Pennsylvania Game News - September 2009 - 38

acquired and named in honor of the Flight 93 crew and passengers. This property adjoins the Flight 93 Memorial boundary established by the National Park Service. About 115 acres are grasslands from a reclaimed surface mine operation, while the remainder is mixed northern hardwoods. The grassland is beneficial to Henslow’s sparrows, upland sandpipers and other species that require large continuous blocks of grassland habitats. The second acquisition is two tracts totaling 1,095 acres in Clearfield County, adjacent to SGL 331. The $438,000 cost is to be paid to the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy, in part with funds from the estate of Blanche Pollum of DuBois, and the remainder by third party commitments for compensation of habitat and recreational losses from previously approved Commission actions. One tract, the Bark Camp Run tract, is about 736 acres. The other tract, the Bennett ranch tract, is about 359 acres. The Board also approved a timber/ land exchange with Clear Lake Timber Inc., of Spartansburg, which was previously the high bidder on three agency timber sales. Under the exchange, Clear Lake Lumber, in lieu of initial block cut payments due to the Game Commis38 SCOTT BILLS, left, Land Management Group Supervisor for Dauphin and Lebanon counties, and WCO Rodney Burns, were recently honored by the National Wild Turkey Federation. LMO Bills received the NWTF’s “Joe Kurtz Award,” in recognition of his work in acquiring a 35-acre addition to SGL 211 and the creation of a food plot in memory of Jerry Zimmerman — a NWTF regional director who was killed in a traffic accident. WCO Burns received the NWTF’s “Law Enforcement Officer of the Year” award, for not just his law enforcement efforts, but also his direct involvement with many NWTF projects in his western Greene County district. Jon Pries, of the NWTF, made the award presentations. sion, will transfer to the agency: 134.75 acres in Erie County, adjoining SGL 152; 16 acres in Warren County, adjoining SGL 86; three tracts totaling 239.69 acres in Warren County, adjoining SGL 143; and 61.60 acres in Warren County, adjoining SGL 306. The Game Commission and Clear Lake Timber have agreed to a total appraised value of $484,000 for all six parcels, and this will be credited against the timber sales until the value has been exhausted. All residual monies owed to the Commission from the timber sales will be deposited into the Game Fund. Land bank projects approved On May 15, 2008, the Game Commission entered into a cooperative agreement with PennDOT and the Federal Highway Administration to streamline transportation development projects by allowing PennDOT Districts to establish “State Game Land Banks” in advance of highway projects impacting fewer than five acres of State Game Lands. These agreements expedite the mitigation process where impacts can be debited GAME NEWS

Pennsylvania Game News - September 2009

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