Purple Paint

[JeffP]

So is purple paint all a landowner needs to do to post his land? I was fishing the Seglock in the game lands. Purple paint way up beyond the game lands signs and many places has paint right next to game land signs. They used to post up to about the cabin, but now way up the road.

 

[JGR]

Yup:

The “Purple Paint Law”: A New Way to Post Your Property

A new law took effect in early 2020 that all of Pennsylvania’s landowners and everyone who spends time outdoors should know about.

ecosystems.psu.edu

 

[Mike]

Your complaint/observation would best be filed with the PGC regional office.

 

[JeffP]

Good advice.

 

[PaScoGi]

if its a farm or a house or some type of residence, I adhere to purple paint. you can clearly know when you are on someone's property. usually lawn chairs, farm equipment, animals, fences, etc. but if its a forest or state game lands next to a stream, i ignore it. guys think they own planet earth and want to own everything. i walk right past the purple paint and fish. if they want to come and confront me, bring it on i say. im just minding my business fishing i think most of it is for hunters anyway which i understand, big difference between a gun shot and a fly line in most peoples opinions.

 

[JeffP]

if its a farm or a house or some type of residence, I adhere to purple paint. you can clearly know when you are on someone's property. usually lawn chairs, farm equipment, animals, fences, etc. but if its a forest or state game lands next to a stream, i ignore it. guys think they own planet earth and want to own everything. i walk right past the purple paint and fish. if they want to come and confront me, bring it on i say. im just minding my business fishing i think most of it is for hunters anyway which i understand, big difference between a gun shot and a fly line in most peoples opinions.

This looks like a case where someone clearly staked out a generous slice of game lands but you don't know where the boundaries are. You would think your local game official would handle it.

 

[troutbert]

IF

This looks like a case where someone clearly staked out a generous slice of game lands but you don't know where the boundaries are. You would think your local game official would handle it.

Assuming that the landowner actually posted state gamelands, I think the PG will handle, once you report it.

How are you determining what is the SGL boundary?

Many people use OnX, which is based on the county tax map boundaries, but those are often inaccurate.

 

[Swattie87]

Check out the SGL maps before you do anything. It may be legit and legal. The stream itself is completely within the SGL, but once the road turns to dirt there’s a sliver on the east side of the stream (between the stream and the road) that is private. It goes up past the dilapidated cabin along the stream. A couple hundred yards or so. Last time I was there, last Winter, this is all that was posted, and to me it seemed to match my understanding of the boundaries. Eventually the SGL extends all the way to the road, and to the east of the road.

Once that sliver became posted, I began to enter the stream upstream of that posted area (where the SGL extends all the way to the road), cross the stream, and then walk the trail on the west side of the stream downstream to my desired starting point. Again the stream itself (and that trail) is entirely in the SGL.

Not sure if it’s changed since then, and more has been posted, just double check the maps first before reporting what may be a legal posting.

 

[JeffP]

I won't follow through. I kind of figured that. It just bugs me that someone would make sure the last sliver of there wandering boundary would be posted.

 

[Swattie87]

I won't follow trough. I kind of figured that. It just bugs me that someone would make sure the last sliver of there wandering boundary would be posted.

Yeah. It really doesn’t make a meaningful difference in terms of fishing the stream. You can still legally fish the whole SGL stretch, just need to alter where you enter. I usually fish up past where I enter anyway, so round trip total mileage walking is the same either way.

 

[silverfox]

Several years ago someone bought some property adjacent to the SGL I always hunted and posted a big chunk of land that was actually SGL property. We always hunted in that corner and went in to scout in archery season and they had put yellow posters on every single tree cutting off the entire corner of the SGL. Talked to a buddy who is a WCO and sure enough the new landower just took it upon himself to post the SGL property. The posters got taken down and never went back up again. Purple paint makes it even easier to randomly "post" land you don't own.

 

[phiendWMD]

Several years ago someone bought some property adjacent to the SGL I always hunted and posted a big chunk of land that was actually SGL property. We always hunted in that corner and went in to scout in archery season and they had put yellow posters on every single tree cutting off the entire corner of the SGL. Talked to a buddy who is a WCO and sure enough the new landower just took it upon himself to post the SGL property. The posters got taken down and never went back up again. Purple paint makes it even easier to randomly "post" land you don't own.

IMO, posting public land should be a felony. The penalty should be much more severe than just taking down the signs. It's basically stealing the opportunity to access public land.

 

[JeffP]

But just report it to the game commission.

 

[rrt]

1. Totally agree that people who post properties that do not belong to them should be prosecuted if they are apprehended.

2. Purple paint in my area has been replacing posted signs. I wouldn't enter those properties without permission. Much posting has occurred locally because of bad behavior by people who come onto properties and abuse them: cutting fences, allowing their dogs to chase cows, killing trout that property owners admire and want to protect, and littering -- among other abuses. Most landowners have good reasons to post their properties, and it often/usually involves disrespect of their properties.

 

[Tigereye]

IMO, posting public land should be a felony. The penalty should be much more severe than just taking down the signs. It's basically stealing the opportunity to access public land.


Agree. No different than poaching.

 

[Millsertime]

What should one do if you post property with purple paint and then change your mind and allow access?

Or if you sell and the new owner wants to allow access? Signs are easy to tear down but would the trees need to be cut down to make it clear?

 

[caddisflyer]

The purple paint thing is a disgrace. I see people painting utility poles, guard rails and natural rock outcroppings and of course trees. A sign can be moved or changed but ANYONE can "post" land even if they do not own it. Very hard to reverse purple paint without painting over it. I consider it vandalism. I use ONx and was told by game warden that it is very accurate. Either way no one checks boundaries and this illegal posting will continue to cut off access. I have never heard of anyone being prosecuted for illegal posting. In PA landowners ( especially wealthy ones) seem to always get a pass.

 

[Fly-Swatter]

What should one do if you post property with purple paint and then change your mind and allow access?

Or if you sell and the new owner wants to allow access? Signs are easy to tear down but would the trees need to be cut down to make it clear?

Overpaint with brown?

 

[lycoflyfisher]

The purple paint thing is a disgrace. I see people painting utility poles, guard rails and natural rock outcroppings and of course trees. A sign can be moved or changed but ANYONE can "post" land even if they do not own it. Very hard to reverse purple paint without painting over it. I consider it vandalism. I use ONx and was told by game warden that it is very accurate. Either way no one checks boundaries and this illegal posting will continue to cut off access. I have never heard of anyone being prosecuted for illegal posting. In PA landowners ( especially wealthy ones) seem to always get a pass.

In some areas onxay be quite accurate, in others not so much. The same goes for any online mapping of parcel boundaries, including county tax websites. I can show you multiple examples of public land boundaries being off by 100 yards or more.

I'm not sure which is worse purple paint everywhere or litter from plastic posted signs that fall apart each year. Both look hideous in my opinion, but I fully respect a private landowners ability to restrict access to their land.

 

[salmonoid]

if its a farm or a house or some type of residence, I adhere to purple paint. you can clearly know when you are on someone's property. usually lawn chairs, farm equipment, animals, fences, etc. but if its a forest or state game lands next to a stream, i ignore it. guys think they own planet earth and want to own everything. i walk right past the purple paint and fish. if they want to come and confront me, bring it on i say. im just minding my business fishing i think most of it is for hunters anyway which i understand, big difference between a gun shot and a fly line in most peoples opinions.

How do you know the landowner's intent? Maybe they are anti-fishing for some reason. Whatever landowners' intent for posting their private land is, it trumps the self-annointed right to access their land by a third-party, without permission. I certainly agree that many landowners are more concerned about hunting than angling, and most of those that post that I've chatted with have graciously granted permission to fish. Where someone is blissfully or maliciously ignorant, and posts public land, by all means get the posting removed.

I personally hate the purple paint. It's legalized tree graffiti.