and Fisheries Committee. This legislation will provide additional yearly revenue to support PGC programs and services when signed into law. HB 2601 includes a turkey hunting license to further fund the PGC Game Fund. The Pa. Chapter NWTF supports the turkey hunting license, which would provide additional revenue to support the PGC's "Management Plan For Wild Turkeys In Pennsylvania" and all species management plans. The $5 resident license fee, $20 non-resident license fee, will be two-fold for turkey management . First, the revenue generated from the license fee can be used to fund the wild turkey management plans 7 objectives and 29 strategies. Second, with proper management tools available to collect research and field data, and turkey hunter data, wild turkey biologists will be able to continue recommending and supporting future turkey hunting opportunities as wild turkey populations continue their current expansion and population trending. Why Should Turkey Hunters Support a Turkey Hunting License?
How Will a Turkey Hunting License Help?
How Will the Turkey Hunter Benefit?
Wild Turkey biologist collected research data and developed turkey management regulations to properly manage the resource from the 1950's to the late 1990's. No state-wide wild turkey research projects have been started or completed prior to 2006. Many regional research projects have been completed from the 1950's to the 1980's. TMA 7B wild turkey task force and research project, now called WMU 5A, was conducted from 1996-2006. The first ever state-wide wild turkey research project was started in January 2006 with the gobbler leg band study. This study is partially funded through the National Wild Turkey Federation Research Grant-In-Aid program. Through trap and transfer and conservative seasons and bag limits, wild turkey populations have now expanded their home range into new regions of Pennsylvania, and double their population numbers in this past 20 years. To continue expanding and increasing populations the PGC "Management Plan For Wild Turkeys In Pennsylvania" needs to be fully funded, all objectives followed and all strategies implemented. Our wild turkey resource is a valuable asset to Pennsylvania. We have managed the resource for nearly a century using the most basic information available to biologists. In the 21st century, it is time to manage wild turkeys with the best available research and data. A turkey hunting license would be able to fund additional wild turkey research, improve methods to provide better wild turkey management data, provide turkey hunter information, and ensure a bright future for these great birds in Pennsylvania. |