- Joined
- Mar 11, 2001
- Messages
- 70,011
- Reaction score
- 1,007
Significant Funds Could be Generated for Conservation
10/22/08
HARRISBURG, PA - Legislation allowing conservation organizaitons to auction off elk licenses to generate funds for the state Game Commission has passed the Pennsylvia General Assembly and is now waiting the expected signature of Governor Rendell.
Authored and introduced by Pennsylvania State Sportsmen's Caucus Co-Chair, state Rep. Marc Gergely and supported by the Pennsylvania Sportsmen's Caucus, the legislation (H.B. 747) will allow the Pennsylvania Game Commission to offer a special elk conservation hunting tag through an auction every year in which the proceeds would go toward improving elk habitats in the Commonwealth. The Game Commission will be required to prepare an annual report for the General Assembly detailing how the proceeds are used.
Both residents and nonresidents will be eligible to participate in the auction.
"Pennsylvania currently has a limited number of elk licenses while the number of interested applicants far eclipses the total available," Gergely said. "Since these licenses are a hot commodity, I saw it as a way to spark national interest as well as generate money to help our elk population."
Conservation tags in other states have fetched upwards of $80,000, Gergely said. Currently, 40 elk licenses are available in Pennsylvania; 15 antlered and 25 antlerless. Under the bill, an organization independent of the Game Commission, such as the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation or Safari Club International, can conduct the auction and receive no more than 20 percent of the proceeds.
"The passage of this bill marks another milestone in conservation history for Pennsylvania," stated John Plowman, Pennsylvania SCI legislative chairman. "The concept has been widely used by western states for generating significant revenues for dedicated wildlife management projects. For Pennsylvania, making the tag available to conservation organizations to auction should lead to new funds becoming available for elk management. This is a particularly welcome development as Game Commission revenues continue to decline."
The program will expire in five years, at which point it will be reviewed and evaluated for future use.
Gergely thanked several organizations for their support of the bill, including: the Safari Club of Pennsylvania, the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, the Pennsylvania State Chapter of the National Wild Turkey Federation, and the Pennsylvania Federation of Sportsmen's Clubs.
Media Contact:
Melinda Gable (202) 302-4794
10/22/08
HARRISBURG, PA - Legislation allowing conservation organizaitons to auction off elk licenses to generate funds for the state Game Commission has passed the Pennsylvia General Assembly and is now waiting the expected signature of Governor Rendell.
Authored and introduced by Pennsylvania State Sportsmen's Caucus Co-Chair, state Rep. Marc Gergely and supported by the Pennsylvania Sportsmen's Caucus, the legislation (H.B. 747) will allow the Pennsylvania Game Commission to offer a special elk conservation hunting tag through an auction every year in which the proceeds would go toward improving elk habitats in the Commonwealth. The Game Commission will be required to prepare an annual report for the General Assembly detailing how the proceeds are used.
Both residents and nonresidents will be eligible to participate in the auction.
"Pennsylvania currently has a limited number of elk licenses while the number of interested applicants far eclipses the total available," Gergely said. "Since these licenses are a hot commodity, I saw it as a way to spark national interest as well as generate money to help our elk population."
Conservation tags in other states have fetched upwards of $80,000, Gergely said. Currently, 40 elk licenses are available in Pennsylvania; 15 antlered and 25 antlerless. Under the bill, an organization independent of the Game Commission, such as the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation or Safari Club International, can conduct the auction and receive no more than 20 percent of the proceeds.
"The passage of this bill marks another milestone in conservation history for Pennsylvania," stated John Plowman, Pennsylvania SCI legislative chairman. "The concept has been widely used by western states for generating significant revenues for dedicated wildlife management projects. For Pennsylvania, making the tag available to conservation organizations to auction should lead to new funds becoming available for elk management. This is a particularly welcome development as Game Commission revenues continue to decline."
The program will expire in five years, at which point it will be reviewed and evaluated for future use.
Gergely thanked several organizations for their support of the bill, including: the Safari Club of Pennsylvania, the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, the Pennsylvania State Chapter of the National Wild Turkey Federation, and the Pennsylvania Federation of Sportsmen's Clubs.
Media Contact:
Melinda Gable (202) 302-4794
