Pa. Game Commission looks to add thousands of more acres to game lands

The Pennsylvania Game Commission is considering the purchase of more than 7,000 acres of land to be part of various public game lands across the state and it’s considering a mineral and gas rights in Tioga County with bonus payments to the agency totaling more than $10 million.

The agency’s board of commissioners will consider the various offers during its meeting July 12 in Harrisburg.

According to the agency’s agenda for the meeting, the parcels include:

• Bingaman & Son Lumber is offering 1,747 acres of land in St. Marys, Elk County, adjoining State Game Land No. 14. The option price is $3,275,625. The Open Space Institute awarded the Game Commission a $400,000 Land Trust Grant to be used toward the purchase. The Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation will contribute $710,000 and The Nature Conservancy will contribute $100,000.
• The Nature Conservancy is offering 1,153 acres of land in Northampton Township, Somerset County, near State Game Land No. 82. The Game Commission committed to providing up to $1,875,000 toward the acquisition.
• The Western Pennsylvania Conservancy is offering for sale 660 acres of land in Cherry and Clay Townships, Butler County, adjoining State Game Land No. 95 for $1,165,344.
• The Nature Conservancy is offering 578.1 acres of land in Logan and Frankstown Township, Blair County, near State Game Land No. 166. The option price is $575,000.
• The Nature Conservancy is offering 504 acres of land in Middle Paxton Township, Dauphin County, adjoining State Game Land No. 211. The option price is $2,000,000
• Russell Howard LLC is offering 210.4 acres of land in Howard Township, Centre County, adjacent to State Game Land No. 323 for $600,000.
• The Western Pennsylvania Conservancy is offering for sale 195 acres of land in Coolspring Township, Mercer County, adjoining State Game Land No. 294 for $160,000.
• Natural Lands Trust, Inc. is offering 139.44 acres of land in Heidelberg Township, Lebanon County and Elizabeth Township, Lancaster County, near State Game Land No. 46. The option price is $86,000.
• Natural Lands Trust, Inc. is offering 72.69 acres of land in East Penn Township, Carbon County, adjacent to State Game Land No. 217 for $324,666.67.
• George C. Booth is offering 10 acres of land in Buffington Township, Indiana County. It is an indenture to State Game Land No. 79, and the option price is $6,500.
• The estate of Mary Ann Kitko is offering 7.25 acres of land in Beccaria Township, Clearfield County, adjacent to State Game Land No. 60. The option price is $7,250.
• Dennis J. Dobish is offering 7 acres of land in Beccaria Township, Clearfield County, adjacent to State Game Land No. 60. The option price is $7,000.
• Natural Lands Trust is offering 6.6 acres of land in Nockamixon Township, Bucks County, an indenture to State Game Land No. 56, for $23,000.
• Wespath Benefits and Investments, joined by the General Board of Global Ministries of the United Methodist Church, are offering their combined one-half interest in 2,271.30 acres of subsurface oil, gas and mineral real estate located in and under State Game Land No. 66. The option price is $2,384,865.
• The agency is also looking at a gas and oil lease contract. JKLM Energy, LLC, of Sewickley, requested the commission offer its oil and gas rights under portions of State Game Land No. 37 for non-surface use development. The proposed tract, containing approximately 3,458.98 net acres, is located in Tioga Township, Tioga County. The terms of the Agreement are a 10-year paid-up non-surface use oil and gas agreement, a $3,000 per net oil and gas acre bonus payment and 16.5% royalty for all oil/gas and other liquids or condensates produced and sold from the proposed tract. The total bonus to be paid will be $10,376,940.

In other matters, the agency will also consider renaming the Northern Goshawk to the American Goshawk on its list of endangered birds. The change is to separate the North American bird from its European counterpart.

This meeting will begin at 10 a.m. in agency’s headquarters in Harrisburg. The agency reports public comment is accepted on a first-to-register, first-to-speak basis. Registration will begin at 8 a.m.

The agenda for this meeting is available at www.pgc.pa.gov. Under “Information and Resources,” click on “Upcoming Events,” then click on the “Draft Agenda” link.

The Game Commission’s headquarters is located at 2001 Elmerton Ave., just off the Progress Avenue exit of Interstate 81. The meeting will be livestreamed on the Game Commission’s YouTube channel.

Brian Whipkey is the outdoors columnist for USA TODAY Network sites in Pennsylvania. Contact him atbwhipkey@gannett.com and sign up for our weekly Go Outdoors PA newsletter email on this website's homepage under your login name. Follow him on Facebook@whipkeyoutdoors.