Post by melody on Dec 4, 2013 20:54:44 GMT -5
Senate Game and Fisheries Committee
12/4/13, 11:30 a.m., Rules Committee Conference Room
By Jason Gottesman, PLS
The committee met to consider bills.
SB 1190 Alloway, Richard - (PN 1609) Amends Title 34 (Game) permitting state wildlife conservation organizations to raise funds via the sale of the "Special Elk Conservation Tag" into perpetuity. The Game Commission shall award a second special elk license to the Keystone Elk Country Alliance, for which the organization may hold any type of fundraiser to auction off. The funds raised must be used for elk management, conservation and habitat, as well as the overall elk program in the commonwealth. Effective immediately. - The bill was unanimously reported as committed.
Chairman Richard Alloway (R-Franklin), prime sponsor of the bill, explained the legislation and said it is aimed at growing and maintaining Pennsylvania's elk herd by allowing a special license to be auctioned off by a designated nonprofit who will use those proceeds to help further the elk herd in the Pennsylvania wild.
A04834 by Scarnati, was said to require the Commission to hold the random drawing for the licenses in Benezette Township. The amendment was unanimously adopted.
Sen. Joe Scarnati (R-Jefferson) noted the elk herd has been a tourism boon for the area, leading to a lot of economic activity in small townships in his district. He said the amendment is aimed at increasing tourism in the area.
Minority Chairman Richard Kasunic (D-Fayette) asked if the special license will be auctioned off to the highest bidder, the proceeds of which will go to the nonprofit holding the festival and working on the game lands in the area. He commented an executive director of the Pennsylvania Game Commission was able to determine who the license goes to. Chairman Alloway noted this is correct. Chairman Kasunic asked where the tag goes to. Staff noted a number of different nonprofits, none of which are the Elk Foundation.
Sen. Lisa Baker (R-Luzerne) asked how much money will be derived from the license. She further asked how many licenses are issued and how difficult it is to partake in the lottery process. Chairman Alloway noted the process is interesting and requires a $10 fee to apply. He said a different number of licenses are pulled each year, depending on the herd with the odds of being chosen increasing for each year an applicant is not picked. He said the amount raised is generally around $30,000, but depends on how well the tag is advertised. Chairman Alloway said a substantial amount will be raised.
On the bill as amended, Chairman Alloway noted the large growth in the area related to elk tourism. He stated locals are ecstatic about the amount of growth from tourism and want more people to come to the area for more economic development.
HB 451 Pyle, Jeff - (PN 460) Amends Title 34 (Game) allowing the use of a leashed blood-tracking dog to track a white-tailed deer in an attempt to recover an animal which has been legally killed or wounded. Effectively immediately. - The bill was unanimously tabled.
A04831 by Kasunic, was distributed.
Chairman Alloway said those supporting the legislation contacted him and he agreed to bring the bill up, but it did not have the votes previously.
A member of a deer recovery organization said all surrounding states have made leashed blood tracking legal except for West Virginia. "It just works," the spokesperson said. He detailed the benefits of blood tracking in deer recovery. Greg Raffensperger, executive director of the committee, echoed these comments and said he does not see it causing a problem.
Sen. Lisa Boscola (D-Northampton) asked when the dog gets released. The spokesperson said the same timeline as if a person was tracking the deer. Sen. Boscola asked if the dogs bark. The spokesperson said they do not.
Sen. Bob Robbins (R-Mercer) asked if there is a fee. The spokesperson said 95 percent of the trackers do it for free.
A Game Commission spokesperson said the commission has supported the general concept of leash tracking dogs in the past and speculated that would remain the case. It was noted the commission would like to have regulatory authority.
Sen. Scarnati said he is not sure what the actual use is of the legislation. He said he would vote to move the bill out to have further discussions, but he has concerns over the practicality of the legislation.
Sen. Baker noted a number of unanswered questions on the legislation and stated she has not had the chance to talk to hunters regarding the legislation. She requested the committee go over the bill so amendments can be worked on. Chairman Alloway asked if the leash trackers have contacted the senator. She indicated they have, but said the questions should be answered before the bill is moved out of committee.
Chairman Kasunic also noted a number of unanswered questions regarding the bill and questioned what would the penalty would be if the dog is not leashed and expressed concerns about the commission not having the authority under the legislation to regulate. He also noted the legislation does not provide for licensed trackers or require them to be certified or to hold a Pennsylvania hunting license. He suggested the committee hold a public hearing on the bill.
Chairman Alloway asked if that is the consensus of the committee. Sen. Jim Brewster (D-Allegheny) said there is not enough information and opined the trackers might be more useful in some areas as opposed to others. He said the legislation might be more practical for bear hunting.
Sen. Scarnati moved to table the bill. The motion was passed unanimously.
Chairman Alloway said he will set up a hearing early in the new year to try to work out the details.
HB 1584 Causer, Martin - (PN 2166) Amends Titles 30 (Fish) and 34 (Game) adding that waterways conservation officers and deputies (in Title 30) and enforcement officers (in Title 34) have the discretion to issue written or verbal warnings in lieu of making arrests or issuing citations. Effective in 60 days. - The bill was unanimously reported as committed.
12/4/13, 11:30 a.m., Rules Committee Conference Room
By Jason Gottesman, PLS
The committee met to consider bills.
SB 1190 Alloway, Richard - (PN 1609) Amends Title 34 (Game) permitting state wildlife conservation organizations to raise funds via the sale of the "Special Elk Conservation Tag" into perpetuity. The Game Commission shall award a second special elk license to the Keystone Elk Country Alliance, for which the organization may hold any type of fundraiser to auction off. The funds raised must be used for elk management, conservation and habitat, as well as the overall elk program in the commonwealth. Effective immediately. - The bill was unanimously reported as committed.
Chairman Richard Alloway (R-Franklin), prime sponsor of the bill, explained the legislation and said it is aimed at growing and maintaining Pennsylvania's elk herd by allowing a special license to be auctioned off by a designated nonprofit who will use those proceeds to help further the elk herd in the Pennsylvania wild.
A04834 by Scarnati, was said to require the Commission to hold the random drawing for the licenses in Benezette Township. The amendment was unanimously adopted.
Sen. Joe Scarnati (R-Jefferson) noted the elk herd has been a tourism boon for the area, leading to a lot of economic activity in small townships in his district. He said the amendment is aimed at increasing tourism in the area.
Minority Chairman Richard Kasunic (D-Fayette) asked if the special license will be auctioned off to the highest bidder, the proceeds of which will go to the nonprofit holding the festival and working on the game lands in the area. He commented an executive director of the Pennsylvania Game Commission was able to determine who the license goes to. Chairman Alloway noted this is correct. Chairman Kasunic asked where the tag goes to. Staff noted a number of different nonprofits, none of which are the Elk Foundation.
Sen. Lisa Baker (R-Luzerne) asked how much money will be derived from the license. She further asked how many licenses are issued and how difficult it is to partake in the lottery process. Chairman Alloway noted the process is interesting and requires a $10 fee to apply. He said a different number of licenses are pulled each year, depending on the herd with the odds of being chosen increasing for each year an applicant is not picked. He said the amount raised is generally around $30,000, but depends on how well the tag is advertised. Chairman Alloway said a substantial amount will be raised.
On the bill as amended, Chairman Alloway noted the large growth in the area related to elk tourism. He stated locals are ecstatic about the amount of growth from tourism and want more people to come to the area for more economic development.
HB 451 Pyle, Jeff - (PN 460) Amends Title 34 (Game) allowing the use of a leashed blood-tracking dog to track a white-tailed deer in an attempt to recover an animal which has been legally killed or wounded. Effectively immediately. - The bill was unanimously tabled.
A04831 by Kasunic, was distributed.
Chairman Alloway said those supporting the legislation contacted him and he agreed to bring the bill up, but it did not have the votes previously.
A member of a deer recovery organization said all surrounding states have made leashed blood tracking legal except for West Virginia. "It just works," the spokesperson said. He detailed the benefits of blood tracking in deer recovery. Greg Raffensperger, executive director of the committee, echoed these comments and said he does not see it causing a problem.
Sen. Lisa Boscola (D-Northampton) asked when the dog gets released. The spokesperson said the same timeline as if a person was tracking the deer. Sen. Boscola asked if the dogs bark. The spokesperson said they do not.
Sen. Bob Robbins (R-Mercer) asked if there is a fee. The spokesperson said 95 percent of the trackers do it for free.
A Game Commission spokesperson said the commission has supported the general concept of leash tracking dogs in the past and speculated that would remain the case. It was noted the commission would like to have regulatory authority.
Sen. Scarnati said he is not sure what the actual use is of the legislation. He said he would vote to move the bill out to have further discussions, but he has concerns over the practicality of the legislation.
Sen. Baker noted a number of unanswered questions on the legislation and stated she has not had the chance to talk to hunters regarding the legislation. She requested the committee go over the bill so amendments can be worked on. Chairman Alloway asked if the leash trackers have contacted the senator. She indicated they have, but said the questions should be answered before the bill is moved out of committee.
Chairman Kasunic also noted a number of unanswered questions regarding the bill and questioned what would the penalty would be if the dog is not leashed and expressed concerns about the commission not having the authority under the legislation to regulate. He also noted the legislation does not provide for licensed trackers or require them to be certified or to hold a Pennsylvania hunting license. He suggested the committee hold a public hearing on the bill.
Chairman Alloway asked if that is the consensus of the committee. Sen. Jim Brewster (D-Allegheny) said there is not enough information and opined the trackers might be more useful in some areas as opposed to others. He said the legislation might be more practical for bear hunting.
Sen. Scarnati moved to table the bill. The motion was passed unanimously.
Chairman Alloway said he will set up a hearing early in the new year to try to work out the details.
HB 1584 Causer, Martin - (PN 2166) Amends Titles 30 (Fish) and 34 (Game) adding that waterways conservation officers and deputies (in Title 30) and enforcement officers (in Title 34) have the discretion to issue written or verbal warnings in lieu of making arrests or issuing citations. Effective in 60 days. - The bill was unanimously reported as committed.