Pennsylvania Game News - July 2020 - 49

Shooting-range permits good through Aug. 31
Game Commission extends life of 2019-20 permits due to range closures.
Pennsylvania Game Commission
2019-20 shooting-range permits will
remain valid for an additional two
months after their printed expiration
date to make up for lost opportunity
after the agency closed ranges in
compliance with state COVID-19
guidelines.
Permits for 2019-20 have a printed
expiration date of June 30, 2020.
However, the Game Commission
will continue to consider them valid
through Aug. 31, 2020.
Pennsylvania 2019-20 hunting and
furtaker licenses, which also are set
to expire June 30, 2020 and allow
holders to use shooting ranges on
game lands, will be honored for range
use through Aug. 31, 2020, as well.
However, hunters and trappers are
reminded that beginning July 1, 2020,
they will need 2020-21 licenses before
engaging in any hunting or trapping
activity through June 30, 2021.
And it is unlawful to carry expired
licenses or tags while hunting or
trapping.
Game Commission Executive
Director Bryan Burhans said extending
the life of 2019-20 shooting-range
permits is only fair considering state
game lands shooting ranges closed
statewide March 20, and the first
ranges - those in counties upgraded to
COVID-19 "yellow phase" during the
first round of changes - didn't reopen
until May 8.
"The state's COVID-19 guidelines
offered little choice but to close
ranges statewide initially," Burhans
said. "Still, the Game Commission
J U LY 2 0 2 0

SOME RANGES, OFFICES REOPEN
Within about two months of the
Pennsylvania Game Commission closing
its offices to the public in compliance
with Gov. Tom Wolf's COVID-19 response,
three region offices had reopened to the
public.
The Northwest and Northcentral
Region Offices reopened to the public
May 8 after the counties in which
they're located, Venango and Lycoming,
respectively, were upgraded to yellow
phase in the state's three-phase matrix
to ease COVID-19 restrictions.
The following week, on May 15, the
Southwest Region Office reopened to
the public after Allegheny County was
upgraded to yellow phase.
The May 8 and May 15 changes
combined to upgrade 37 counties to
yellow phase.
And within those counties, all Game
Commission shooting ranges on state
game lands were reopened to the public,
as well.
As of presstime, there had been no
subsequent changes in the COVID-19
matrix, though readers can check the
Game Commission's website to see how
further updates might have affected the
agency's ongoing operations.
The Game Commission closed all
shooting ranges to the public March 20.
Work restrictions enacted at the time left
the Game Commission without staffing
to service ranges, which require routine
maintenance.

wants to be fair to those who pay
to use ranges on state game lands,
and making 2019-20 shooting range
permits, as well as 2019-20 hunting
and furtaker licenses, valid to use
shooting ranges through Aug. 31 will
enable shooters to make up for lost
time."
49
Pennsylvania Game News - July 2020

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