Pennsylvania Game News - September 2009 - 42

2009 CAC reports released CITIZEN Advisory Committee (CAC) meetings were held this year in WMUs 1A, 2E, 3A, 4A and 5B, and their reports, including their deer management recommendations, have been completed. The 5-year recommendations varied from one committee to the next, illustrating both the differences in WMUs and in member interactions and expectations. The WMU 1A committee recommended a 30- to 40percent increase in deer numbers. In WMU 2E, 3A and 4A, the committees recommended, respectively, 15- to 25-, 10-, and 15-percent population increases, if the habitats could support such increases. The WMU 5B committee did not reach a consensus. Because the habitat allowed, the CAC recommendations to increase deer populations in WMUs 2E, 3A, and 4A were accepted in developing antlerless deer license allocations. The agency, however, could not follow the WMU 1A CAC’s recommendation to increase the deer population, because the unit’s forest habitat health there is considered to be only fair. For staff to recommend an increase in a WMU deer population, forest habitat health must meet a specific, quantitative target. If this measure improves — the deer and forest habitat health measures are checked annually — then agency staff will consider recommending a herd increase. In WMU 5B, recommendations ranged from decreasing the herd 20 percent to allowing it to increase 5 percent. Agency staff recommended the deer population to remain at its current level. “We wish we could go along with the recommendations of every CAC,” noted Jeannine Tardiff Fleegle, a bi42 ologist with the agency’s Deer and Elk Section. “But it’s not that simple. Deer populations must be balanced with habitat to ensure healthy forests and wildlife populations, as well as deer herd health. Furthermore, deer numbers should not create undue human conflicts.” Citizen Advisory Committees were first employed by the Game Commission in 2006, when a committee — comprised of stakeholders with varying interests in deer — was used in WMU 4B to gather local input for a recommendation on the deer herd over a 5-year period. Since then 15 CACs have been completed. The Game Commission is currently accpeting nominations of citizens willing to participate in CACs for WMU 2B, 3D and 5D. Nominees must live in the WMU in which they apply and must complete a CAC Nomination Form to be considered. All nominations must be received by Sept. 15. All nominations will then be compiled and presented to the Governor’s Office of Strategic Services, which will interview potential candidates, make the final selections of participants and facilitate the meetings. The Game Commission does not participate in the selection process. For further information, visit the Game Commission’s website, click on “Deer Program” in the “Quick Clicks” box in the upper right-hand corner of the homepage, and then choose “Citizen Advisory Committee.” When developing their recommendations, CACs consider deer population trends in their respective WMUs, local deer health and forest habitat, as well as solicited public feedback. They conclude their work by GAME NEWS

Pennsylvania Game News - September 2009

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