Pennsylvania Game News - September 2015 - 50

JUNE COMMISSIONERS MEETING

DMAP proposal moves forward
Board to continue to work with public landowners.
The Pennsylvania Board of Game Commissioners in
June gave preliminary approval to a proposal to make
changes to the Deer Management Assistance Program,
commonly known as DMAP.
In casting their votes, commissioners said they will
continue to work with the public landowners that would
be affected by the proposal, and that the proposal might
be amended before final approval.
DMAP provides private and public landowners an
additional tool to meet deer-management goals on their
properties through hunting.
Landowners who apply may receive a number of
DMAP permits they then can issue to antlerless-deer
hunters for use during open deer seasons.
The number of permits a landowner receives often is
based on a formula of one permit per 50 acres, and the
allocation may be increased due to heavy deer impact.
The proposal that was tabled would have limited the
size of DMAP units on public parcels to 15,000 acres,
and would have required DMAP coupons for public
parcels be allocated based upon current conditions
relative to goals and objectives outlined in an approved
management plan. Commissioners noted that DMAP
was designed specifically as a tool to deal with localized
deer-impact issues rather than issues across a broader
landscape, and added that hunters have expressed concerns DMAP might have too great an impact on deer
herds, especially on state-owned lands.
By limiting the size of DMAP units on public lands,
deer can be managed at a more distinct local level, the
commissioners have noted.
"Whether managing DMAP units or Wildlife Management Units, there will always be a need for continual
review and assessment of managing deer," said David
Putnam, Board president.
Commissioners said they will continue to discuss
potential changes to DMAP with the state Department
of Conservation and Natural Resources and other public
landowners, and will take those discussions and comments into consideration in casting their final vote.
50

Delmarva fox squirrel extirpated
The Pennsylvania Board of
Game Commissioners in June
gave preliminary approval to a
proposal to classify the Delmarva
fox squirrel as an extirpated species in Pennsylvania.
One of three subspecies of
fox squirrels listed in Pennsylvania, the Delmarva fox squirrel
now is listed as a state-endangered species. The Delmarva fox
squirrel was considered present
historically, but only in a very
limited portion of southeastern
Pennsylvania. A reintroduction
attempted in 1989 occurred with
no documented survival past
one year.
Suitable habitat for the species within its historic range is
nonexistent, and no documented
individuals have been recorded in
the 25 years since the reintroduction effort was undertaken.
The mammal technical committee, a scientific advisory
committee of the Pennsylvania
Biological Survey, has voted to
consider it as state extirpated,
and to remove it from the list
of state-endangered mammals.
Across the species' core
range in coastal portions of Delaware, Maryland and Virginia, it is
considered stable and proposed
to be removed from the federal
list of endangered species.
At the same time, the commissioners voted to update the
common name of the eastern
woodrat in Pennsylvania to the
Allegheny woodrat. Based upon
genetic and morphological evidence, the eastern woodrat has
been split into two species; the
eastern and Allegheny woodrat.
The Allegheny woodrat,
which inhabits Pennsylvania,
currently is considered a statethreatened species, and would
remain on that list under its
correct name, if the proposal is
approved.
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Pennsylvania Game News - September 2015
