Pennsylvania no net loss hunting bill

[vermonster13]

HOUSE BILL No. 2861        


INTRODUCED BY GODSHALL, BALDWIN, BELFANTI, CALTAGIRONE,
          FABRIZIO, GERGELY, GOODMAN, HERSHEY, HESS, KILLION, LaGROTTA,
          LEVDANSKY, METCALFE, READSHAW AND STABACK, JUNE 29, 2006

       REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON GAME AND FISHERIES, JUNE 29, 2006

                                    AN ACT

    1  Amending Title 30 (Fish) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated
    2     Statutes, further providing for the use of commission-owned
    3     land for recreational hunting.

    4     The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
    5  hereby enacts as follows:
    6     Section 1.  Section 742 of Title 30 of the Pennsylvania
    7  Consolidated Statutes is amended by adding a subsection to read:
    8  § 742.  Use of property.
    9     * * *
   10     (f)  Recreational hunting.--
   11         (1)  Subject to valid existing rights, commission-owned
   12     lands shall be open to access and use for recreational
   13     hunting except as limited by the commission for reasons of
   14     public safety, fish or wildlife management, or homeland
   15     security or as otherwise limited by law.
   16         (2)  The commission shall exercise its authority,
   17     consistent with paragraph (1), in a manner to support,
   18     promote and enhance recreational hunting opportunities, to

    1     the extent authorized by State law. The commission is not
    2     required to give preference to hunting over other uses of
    3     commission-owned lands or over other water management
    4     priorities established by commission regulations or State
    5     law.
    6         (3)  Commission land management decisions and actions may
    7     not, to the greatest practical extent, result in any net loss
    8     of habitat available for hunting opportunities on commission-
    9     owned lands that exists on the effective date of this
   10     subsection.
   11         (4)  By October 1 of each year, the director shall submit
   12     to the General Assembly a written report describing:
   13             (i)  The acreage administered by the commission that
   14         has been closed during the previous year to recreational
   15         hunting and the reasons for the closures.
   16             (ii)  The acreage administered by the commission
   17         that, in order to comply with paragraph (3), was opened
   18         to recreational hunting to compensate for that acreage
   19         closed under subparagraph (i).
   20     Section 2.  This act shall take effect immediately.

You PA guy may want to keep a close eye on this one. This is a good thing for you.