FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
State Rep. David Levdansky D-Allegheny/Washington www.pahouse.com/Levdansky

Levdansky deer management audit proposal adopted by House 

HARRISBURG, April 9 – The House of Representatives adopted a resolution (H.R. 642) sponsored by state Rep. David Levdansky, D-Allegheny/Washington, that authorizes the Budget and Finance Committee to conduct an audit of the Pennsylvania Game Commission's deer management program.

"An audit will give us accurate, reliable and trustworthy data to effectively make decisions on how to improve Pennsylvania’s deer management program," Levdansky said. "The issue has just become too controversial and biased. Some believe the deer population is growing and support the Game Commission's efforts to decrease it; others argue the 2001 Game Commission changes in deer management have resulted in a major decline in the state’s deer population.

"By conducting an independent audit, the guesswork is removed and we can determine if we are harvesting the right number of deer of the right age and sex ratio, in the right places and if the program is having the desired impact on habitat and forest regeneration."

The Legislative Budget and Finance Committee will oversee the audit process and has also sent letters seeking suggestions to about 30 groups, including the Pennsylvania Federation of Sportsmen's Clubs, Unified Sportsmen of Pennsylvania, Quality Deer Management Association, Audubon Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania Farm Bureau and the Pennsylvania Landscape and Nursery Association. The audit contract will be awarded to an out-of-state consultant for a completely objective view.

Levdansky said the audit will give an indication of how many deer the state has in each wildlife management unit and what the goal should be per unit. It will detail if the state’s forests are regenerating, and what species are coming back. The report will also report recommendations as to what the state can do to achieve adequate regeneration.

"This issue goes well beyond the impact on a hunter's odds of killing a deer. It affects tourism, hunting's economic benefits, forest regeneration, other species, the timber and forest product industries, farmers, naturalists, recreationists and suburban residents facing encroachment by deer," Levdansky said. "An audit of the Pennsylvania Game Commission's system of estimating deer populations and deer harvests will benefit all of Pennsylvania."

Levdansky serves on the House Game and Fisheries Committee and also as treasurer of the Legislative Budget and Finance Committee.

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