Post by melody on Nov 14, 2012 22:20:26 GMT -5
Legislative Budget and Finance Committee
10/14/12
By Matt Hess, PLS
The committee met to consider several reports.
The Costs and Benefits of FSC Certification of DCNR Forests was unanimously released.
Durgin gave an overview of the study. “DCNR characterizes the benefits of FSC certification as important, but largely for nonfinancial reasons,” he stated. “DCNR cites the primary benefits being an independent review of its forest management practices; improved staff morale in knowing the department meets certification standards; and added credibility in assuring the public that it is managing state-owned forests in a professional and sustainable manner.”
Durgin discussed the costs of FSC Certification and said DCNR has a $101,736 five-year contract with SmartWood to conduct the annual reviews and the five-year recertification audit required to receive FSC certification. “Beyond direct costs, DCNR’s decision to seek and maintain FSC certification has generated controversy with regard to its’ recreational costs’, specifically the potential impact on deer hunting,” he stated. “In particular, SCS, the organization that conducted the initial certification audit, expressed concerns over the impact of deer browsing on the sustainability of DCNR’s forests. DCNR accepted the SCS assessment and followed-through by implementing the Deer Management Assistance Program (DMAP) on State Forest lands in an attempt to reduce the impact of deer browsing in specific areas.” Durgin said DMAP and other efforts to reduce the deer population have been effective. “The Pennsylvania Game Commission estimates deer populations statewide falling from about 1.5 million in 2000 to about 1.2 million in 2010,” he stated. “During roughly this same period, PGC general hunting license sales also declined, from 1.05 million in 2001 to 933,208 in 2011.” He noted “it would be overly simplistic, however, to link a reduction in either the Pennsylvania deer herd or the number of hunters directly to DCNR’s forest certification program, as many factors are involved in these trends.”
Seth Cassell, Bureau of Forestry for DCNR, indicated FSC Certification is a source of pride within the department and adds value to wood forest industry. He took issue with gaming aspect of the report. “There is a link to forest certification to declining hunter licenses in Pennsylvania or the decline in deer herd but we feel it is a tenuous link,” he stated. “There are a lot of factors that go into the decline of the deer population. DMAP on state forest lands, it only accounts for about one percent of the antlerless harvest. Only about 2,500 are harvested from those areas.”
Rep. Godshall said FSC Certification is harming hunting in Pennsylvania and stated “there are few fiscal benefits to offset the tremendous loss of opportunities for hunters in the state of Pennsylvania.” Cassell said there are “many reasons the deer population has changed” and emphasized “our mission at the Bureau of Forestry is to maintain the long term sustainability of the forest; we don’t set the seasons and do the harvest assessments.” Rep. Godshall noted that when the issue of FSC Certification was first discussed, hunters were not invited to participate in the discussions.
2012 Pennsylvania Recreational Water Trails Economic Impact Study was unanimously released.
Patricia Berger, Senior Counsel, gave an overview of the study. She explained that 352 individuals participated over a six week period. The Schuylkill River, the North Branch of the Susquehanna, the Juniata River and the Three Rivers Trail were used to conduct the survey. She highlighted findings from the survey including the following:
• 40 percent of visitors cited fishing as a their primary reason for their visit;
• 30 percent cited boating or kayaking for their primary reason for their visit;
• 85 percent of visitors planned on staying one day;
“Regarding economic impact, the contractor used the IMPLAN model to estimate the economic impact on the four trails over the six week period,” Berger stated. “Based on this model the total economic impact was $731,000 and contributed $593,000 toward the Gross State Product. These expenditures resulted in approximately $82,000 in state and local taxes.”
Please note: This information may not be posted on any other public forum.
10/14/12
By Matt Hess, PLS
The committee met to consider several reports.
The Costs and Benefits of FSC Certification of DCNR Forests was unanimously released.
Durgin gave an overview of the study. “DCNR characterizes the benefits of FSC certification as important, but largely for nonfinancial reasons,” he stated. “DCNR cites the primary benefits being an independent review of its forest management practices; improved staff morale in knowing the department meets certification standards; and added credibility in assuring the public that it is managing state-owned forests in a professional and sustainable manner.”
Durgin discussed the costs of FSC Certification and said DCNR has a $101,736 five-year contract with SmartWood to conduct the annual reviews and the five-year recertification audit required to receive FSC certification. “Beyond direct costs, DCNR’s decision to seek and maintain FSC certification has generated controversy with regard to its’ recreational costs’, specifically the potential impact on deer hunting,” he stated. “In particular, SCS, the organization that conducted the initial certification audit, expressed concerns over the impact of deer browsing on the sustainability of DCNR’s forests. DCNR accepted the SCS assessment and followed-through by implementing the Deer Management Assistance Program (DMAP) on State Forest lands in an attempt to reduce the impact of deer browsing in specific areas.” Durgin said DMAP and other efforts to reduce the deer population have been effective. “The Pennsylvania Game Commission estimates deer populations statewide falling from about 1.5 million in 2000 to about 1.2 million in 2010,” he stated. “During roughly this same period, PGC general hunting license sales also declined, from 1.05 million in 2001 to 933,208 in 2011.” He noted “it would be overly simplistic, however, to link a reduction in either the Pennsylvania deer herd or the number of hunters directly to DCNR’s forest certification program, as many factors are involved in these trends.”
Seth Cassell, Bureau of Forestry for DCNR, indicated FSC Certification is a source of pride within the department and adds value to wood forest industry. He took issue with gaming aspect of the report. “There is a link to forest certification to declining hunter licenses in Pennsylvania or the decline in deer herd but we feel it is a tenuous link,” he stated. “There are a lot of factors that go into the decline of the deer population. DMAP on state forest lands, it only accounts for about one percent of the antlerless harvest. Only about 2,500 are harvested from those areas.”
Rep. Godshall said FSC Certification is harming hunting in Pennsylvania and stated “there are few fiscal benefits to offset the tremendous loss of opportunities for hunters in the state of Pennsylvania.” Cassell said there are “many reasons the deer population has changed” and emphasized “our mission at the Bureau of Forestry is to maintain the long term sustainability of the forest; we don’t set the seasons and do the harvest assessments.” Rep. Godshall noted that when the issue of FSC Certification was first discussed, hunters were not invited to participate in the discussions.
2012 Pennsylvania Recreational Water Trails Economic Impact Study was unanimously released.
Patricia Berger, Senior Counsel, gave an overview of the study. She explained that 352 individuals participated over a six week period. The Schuylkill River, the North Branch of the Susquehanna, the Juniata River and the Three Rivers Trail were used to conduct the survey. She highlighted findings from the survey including the following:
• 40 percent of visitors cited fishing as a their primary reason for their visit;
• 30 percent cited boating or kayaking for their primary reason for their visit;
• 85 percent of visitors planned on staying one day;
“Regarding economic impact, the contractor used the IMPLAN model to estimate the economic impact on the four trails over the six week period,” Berger stated. “Based on this model the total economic impact was $731,000 and contributed $593,000 toward the Gross State Product. These expenditures resulted in approximately $82,000 in state and local taxes.”
Please note: This information may not be posted on any other public forum.