Pennsylvania Game News - February 2014 - 17

policy became so expensive that they
had to raise more money. The name
was changed to the Black Hills Limited Liability Company.
Oak Ridge Lumber, was the last
timber company to own the Graham
estate and The New Forestry LLC
sold to a Colorado-based Demeer
Resources LLC. It was planning to
survey, subdivide and sell plots to
develop it. Johnson asked Deemer
for more time to work at making
it into public lands. The company
agreed.
Johnson in October 2010 told Colleen Shannon, local PGC land management officer, the Deemer tract was
available for acquisition. A push was
made and the Deemer tract was acquired in just a few months. This was
the first acquisition. Then in 2011,
the Graham estate was purchased.
"Had it not been for the help from
Colleen Shannon, Wayne Wynick, S
tate Representative Gary Haluska,
Denny Dusza and Howard Meyers
over those years," Johnson explained,
"we might not have been able to pull
it off.
"It's one thing to add 200 acres
of an adjacent holding," Shannon
explained. "We've purchased large
tracts before, such as the 4,500 acres
in the elk country. But the fact that
the hunting rights were leased for the
last 15 years or so and now it is all
open again to sportsmen makes this

tract very special."
State Game Lands 87 is diverse,
with many acres of open grasslands,
as well as dense forests. It's a great
place for bears. There's a healthy deer
population, and good small game
hunting.
The older adjoining game lands
tract contains 1,100 acres. It has
very limited access; one ridge road
goes down the center. It's loaded
with mast-producers and has laurel
thickets and hillsides of fox grapes.
SGL 87 offers some of the state's best
grouse habitat.
"From the start, people have
expressed their happiness and approval over the Game Commission's
presence here," Shannon noted.
"Many stop and talk while they are
out scouting and inquire where the
property extends."
Some of the challenges faced
in the continuing development of
this game lands include: creating
parking areas; improving erosion
control; controlling garbage dumping; invasive species suppression;
continuing management of reclaimed
mine lands; and sorting out some
encroachment issues.
"Still," Shannon said, "it's a
wonderful problem to have. I'd rather
have the land secure for people to
enjoy in the future. We'll deal with
the challenges and work the best we
can."

Cover Painting by Doug Pifer
THE RIVER OTTER, Lutra canadensis, featured on this month's cover, is an elusive
aquatic mammal. It belongs to the mustelid or weasel family and is closely related
to the sea otter, mink, badger, wolverine and weasels. Otters are very playful and
slide on ice or snow, shoot down slick muddy banks into creeks, play with food,
sticks and stones, and wrestle each other. Few people are lucky enough to see otters
in the wild, but those who do rarely forget seeing them.

FEBRUARY 2014

Pennsylvania Game News - February 2014

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