Pennsylvania Game News - December 2015 - 40

SEPTEMBER COMMISSIONERS MEETING

Osprey management plan OK'd
Plan charts course for status upgrade.

Pennsylvania has a newly approved
plan for managing osprey, and survey
work planned for next year could lead
to an upgraded status for the statethreatened species.
The Pennsylvania Board of Game
Commissioners in September approved
the agency's new osprey management
plan, which becomes effective immediately and will be up for renewal
after 2025.
The plan was approved preliminarily in June, and made available to the
public for review and comment.
The draft was strengthened by incorporating feedback from the public and
the Board of Commissioners.
The final plan calls for a new survey
of osprey nests to be conducted, likely
next year, and for those results to then
be compared to results from a 2010
survey. If the number shows population
goals have been met, a proposal could
be made to remove the osprey from
the state's list of threatened species, in
recognition of the bird's success.

Measures gain final approval
The Board of Commissioners at the
September meeting, gave final approval
to a number of measures preliminarily
approved in April. They include:
* The replacement costs for unlawfully killing bald or golden eagles were
increased to $2,500 to better emphasize
the birds' value, symbolic and otherwise,
and their need for increased protection.
* Hunters within the controlled goosehunting area at Middle Creek Wildlife
Management Area must now abide by a
one goose per season limit. Implementing
a season limit is among the changes aimed
at increasing hunter success and resident
goose populations within the controlled
area. September season hunting is closed
on State Game Lands 46, which includes
Middle Creek.
* The Delmarva fox squirrel officially
has been classified an extirpated species
in Pennsylvania. One of three subspecies
of fox squirrels listed in Pennsylvania, the
Delmarva fox squirrel previously was listed
as a state-endangered species. The Game
Commission attempted to reintroduce
Delmarva fox squirrels to Pennsylvania in
1989, and none have been documented in
Pennsylvania in the last 25 years.

Commissioners discuss urine-based deer attractants
The Pennsylvania Board of Game
Commissioners at the September meeting discussed a possible prohibition on
the use or field possession of natural,
urine-based deer attractants.
The issue is being explored because of
the possibility prions that carry chronic
wasting disease (CWD) could be present
in natural, urine-based deer attractants.
At the meeting, the commissioners
40

asked Game Commission staff to provide
an update on the issue.
Wayne Laroche, who heads up the
Game Commission's Bureau of Wildlife
Management, said the deer-lure industry
is looking at ways to certify the animals
used in the production of urine-based
deer attractants are free of CWD. The
Game Commission soon will meet with
industry representatives, Laroche said.
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Pennsylvania Game News - December 2015
