Improvements Make PA State Park Online Reservation More Consumer-Friendly

 Harrisburg – Conservation and Natural Resources Acting Secretary Cindy Adams Dunn announced that the department is upgrading its online system for Pennsylvania state park campsite, cabin and pavilion reservations.

The new system on DCNR’s website is now live.

“One of the key new features is the ability for customers to make a state park reservation on a mobile device,” Dunn said. “Many people now seek information and make their travel plans on their smart phones and other devices. This upgrade fits nicely with Gov. Wolf’s effort to highlight government that works, making it a better experience for our visitors to interact with DCNR when making plans to visit a state park.”

The online reservation system was first launched in 2006. This update includes:

• ·         Better campsite descriptions;
• ·         Easier site navigation;
• ·         An upgraded map view;
• ·         Mobile reservation capabilities;
• ·         Availability notifications;
• ·         A simpler check out process; and
• ·         Increased security.

Users can search for available campsites, picnic pavilions and other facilities on-line as well as make reservations at their convenience.

“Pennsylvania has 120 state parks that offer incredible activities to explore our rich legacy of forests, lakes, mountains, trails, wildlife and natural heritage,” Dunn said. “With that many options there’s something for everyone, and arranging an overnight stay is now even easier.”

DCNR has a one-year contract within renewal options for an additional four years with ACTIVE Network™ for the cloud-based reservation system.

To make online reservations, park users should visit www.visitPAparks.com and click on “Reservations.” On-line visitors can access the reservation system 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Visitors can charge reservations with their credit cards. Reservations can be made up to 11 months prior to a planned arrival date.

Park visitors also may call the toll-free number 1-888-PA-PARKS (888-727-2757) to receive information and make reservations. This service is available Monday through Saturday from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. except for major holidays.

Pennsylvania’s 120 state parks are open year round and attract about 38 million visitors a year. They offer about 6,200 campsites; 300 cabins; 91 camping and deluxe cottages; and 34 yurts.

Pennsylvania state parks generate more than $1 billion in economic activity in nearby communities and support almost 13,000 related jobs.

For more information on state parks and forests in Pennsylvania visit the DCNR website at www.dcnr.state.pa.us.

Fall Reminder: Game Lands Are Hunting Grounds First

           

Some uses not related to hunting or trapping restricted during hunting seasons.

With the calendar now flipped to October, and the fall hunting seasons all to open soon, restrictions are back in place on all tracts comprising Pennsylvania’s 1.4 million-acre state game lands system.

           Unlike state or county parks, or even state or national forests, the primary purpose of Pennsylvania’s state game lands is to provide habitat for wildlife, and hunting and trapping opportunities for Pennsylvanians.

           While many secondary recreational uses of game lands unrelated to hunting or trapping traditionally have been permitted during summer months, such uses are tightly restricted beginning the last Saturday in September, which typically occurs just before the start of the statewide archery deer season.

           The restrictions remain in place through the third Saturday in January, a date that ensures the game lands system adequately serves hunters through the close of the flintlock muzzleloader deer season.

           During the restricted period, the recreational riding of horses and bicycles on game lands is permitted only on Sundays. On Mondays through Saturdays, only riding related to active hunting and trapping is permitted on game lands. 

           Recreational riding of horses and bicycles on game lands is permitted only on marked, designated trails. Designated trails that are approved for snowmobile use don’t open to snowmobiles until the third Sunday of January, and they close April 1.

           Off-road vehicles including ATVs are not permitted anywhere or at anytime on game lands. 

           Hiking is permitted on game lands throughout the year, however, hikers are advised that game lands are hunting grounds where hunting activity is likely to be occurring. Additionally, during the month surrounding the deer and bear firearms seasons – a period from Nov. 15 to Dec. 15 each year – hikers, as well as all other secondary users of game lands, must wear a minimum of 250 square inches of fluorescent orange material on the head, chest and back combined, and the orange material must be visible from 360 degrees.
           The requirement doesn’t apply on Sundays, when hunting for most game species isn’t permitted.
           Totaling more than 1.4 million acres, Pennsylvania’s state game lands system wouldn’t exist without the state’s hunters and trappers. Tracts for game lands are purchased with hunters’ dollars, derived either from the purchase of hunting and furtaker licenses, from a federal excise tax on sporting arms and ammunition, from lands or funding donated to the agency by its many conservation partners, or from things like timber sales and energy leases on existing game lands.

           With the exception of the orange requirement, restrictions on game lands use apply neither to those hiking the Appalachian Trail in areas where the trail crosses game lands, nor to users of some recreational trails, such as Rails to Trails, that are established by cooperative agreement.

           Restrictions on the uses of game lands are intended to protect wildlife habitat, preserve the tracts as prime hunting and trapping locations and make game lands safer for all, said Game Commission Executive Director R. Matthew Hough.

           “The beginning of October and the coming of autumn is always among the most-anticipated time of year for hundreds of thousands of hunters and trappers in Pennsylvania, many of whom use state game lands,” Hough said. “We wish them success in their ventures afield, and we wish all game lands visitors a safe and enjoyable season.”

Pennsylvania Outdoors Groups Fighting Stubborn Bills

By Bob Frye

This has gone on longer than anyone expected.

Months ago, lawmakers in the state House of Representatives and Senate introduced companion bills that would change how the state identifies threatened and endangered species and designates wild trout streams. House Bill 1576 and Senate Bill 1047 would require the Independent Regulatory Review Commission and a legislative committee to review any designations proposed by the Pennsylvania Game and Fish and Boat Commissions.

Both, I was told in spring, would go away quickly. It hasn't happened.

Proponents of the bills say they would make decisions on species and trout streams “transparent” for the public's sake. They also would make it possible for industry to better know what it's up against when looking to operate.

Sen. Richard Alloway, chairman of the Senate game and fisheries committee, said in a recent op-ed piece that the bills “strike the right balance between species protection and economic considerations.”

Opponents say the bills are nothing more than an attempt to put conservation second to industrial interests.

“These disparate groups don't often agree, but they are unified in their opposition to these bills. Outdoorsmen and women from across the political spectrum are united in opposition to these bills,” reads an alert from the Hiking Association.

The Game and Fish and Boat Commissions oppose them, too. They say their processes of designating species and streams for protection already are public.

Fish and Boat commissioner Len Lichvar of Somerset County went further, opining in a recent letter that House Bill 1576 in particular represents “the worst single piece of legislation I have ever seen proposed.” The existing rules haven't cost a single job or deprived any business from pursuing its objectives, he said.

“However, if this legislation passes in its current form, our precious supply of clean water will dwindle, recreational activities and sportsmen opportunities will be reduced and the strong economic engines they support will be compromised,” Lichvar said.

Yet, House Bill 1576 recently passed out of committee and could be voted on by the full House at any time. Alloway said he plans to hold a hearing on the Senate version.

Sportsmen and conservationists are rallying the troops, though. If enough speak up, maybe these bills will finally die.

State Parks Mark New Year with ‘First Day Hikes’ Across Pennsylvania

Harrisburg - Eighteen of Pennsylvania’s state parks will sponsor free, guided hikes on New Year’s Day to help visitors ring in 2013 with healthy exercise and a glimpse of nature’s winter beauty.

First Day Hikes have been taking place for 20 years as part of a national effort organized by the National Association of State Park Directors and launched in Newton, Mass. State involvement has grown to the point where, for the first time in 2012, all 50 state park systems are participating.


“We are excited to join in hosting these hikes as part of this national effort to get people outdoors and into our parks,” Department of Conservation and Natural Resources Secretary Richard Allan said. “For the second consecutive year, First Day Hikes offer a great cure for cabin fever and a chance to burn off those extra holiday calories.”

The following Pennsylvania state parks are participating in 2013:
Bald Eagle, Black Moshannon, Leonard Harrison, Kinzua Bridge, Ohiopyle, Moraine, Raccoon Creek, Pymatuning, Keystone, Kings Gap Environmental Education Center, Canoe Creek, Lackawanna, Promised Land, Nescopeck, Nolde Forest Environmental Education Center, Marsh Creek, French Creek and Delaware Canal.

“The hikes were selected to draw both novices and trail-hardened veterans into our state parks,” Allan said. “Different hikes will match different abilities.”

Pennsylvania State Park staff and volunteers will lead the hikes, which are usually less than two miles, but can be longer depending on the park and its terrain. Details about hike locations, difficulty, length, terrain and tips regarding proper clothing are listed on the America’s State Parks website at www.americasstateparks.org.

“Last year, we hosted more than 14,000 people who hiked more than 30,000 miles in our state parks across the country when we launched America’s State Parks First Day Hikes on New Year’s Day 2012 in all 50 states,” said Priscilla Geigis, president of the National Association of State Park Directors.


“To start 2013, we’re inviting kids and adults to get their hearts pumping and experience the beauty of our state parks at one of over 400 hikes nationwide. Whether you’re staying close to home or traveling, join us at one of America’s state parks on New Year’s Day,” Geigis said.
Additional details can be found at www.dcnr.state.pa.us; click on State Parks under “Quick Links,” then select “Featured Events.” For information on Pennsylvania’s 120 state parks, click on “Find a Park.”