State lands becoming the pets of politicians

Acristickid

Acristickid

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NV, AK
Our lands. Keep your dirty filthy hands off!!

http://www.altoonamirror.com/opinion/letters-to-the-editor/2018/01/political-web-traps-state-outdoorsmen/
 
This is on point. Thanks for sharing acristickid. If people don't start voting, both at the federal and state level, for our public lands we'll soon lose them to the highest bidder.
 
First we absolutely cannot keep losing public ground. Game lands can be used by everyone for a variety of reasons. That said, I don't totally understand the article. They don't explain what the "bad bills" are and the same people who are against the game lands wanted semi-auto rifles allowed for hunting? There are some glaring holes with missing info in this short article.
 
Let me clear this up for everyone.... state game lands are not being targeted as they are bought and paid for from revenues from license sales. They are not owned by the commonwealth.


PA state Forrest land is what certain legislative groups want developed into golf courses and water parks etc...


The game commission wants increase the license fees because they are broke and they are being pushed around by several committees but it has nothing to do with state game land.


Legislators are looking to generate move revenue to help the budget deficit by developing state Forrest land. Fantastic!!!!
 
Thanks HopBack. I didn't get that from the article so I'm glad you're informed. And I STAUNCHLY OPPOSE that. The ample amount of state forest is one of the things I absolute love about PA. We have so much public land. I will fight that tooth and nail and through avenue that I know how. I am not only a very dedicated fisherman, but a backpacker/hiker, hunter, camper, and nature lover and that can't happen. In fact in 10 days I'll be heading out for a nice 30 mile one night hike. I don't want golf courses!
 
I believe one should educate themselves on the process. Nothing can be gleaned from an editorial written by a guy with his own agenda, good or bad. Editorials by nature are highly politicized. My first reaction to the editorial was it is nothing more then an attempt at getting sportsmen to flip to the other political party. It really is that easy to sway the majority of voters. I read the house bill and did not see where golf courses will be replacing state game lands. I also did not see a vehicle that allows politicians to dice up state lands to the highest bidder.

For the record I do not believe any appointed position in govt. should have the authority to raise taxes or fees. That's the job of elected officials.

http://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/legis/PN/Public/btCheck.cfm?txtType=PDF&sessYr=2015&sessInd=0&billBody=H&billTyp=B&billNbr=2083&pn=3593

Here's the bill. Read it for yourself and make your own educated decision. Anything underlined currently does not exist in the current law and is a proposed amendment to the law.
 
It's not an article. It is a letter to the editor, and a discoherent, poorly written one. That does not mean that the fish and game commissions are not facing issues, but it would be hard to figure out what they are from that letter.
 
HopBack wrote:
Let me clear this up for everyone.... state game lands are not being targeted as they are bought and paid for from revenues from license sales. They are not owned by the commonwealth.


PA state Forrest land is what certain legislative groups want developed into golf courses and water parks etc...


The game commission wants increase the license fees because they are broke and they are being pushed around by several committees but it has nothing to do with state game land.


Legislators are looking to generate move revenue to help the budget deficit by developing state Forrest land. Fantastic!!!!
Click to expand...

I believe it is state parks, not forests, that are proposed for development, unless the forest piece is a new wrinkle.
 
salmonoid wrote:
It's not an article. It is a letter to the editor, and a discoherent, poorly written one.
Click to expand...

Webster Dictionary

Discoherent(adj)

incoherent

Oh, OK.

 
While they are only acting like politicians in some ways, the Legislature and in the instant situation, Mr. Scarnati and his like minded colleagues seem to be growing increasingly imperious and brazen every time an issue like this comes to the fore.

I think it's time to let a little air out of them and remind them they serve at the People's pleasure and for the People's benefit and not their own. To that end, I'd like to see some serious consideration given to removing Pennsylvania from the list of states with full-time legislatures. There are only 10 or so states with full time legislatures and only four or so with the same bloated level of staffing and operating budgets that we have in PA. I think it is a bad situation where incumbency and the multi-perked nature of the positions have helped led to a nasty form of insularity between our reps and us.

Time to remind them they are elected officials, not hereditary peers..
 
salmonoid wrote:
I believe it is state parks, not forests, that are proposed for development, unless the forest piece is a new wrinkle.
Click to expand...

Could you please refer us to the part of the bill that says state parks or forests are to be developed. I'm missing it completely. Again here is the bill.

http://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/legis/PN/Public/btCheck.cfm?txtType=PDF&sessYr=2015&sessInd=0&billBody=H&billTyp=B&billNbr=2083&pn=3593
Click to expand...
 
poopdeck wrote:
salmonoid wrote:
I believe it is state parks, not forests, that are proposed for development, unless the forest piece is a new wrinkle.
Click to expand...

Could you please refer us to the part of the bill that says state parks or forests are to be developed. I'm missing it completely. Again here is the bill.

http://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/legis/PN/Public/btCheck.cfm?txtType=PDF&sessYr=2015&sessInd=0&billBody=H&billTyp=B&billNbr=2083&pn=3593
Click to expand...

I was responding to HopBack's comment, not your bill link. It was an idea floated a few years ago to get more utilization out of parks and it made it into a survey that DCNR ran for awhile, given to state park users.

But there are bills that were floated.

http://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/billInfo/bill_history.cfm?syear=2015&sind=0&body=H&type=B&bn=2013

http://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/billInfo/billInfo.cfm?sYear=2015&sInd=0&body=H&type=B&bn=2188
Click to expand...
 
Looks like the bill has been voted on and defeated a few years back. Here is an article from my local paper. Link with details on the bill. Legislators will continue to look at our state resources as a means to increase revenues.
 
I couldn't find anything about state forests either but did turn up some old info on state parks. Some more urban state parks making more modern and inviting recreational pursuits may not be a bad idea to help drive some additional revenue. Interest in the outdoors in general seems to be waning and some state parks all ready barely have an outdoors feel to them anyways.
 
There is no way they will build golf courses on SGL. Golf courses are a major expense without a return.
 
Caledonia State Park has a golf course.

http://www.dcnr.pa.gov/StateParks/FindAPark/CaledoniaStatePark/Pages/Maps.aspx

Are there any others on DCNR land?
 
Golf is a dyeing sport like fly-fishing. Low young participants older generation fading into old folks homes reduces the numbers participating in the sport of golf. It does make tv more often but tv ratings have been declining over the past ten years.
 
How about everyone just accept the fact that public lands were never meant to be profitable.
of course, the idiots in charge can only think of money, they know nothing else. How many of these dolts actually hunt, fish, hike, camp, or otherwise enjoy the outdoors?
It's all about exploitation, not conservation.
 
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