Land exchange to benefit state gameland system
HARRISBURG – The Pennsylvania Board of Game Commissioners today approved exchanging 948 acres of State Game Lands 176 in Patton Township, Centre County, with Penn State University for $8.2 million worth of properties suitable for wildlife habitat and public hunting and trapping. Under the agreement, the first parcel to be acquired is a 3,350-acre Clearfield County tract that has been stalled for two years.
“By approving this land exchange, the Board has increased the agency’s land acquisition resources by 300 percent, and has saved a previously approved land purchase that was in danger of being cancelled,” said Vern Ross, Game Commission executive director. In the 2002-2003 fiscal budget, the Game Commission has allocated slightly more than $2.1 million for land acquisition in a total budget of $68.4 million.
For the past 32 years, Penn State University has had a lease/easement agreement with the Game Commission to conduct a water pollution and sewage treatment project on this 948-acre portion of SGL 176, which currently contains 6,956 acres. The very effective and environmentally-sound waste water project also included a number of plant research projects.
As part of the exchange, which was approved by Penn State’s Board of Trustees on Sept. 13, hunting and trapping would continue to be permitted for the next 25 years. Also, if Penn State ever desires to sell the 948-acre tract, the Game Commission will have right of first refusal.
The proposal also must be approved by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
In exchange for the 948 acres, Penn State University agrees to purchase $8.2 million worth of properties identified by the Game Commission as suitable. Currently one property has been identified and is under contract to be transferred, while several more properties are under active consideration.
One of the tracts identified, originally approved for purchase by the Board on Oct. 12, 2000, is a 3,350-acre parcel in Beccaria, Chester and Jordan townships and Irvona Borough, in Clearfield County. Adjacent to SGL 120, the Board approved purchasing the property from the Burgess Estate for $850,000.
However, since the purchase price exceeded $300,000, the proposal also was required to be approved by the state General Assembly as part of the capital budget process. As of yet, no capital budget bill for the Game Commission has been approved and the Burgess Estate is demanding settlement on the agreement.
BOARD ACTION ADDS NEARLY 550 ACRES TO STATE GAME LANDS SYSTEM
The Pennsylvania Board of Game Commissioners today unanimously approved three land options that will increase the State Game Lands system by nearly 550 acres in Crawford, Northumberland and Lawrence counties.
“The Game Commission’s ability to purchase and preserve lands for wildlife and for public hunting and trapping has always been limited by rising property values and, during certain tight financial times, the limited availability of agency funds,” said Vern Ross, agency executive director. “However, with the license increase approved by the General Assembly and Governor Tom Ridge in 1998, and with the commitment of the Board of Game Commissioners to maximize land acquisition efforts, the agency has worked closely with several conservation partners to acquire important wildlife habitats.” The Game Commission has been purchasing State Game Lands since 1920. The State Game Lands system currently contains more than 1.4 million acres. Under state law, the Game Commission is authorized to purchase property for no more than $400 per acre, with certain exceptions regarding interior holdings or critical wildlife habitats.
