WHAT EXACTLY ARE STATE GAME LANDS?

by Eric Miller, Chief

Public Lands Habitat Section

Bureau of Wildlife Habitat Management

Pennsylvania Game Commission

To many outdoor recreation enthusiasts, State Game Lands (SGL) are just like State Forests and State Parks; open to the public for recreational use. On an average day in July, a visitor may see bikers, hikers or folks on horseback. If a visitor saw these activities occurring, there would be little reason to think of SGLs as something completely different than a State Park or Forest. However, there is a little known fact about SGLs and why they were purchased of which so many Commonwealth citizens are unware.

State Parks and Forests are owned and managed by the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) which is responsible for providing recreational opportunities for Pennsylvanians. The State Parks and Forests were purchased to meet this objective. State Game Lands, on the other hand, are owned and managed by the Pennsylvania Game Commission (PGC) and were almost entirely purchased with money raised from the sales of hunting and trapping licenses to provide hunting and trapping opportunities. An additional purpose of the SGL system is the conservation and management of Pennsylvania’s habitat and the wildlife that depend on them.

Because hunters and trappers purchased SGLs, the Game Commission is mandated by state and federal law to provide hunting and trapping opportunities as its primary objective. Any other activity is considered a secondary or alternative use and is subordinate to hunting and trapping. While non-hunting or trapping activities are an alternative use, the PGC sees value in sharing the SGL system with the non-hunting outdoor enthusiast. And why not? SGLs are among the most scenic and wild places in Pennsylvania! However, because PGC receives federal funding annually based on the amount of public hunting land and number of licenses sold, any activity viewed as a diversion of hunting or trapping opportunity could jeopardize this important income which is why the PGC closely monitors all alternative activities.

It is important for the PGC to share the beauty of the SGL system with all Pennsylvanians yet protect the primary objectives. This is why the Pennsylvania Game Commission manages a designated route system (more than 1,000 miles) across the SGLs as a way of providing primary and alternative activities. Designated routes are typically marked with appropriate signage at Game Lands parking areas. In addition, maps of routes are available through the Commission’s Mapping Center found on our webpage which lists the routes by region. Beginning in 2016, PGC will begin using new, more descriptive route markers at trail heads combined with other methods to help alternate users navigate the SGL designated route system. Because some SGLs were once private property, public roads often meander through them. These roads should not be confused with SGL roads open for travel. SGL roads open for travel are roads that are maintained by PGC staff and may only be seasonally open or only open to a certain point, like a parking lot. As with our designated routes, roads open to travel are marked with appropriate signage (including dates that travel is permitted) and may be closed at certain times due to weather or hunting seasons.

To aid in monitoring designated routes, the Game Commission drafted SGL regulations which went into effect on February 1, 2003. Under the new regulations, anyone who rides a non-motorized vehicle, conveyance or animal on State Game Lands must do so only on designated routes. Because hunting and trapping are the primary objective of SGLs, designated route restrictions apply during some hunting seasons.

As an example, riding activities will not be permitted, except on Sundays or on roads open to public travel, from the last Saturday in September to the third Saturday in January, and after 1 p.m. from the second Saturday in April to the last Saturday in May. However, this does not apply to anyone lawfully engaged in hunting, trapping or fishing on State Game Lands. If you are planning to utilize all that the State Game Lands system has to offer, please refer to the regulations for Game Lands use. These regulations were put in place so these invaluable areas remain wild and pristine. For this reason, we strongly encourage that all trail regulations be adhered to, and to partner with other users in helping to educate all about the SGL system and its primary purposes.

The State Game Lands system is indeed a gem of Pennsylvania. It provides an important wild place for hunters and trappers to pursue their pastime and escape from ordinary life for a while. Because of this, it is a treasure to those who purchased it. Yet those same folks realize that it is a place of such high value that it should be shared with anyone who would enjoy all that Pennsylvania has to offer.