Tree cutting in state game lands

[Acristickid]

Was on a game lands today to try to get to some more fishable water.

I had not been to this area before.

It is about a .75 mile walk down to the creek on what would have been just a gated old road.

Trees were cut across the whole length of the road that made the walk easier just to walk through the woods. For the vast majority of the trees they were felled right over the road. Took someone awhile to cut all those trees- they weren't mature for the most part.

Was this a local trying to cut traffic down or deter an ATV? Or is the game commish gonna come back and clear the debris.

Certainly made the trek much harder.

 

[RyanR]

Ask the Game Commission. Sure sounds like a permitted, coordinated activity, I would expect the debris to be cleaned up, they're not going to leave it lay to block the emergency access road for an extended period.

 

[franklin]

I doubt it was done by someone with malicious intent. In my experience the conservation officers are on top of happenings at their local game lands. Many game lands also have some crop areas leased out. The farmers with those leases also keep an eye on things.

 

[troutbert]

Call the Game Commission regional office and ask them.

To get the actual answer, from someone who knows.

Rather than mere speculation from people who don't know.

 

[Acristickid]

I have a call in to see whats up with the felled trees.

My hope is the game commission did the cutting because I would like to go back to this stream.

 

[Chaz]

There is no tree cutting aloud in SGLs, just saying. Maybe the PGC doesn't know.

 

[Acristickid]

The guy in charge of that unit said he would check into it. Sounded like it was not the game commission doing the cutting.

 

[RyanR]

Chaz wrote:
There is no tree cutting aloud in SGLs, just saying. Maybe the PGC doesn't know.

Not sure what you specifically mean by that? Sure there's no "willynilly" cutting allowed by just anyone that wants to but the Game Commission enters into timber cutting sales with logging firms all the time. Matter of fact, as part of it's management plan (particularly for Ruffed Grouse) they're looking to increase the amount of early successional habitat on SGLs by a certain percentage by 2020. They also do some cutting themselves. Same thing for DCNR and our state forests. I'm a pretty serious ruffed grouse & woodcock hunter so I'm very interested in both agencies timber cutting plans.

Acristickid, gosh I find it a little hard to believe the regional PGC land manager isn't aware of significant cutting along both sides of a 3/4 mile stretch of one of its access roads. Interested to hear how this plays out.

 

[Maurice]

Ryan, I think he meant that the trees fell in the forest when no one was there so it was silent. No tree cutting aloud. Get it!

 

[Acristickid]

Game guy got back to me. He says a crew cut some trees down but not sure if the trees will be cleared. Makes that walk maddening.

 

[troutbert]

acristickid wrote:
Game guy got back to me. He says a crew cut some trees down but not sure if the trees will be cleared. Makes that walk maddening.

That's the "explanation?" He didn't say why they dropped the trees over the old gated road?

Did he say he will find out more and get back to you?

 

[FarmerDave]

troutbert wrote:

acristickid wrote:
Game guy got back to me. He says a crew cut some trees down but not sure if the trees will be cleared. Makes that walk maddening.

That's the "explanation?" He didn't say why they dropped the trees over the old gated road?

Did he say he will find out more and get back to you?

Maybe the gate wasn't working well enough (ATVs?).

 

[RyanR]

I don't buy the "not sure if they're going to be cleared or not." I'd buy that he wasn't sure WHEN exactly they'd be cleared because I'm all but certain they will indeed be cleared from a SGL access road. I've hunted so many SGLs, cutting like this along access roads in the Spring is common. Several SGLs near me had the same thing done this Spring. The trees were then cleared off the access road. The access roads are used by WCOs, Food & Cover crews, in times of emergency and some are opened for public vehicular access at different times of the year. I just don't see them leaving cut trees lay across an access road indefinitely.

Lots of cutting & brush clearing going on over the last month on various public lands: PGC, DCNR, & ACoE.

 

[DGC]

I can't speak to this SGL. However, in Michaux SF, there is one old road that has had this kind of cutting done and there is no intention of clearing them out. They don't want the road used anymore and this is how they stop the traffic whether bikes, ATVs or otherwise. They only need/want so many roads I guess.

 

[RyanR]

Good point, if the road is being abandoned that's a different story. Seems like whoever he talked to could've given a little more information. Some personnel are certainly better at interacting with members of the public than others. Experienced that firsthand having volunteered on several SGL habitat improvement projects as well as with getting permits for training access. I wonder if he got to actually speak to the Land Manager or not?

 

[FiveWeight]

Chaz wrote:
There is no tree cutting aloud in SGLs, just saying. Maybe the PGC doesn't know.

There is tree cutting on SGL. All it takes is the permit to do so. I believe there are 4 or 5 different residential permits that one can obtain and also commercial wood cutting permits. I've done it for years. Wind falls and standing dead. and in some cases where the Gypsy Moth and other blight even clear cutting is allowed. Prices range for permits but it is surely allowed.