Joe Neville's Testimony....
May 18, 2016
Senate Fish and Game Committee Hearing on Sunday Hunting
Good morning, Chairman Scavello, Chairman Brewster, and members of the committee. My name is Joe Neville, and I’m the Executive Director of the Keystone Trails Association.
The Keystone Trails Association represents and advocates for the interests and concerns of the Pennsylvania hiking community.
We currently represent over 44 clubs and organizations as well as thousands of individual Pennsylvanians who hike and enjoy the Commonwealth’s outdoor resources. We are not an antihunting organization, but we oppose expansion of Sunday hunting.
We are the voice of hundreds of thousands of people who use our state and local lands regularly. In fact, DCNR [Department of Conservation and Natural Resources] surveys show that upwards of 25% of Pennsylvanians consider themselves hikers. Sunday hunting would impact all outdoor recreation clubs, environmental educators, hikers, trail runners, bikers, trail maintainers and builders, birders, equestrians, and landowners. Our club members participate in thousands of hikes per year and volunteer over 15,000 hours maintaining 3,000 miles of trails, including the Appalachian Trail.
The percentage of hunters in relationship to the general population that also enjoys being outdoors in Pennsylvania is minimal. Most of the Commonwealth’s residents would like at least one day a week to stroll in our woodlands and forests without the fear of guns and hunters and the perceived safety issues they create.
Many groups like ours organize hikes and other outdoor activities, specifically on Sunday, to avoid conflicts on other hunting days. Many of these people are simply not comfortable recreating in areas with active gun hunting, and their views have validity. Pennsylvania families and residents specifically plan their trips on Sundays to avoid conflicts with hunters and enjoy wild places with peace of mind knowing that they are safe.
We believe that nonhunters should be able enjoy our state lands peacefully for at least 1 day a week. It is as simple as that.
We’re asking you to oppose any Sunday hunting expansion because we believe there should be at least 1 day that people can go outdoors, hike, bird watch, trail run, maintain public trails—or do whatever—and not be concerned about hunting. We are not an antihunting group. We are hiker and a trail user rights group.
Thank you for the opportunity to share our views with you today.