[{"_1":2,"_100":-5,"_101":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6594595,"mediaKeyId","3208287-5bcee777870008163ae08f6a4ecbc538","parentId",3208287,"title","Commission expands DMAP/Agtag options, adds WMU-level changes and asks staff to review allocations","audioSeconds",1242,"startMs",3525210,"endMs",4767900,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3208287-5bcee777870008163ae08f6a4ecbc538&start=3525&end=4767","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3208287-5bcee777870008163ae08f6a4ecbc538/thumbnail_3525210.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6594595/Pennsylvania/Commission-expands-DMAPAgtag-options-adds-WMU-level-changes-and-asks-staff-to-review-allocations","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6594595-2b9f2c22edc0a982840bbd0653f16b3d/orig.mp4?Expires=1771097585&Signature=G866DQQueUeH1PqgVwGILxnFiWBmLQp5OB6gBQgmo4NjqcEalB-hufIe-97DVGPGyWtK0eOHz96Ec69gLogAZ7-U47qwAwRGWjwJ2VeIzvz9QBHoH9MObtOYiQnN5INc4n229NnHWUrWC77ZGB7J288zsQWWRzn9wDzezFyOncXhpxMZpCE6-PNQecU-Vv1FF6IDBmS64K1uG2q9W2ck6vpBZnUsoxoXARBgPWZ7CGrm8yfa1VOXUA~TCuoAgVe5RO9fBwULimwTV7Ru9c3rdhcSfOf1GYrm~wVJIevgVC6qLpvo5XJ2H7o~3aJBlCoFoEYeuoc1bTjlN9Cre69fEQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","PA Game Commission","date","2025-04-12T00:00:00Z","article","The Pennsylvania Game Commission on April 12 adopted a series of changes intended to give landowners and managers more tools to reduce deer-related crop and forest damage and to respond to chronic wasting disease (CWD) detections.

Commissioners approved a floor amendment to add an extended regular-firearms antlerless season limited to DMAP (Deer Management Assistance Program) properties. The extension applies only to DMAP properties and requires the hunter to be in possession of a DMAP harvest coupon while hunting that property. Commissioners said the amendment is intended to give landowners targeted, parcel-level management tools without drawing from regular WMU allocations.

The board also approved an amendment to add Wildlife Management Unit (WMU) 4C to an extended regular firearm season (specific to a CWD response) after commissioners raised CWD concerns in that region; staff noted two detections in the broader area and said an expanded season would aid monitoring and harvest objectives.

Other actions adopted during the meeting included:
- Increasing the personal quota of antlerless deer licenses for individuals purchasing antlerless licenses in WMUs 5C and 5D from six licenses to 15 licenses.
- Removing the two-year public-access enrollment requirement for all agricultural deer control (AG tag/DMAP) applicants and simplifying documentation by replacing deed/lease production with applicant certification of ownership/lessee status and hunting rights for the land.
- Proposals to consolidate and simplify crop-damage programs (DMAP, AG tag, related programs) and to consider technology improvements such as QR codes on tags were discussed; staff were encouraged to study feasibility.

Biologists and staff framed the changes as programmatic adjustments while urging evaluation. \"We're proposing, this upcoming year to evaluate the deer program as a whole,\" said Dr. Matthew Schnoop of the Bureau of Wildlife Management, noting that allocations have risen from roughly 1,000,000 to more than 1,300,000 and that the program is a \"slow-moving\" system that needs assessment. Schnoop told commissioners the bureau will review what works in DMAP and how allocation increases interact with program use.

Commissioner Kristen Coppenhaver, who sponsored the DMAP extension amendment, said the change is narrowly targeted to DMAP properties and is meant to provide relief to landowners — including foresters — who report heavy browse pressure. \"This is a tool for them to use on a much smaller level than the WMU level,\" she said, and invited staff to bring DMAP stakeholders into the evaluation process.

Several commissioners urged caution, asking staff to analyze how pending changes such as new Sunday-hunting legislation or the Agtag revisions could alter harvest patterns before making broad statewide changes. Commissioner Fredericks emphasized the role of the wildlife management committee and the need to rely on scientific recommendations from agency biologists.

Why it matters: The combined changes give landowners and managers more targeted harvest opportunities to address localized crop and timber damage and to respond to CWD detections. At the same time, the Commission directed staff to evaluate the cumulative effect of allocation increases, emerging program changes (Agtag, Sunday hunting), and DMAP usage before proposing further statewide policy changes.

Next steps: Staff in the Bureau of Wildlife Management will evaluate DMAP effectiveness, allocation impacts and the interaction with Agtag and any new Sunday-hunting authority. Commissioners asked for stakeholder engagement and follow-up reporting.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Board of Game Commissioners Meeting April 12, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","The Pennsylvania Game Commission adopted targeted changes to deer-management programs, approving DMAP-specific extended seasons, adding WMU 4C for a CWD response, and increasing personal antlerless quotas in WMUs 5C and 5D.","taxTitle","Game Commission, TOURISM & RECREATION, Executive Departments, Organizations, Executive, Pennsylvania","taxId",17209,"location","Pennsylvania","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6594600,"Game Commission expands mentored-hunting eligibility to include ag-depredation and snow-goose permits",7345,810840,8156440,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3208287-5bcee777870008163ae08f6a4ecbc538&start=810&end=8156","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3208287-5bcee777870008163ae08f6a4ecbc538/thumbnail_810840.jpg","/articles/6594600/Pennsylvania/Game-Commission-expands-mentored-hunting-eligibility-to-include-ag-depredation-and-snow-goose-permits","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6594600-84250f49104e233c54c96b07cfe64e6a/orig.mp4?Expires=1771097585&Signature=C2QQw5FntD7~jEuL7k1Na41W925OZamV75K1AvF9F~BShdPC52E97~9eFY4aH8DGfo9IDJruTfWAi9RjDtXLp2GnDPKW7KwkM1Fegh7lultz4Ji7OuXedQj-ei3m35FdmmsV2KdYGKEcxE8JNbWz7jjuGR0W0fBQIWH3CDw4THdFA-Dv6S-BYFnekyim3gM4zROCuPsJAqQNuCdfN4~3tPl5Kq9hMtCDF0rwfHozfY3CmpUAqe0-V4RtmH7qDNjisXRroT25kAsehS1-XQMZAbGVc3C5hcd3hdfb6KL3-zvulNraxwAuuZ~f2JWBU4G9Xd5J44NIJ4QatIvsEOBZ-A__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Pennsylvania Game Commission on April 12 voted to amend its mentored hunting regulation to allow mentored hunters — both mentored youth and mentored adults — to acquire agricultural deer control (AG tag) permits and snow-goose conservation permits.

The amendment, to section 1.47.804 of the commission’s rules, was offered by staff and approved by roll call after a motion, second and brief discussion. Commissioners voted in favor and the motion passed. The measure brings mentored-hunter privileges closer to the Commission’s traditional hunting-license structure and removes a prior barrier that prevented mentored participants from participating in those two permit programs.

Advocates for youth hunting pressed the board during the meeting’s public-comment period. “PA NWTF strongly encourages the Board of Commissioners to re-examine the mentored youth program and remove age restrictions,” said Abby Schierman of the Pennsylvania chapter of the National Wild Turkey Federation, urging the commission to restore broader access for the state’s youngest hunters. Schierman also recommended restoring broader mentored access that existed when the program began in February 2006.

Jonathan Furness, board secretary for the Pennsylvania Federation of Sportsmen’s and Conservationists, told commissioners that proposals such as a mentor-youth trapping permit will require legislative changes but said involving youth early is essential. “Getting our youth involved as early and often as possible gives us the best chance to recruit and retain them for the future,” Furness said.

Commissioner Robert Schwall (statement read on his behalf) asked staff to evaluate whether mentored hunters under age 7 should again be permitted to hold their own tags. “I believe that restriction is unnecessary and penalizes the adults who are taking young hunters afield,” the statement said. The president asked staff from law enforcement and the Bureau of Wildlife Management to review Schwall’s request and report back.

The vote adopted the staff recommendation to expand mentored-hunter eligibility to the two permit types; it did not itself change the mentored-age restriction on who may hold tags. Commissioners and staff said they would review the age/ tag-holding issue and return with any recommended changes after evaluating biological and enforcement implications.

Why it matters: The change enables mentored participants to participate formally in two permit programs used primarily to address crop depredation and localized waterfowl management, potentially increasing the number of licensed participants available to assist landowners and conservation programs. At the same time, commissioners signaled they expect staff to analyze biological, administrative and enforcement impacts before making further changes to age or tag-holding rules.

Next steps: Staff from the Bureau of Wildlife Management and law enforcement were asked to evaluate the tag-holding age restriction and other mentored-program details and report back to the board for possible future action.","The Pennsylvania Game Commission voted to amend its mentored hunting rules to allow mentored participants to obtain agricultural deer control permits and snow-goose conservation permits; public speakers urged further changes including restoring tag-holding for very young mentored hunters.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6594590,"Game Commission approves multiple land acquisitions, exchanges and a non-surface oil-and-gas agreement",1313,6608910,7922120,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3208287-5bcee777870008163ae08f6a4ecbc538&start=6608&end=7922","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3208287-5bcee777870008163ae08f6a4ecbc538/thumbnail_6608910.jpg","/articles/6594590/Pennsylvania/Game-Commission-approves-multiple-land-acquisitions-exchanges-and-a-non-surface-oil-and-gas-agreement","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6594590-eedd0226aaa90db3d06bd79934a72e85/orig.mp4?Expires=1771097585&Signature=KrwW5rRDGaZk1OEv8kOEjT8F4hUK1R8QRYBE1JdGaTQr1oAEXKD14LAvXuBF6cmHkjKnwKGVcQMUXDUMZ2THcp4SlSTA8j5bRUdTa3Wk8jl4r2DhC4YicTqANA7rt9Nr7p79DfJjGcP9O4I-JWiyhlcd~9dJkA5hwk7PY2dyhsfE4q8HjyIwqqXd5QSf-FEZiS65kDTv8lnwd3TdIgIbIikaQ8F2RHAVtoefAISPFs-MK9XFRQkf14i5vLKKCltBCbKDbeDFKVavQzNpTFasvHA9dhxOjHhoWq~1Oj3NQLk7HE5LXfY9nk-lj-bhX8qBQTAjkksJ2ZXVbuvRwDHEhg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Pennsylvania Game Commission on April 12 approved a string of land transactions intended to improve the manageability and ecological value of state game lands and accepted a non-surface oil-and-gas agreement covering subsurface rights beneath portions of State Game Land (SGL) 95.

Land acquisitions and exchanges approved included a Pheasants Forever donation/purchase of roughly 71 acres adjoining SGL 44 (option price $142,600; the Game Fund obligation $10,718.32 with conservation fund covering remaining cost), a 79.3-acre wetland parcel near SGL 313 in Tioga County for $375,000 to be paid from a restricted environmental-settlement account, a 427-acre parcel adjacent to SGL 132 in Schuylkill County for $1,750,000 from the Game Fund, and a 7.2-acre addition to SGL 217 from Natural Lands Trust at $400 per acre. The board also approved a 45‑acre exchange with Houettsdale Municipal Authority to consolidate SGL 60 boundaries and accepted two separate exchanges with the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) to reconfigure holdings near SGL 141 and SGL 214.

Several commissioners acknowledged partner organizations. “I’d just like to acknowledge Pheasants Forever stepping in to help us with this purchase,” one commissioner said, thanking named staff and volunteers involved in that acquisition.

Separately, the commission negotiated terms with Laurel Mountain Energy LLC to offer non‑surface-use oil-and-gas development rights beneath approximately 646 net oil-and-gas acres under portions of SGL 95 (Washington and Parker townships, Butler County). The approved agreement is a five-year, paid-up non-surface-use agreement with a bonus payment of $1,250 per net oil-and-gas acre and a royalty of 14% for the first 36 months that increases to 15% thereafter. The total bonus payment is $807,500, to be paid in five annual installments of $161,500; the first installment is due within 60 days of execution. All bonus, rental and future royalty payments will be deposited into the Game Fund. The operator will access the reserve using horizontal drilling from adjacent lands with no additional surface disturbance on the game lands; the commission said the agreement includes non-surface-use protections and will be administered under the commission’s oil-and-gas regulations and cooperative agreement.

The board also adopted a rule change allowing users of rifle and handgun ranges on state game lands to discharge firearms at steel targets placed and mounted by the Commission (amendment to section 141.4 / appendix G language for hours and section 135.181 for ranges as recorded on the agenda).

Why it matters: The land actions aim to improve habitat connectivity, management efficiency and public access on state game lands; the oil-and-gas agreement provides revenue to the Game Fund while the commission says it limits surface disturbance. Commissioners emphasized partner roles (nonprofit partners, DCNR, Fish & Boat Commission) in facilitating acquisitions.

Next steps: Standard closing procedures and integration of parcels into state game-land management and mapping; oil-and-gas payments to be handled according to the agreement schedule and subject to the commission’s oil-and-gas regulations.","The commission approved several land purchases and exchanges to improve state game lands connectivity and management, and negotiated a non‑surface oil and gas agreement covering about 646 net oil-and-gas acres with Laurel Mountain Energy LLC under State Game Land 95.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Commission expands DMAP/Agtag options, adds WMU-level changes and asks staff to review allocations

Game Commission expands mentored-hunting eligibility to include ag-depredation and snow-goose permits

Game Commission approves multiple land acquisitions, exchanges and a non-surface oil-and-gas agreement