Post by pfsc on Jun 18, 2015 9:43:26 GMT -5
Legislative Budget and Finance Committee
6/17/15, 9:30 a.m., Hearing Room 2 North Office Building
By Eric A. Failing, PLS
The committee met to consider three reports.
PA Game Commission Compliance with Its Strategic Plan – lbfc.legis.state.pa.us/Reports.cfm?ReportID=280
The report was unanimously released.
Philip Durgin, Executive Director for the Committee, presented the report stating that Act 166 of 1998 requires that an audit be done every three years on the Game Commission’s compliance with its strategic plan.
He began by stating that while there is enough data to conduct the audit, there is not data that is specific enough to evaluate the Commission’s performance in anything other than by broad categories.
Durgin said they rated 11 of 41 objectives as fully or largely achieved, 27 as partially achieved and three as not achieved or largely not achieved.
He then summarized key objectives stating that in terms of deer management, the Commissions has fully or largely achieved its objective of establishing a stable population. Specifically he said they met their goals in all but seven wildlife management units (WMU).
However in terms of the Game Commission’s objective to preserve, protect and restore, the Commission was rated as not achieved for two species, namely bobwhite quail and black ducks. Durgin explained that the bobwhite quail population has declined by 97 percent and there are fewer than 500 pairs of black ducks left in the state.
The Commission’s objective of increasing hunter recruitment was partially achieved, according to Durgin, who reported that license sales increased from 2008-2009 through 2013-2014 but then declined from 2014-2015. Yet, even with that, Durgin stated that the number of new hunters increased by 37 percent.
Durgin next addressed the Commission’s effort to improve forest health saying it has not met with much success. In 2014, one WMU was rated as good, 15 were rated as fair and four were rated as poor which matches the eight-year average.
Durgin concluded by citing the report’s recommendations, including:
• The Commission should streamline their strategic plan
• Strategic objectives should be time limited and quantifiable
• The Commission should make their own assessment on how they are meeting their strategic plan and include this in their annual report
Matt Hough, Executive Director for the Game Commission, thanked Durgin and his staff and told the Committee that the draft of the Commission’s 2015-2020 strategic plan is done and incorporates all of the recommendations of this report.
Rep. Robert Godshall (R-Montgomery) asked how WMU reforestation goals are analyzed. Hough explained that plots are chosen at random and then they look at the number and species of sprouts that have occurred and the number of deer in the area that are feeding on those sprouts.
Rep. Godshall worried that while Commission worksheets show low percentages of regeneration in some areas, the Commission has not rated these areas as poor, which under their own ranking guidelines they should have done. Hough offered how 15 years ago, most of the plots would have been rated as poor but that now they are much better. Rep. Godshall again questioned why WMUs have never been rated by the Commission as poor while under the criteria set by the Commission their worksheets show that is how they should have been rated. Hough said he couldn’t explain why that was the case.
Rep. Godshall next questioned the Commission’s assessment on the number of deer in the state. He said that if Commission estimates were correct that would mean there were 24 deer per square mile in Pennsylvania. Furthermore, he said once you subtract things like water from the equation that would mean there are 37 deer per square mile in Pennsylvania. He stressed this is not the case. Asked who comes up with the deer numbers, Hough replied the deer management team. Hough stated that in certain areas of the southeast or southwest the densities are much higher than in other portions of the state.
Rep. Godshall lamented that where he hunts he has seen a decline in the number of deer and there are not 37 deer per square mile. He suggested that Hough look more into the biologists who are coming up with the numbers of the deer herd. Hough pledged to get a more detailed response from the Commission’s biologists.
Sen. James Brewster (D-Allegheny) stressed it is difficult to establish a five-year plan for wildlife since one cannot always foresee what will happen in the future. He argued that deer change their patterns because of things like timbering, gas drilling and disease and that if hunters are not seeing deer in one area they should hunt somewhere else. Sen. Brewster closed stating that he suspects much of this is cyclical and will correct itself.
6/17/15, 9:30 a.m., Hearing Room 2 North Office Building
By Eric A. Failing, PLS
The committee met to consider three reports.
PA Game Commission Compliance with Its Strategic Plan – lbfc.legis.state.pa.us/Reports.cfm?ReportID=280
The report was unanimously released.
Philip Durgin, Executive Director for the Committee, presented the report stating that Act 166 of 1998 requires that an audit be done every three years on the Game Commission’s compliance with its strategic plan.
He began by stating that while there is enough data to conduct the audit, there is not data that is specific enough to evaluate the Commission’s performance in anything other than by broad categories.
Durgin said they rated 11 of 41 objectives as fully or largely achieved, 27 as partially achieved and three as not achieved or largely not achieved.
He then summarized key objectives stating that in terms of deer management, the Commissions has fully or largely achieved its objective of establishing a stable population. Specifically he said they met their goals in all but seven wildlife management units (WMU).
However in terms of the Game Commission’s objective to preserve, protect and restore, the Commission was rated as not achieved for two species, namely bobwhite quail and black ducks. Durgin explained that the bobwhite quail population has declined by 97 percent and there are fewer than 500 pairs of black ducks left in the state.
The Commission’s objective of increasing hunter recruitment was partially achieved, according to Durgin, who reported that license sales increased from 2008-2009 through 2013-2014 but then declined from 2014-2015. Yet, even with that, Durgin stated that the number of new hunters increased by 37 percent.
Durgin next addressed the Commission’s effort to improve forest health saying it has not met with much success. In 2014, one WMU was rated as good, 15 were rated as fair and four were rated as poor which matches the eight-year average.
Durgin concluded by citing the report’s recommendations, including:
• The Commission should streamline their strategic plan
• Strategic objectives should be time limited and quantifiable
• The Commission should make their own assessment on how they are meeting their strategic plan and include this in their annual report
Matt Hough, Executive Director for the Game Commission, thanked Durgin and his staff and told the Committee that the draft of the Commission’s 2015-2020 strategic plan is done and incorporates all of the recommendations of this report.
Rep. Robert Godshall (R-Montgomery) asked how WMU reforestation goals are analyzed. Hough explained that plots are chosen at random and then they look at the number and species of sprouts that have occurred and the number of deer in the area that are feeding on those sprouts.
Rep. Godshall worried that while Commission worksheets show low percentages of regeneration in some areas, the Commission has not rated these areas as poor, which under their own ranking guidelines they should have done. Hough offered how 15 years ago, most of the plots would have been rated as poor but that now they are much better. Rep. Godshall again questioned why WMUs have never been rated by the Commission as poor while under the criteria set by the Commission their worksheets show that is how they should have been rated. Hough said he couldn’t explain why that was the case.
Rep. Godshall next questioned the Commission’s assessment on the number of deer in the state. He said that if Commission estimates were correct that would mean there were 24 deer per square mile in Pennsylvania. Furthermore, he said once you subtract things like water from the equation that would mean there are 37 deer per square mile in Pennsylvania. He stressed this is not the case. Asked who comes up with the deer numbers, Hough replied the deer management team. Hough stated that in certain areas of the southeast or southwest the densities are much higher than in other portions of the state.
Rep. Godshall lamented that where he hunts he has seen a decline in the number of deer and there are not 37 deer per square mile. He suggested that Hough look more into the biologists who are coming up with the numbers of the deer herd. Hough pledged to get a more detailed response from the Commission’s biologists.
Sen. James Brewster (D-Allegheny) stressed it is difficult to establish a five-year plan for wildlife since one cannot always foresee what will happen in the future. He argued that deer change their patterns because of things like timbering, gas drilling and disease and that if hunters are not seeing deer in one area they should hunt somewhere else. Sen. Brewster closed stating that he suspects much of this is cyclical and will correct itself.