Procurement News Notice |
|
| PNN | 9807 |
| Work Detail | Land set aside along the Lehigh River in Allen Township will be open for seasonal hunting as part of a program administered by the state Game Commission. When the Board of Supervisors approved the purchase of a 12-acre parcel late last year at 614 West 27th St., it announced plans to link it to 45 acres it owns to the north and a 27.5 acre piece to the south it has leased from PP&L Corp. since the late 1990s to create nearly 85 acres for hiking, bird watching and other passive recreational activities. But with the approach of hunting season, which runs through January, and no means to provide law enforcement and shield itself from liability, supervisors voted 4-1 Thursday to enter into the public access program, overseen by the Game Commission, to open it up to permitted seasonal hunting. Hunting will be limited to archery and restricted to Allen Township residents by permit only, which is free of charge. It will be open for hunting on all land but the PP&L parcel, where hunting is not allowed per the terms of the lease. Supervisor Larry Oberly, who cast the lone vote against, said there is no guarantee of ensuring public safety if the land is open to hunting. In particular he said he was concerned about the well-being of children who might be there as part of school field trips. "I don't believe schoolchildren being there and hunters being there at the same time is safe," he said. The township formed a committee late last year to develop an open space plan for the township to determine how to best use land for recreation. The committee's work is ongoing. Until that plan is finalized, there is no harm in opening the riverfront land for permitted hunting, Supervisor Dale Hassler said. "We all know that right now it's being hunted — this is a way we can exercise control," he said. "Right now we don't have a plan." Supervisor Gary Behler, an active hunter, said participation in the program will ensure the land is patrolled by Game Commission personnel. Had they chose not to participate, he said, the township would be liable should an accident as a result of hunting occur. And with only 57 acres to work with, hunters won't be there in great numbers because the space is too small, he continued. "I'm a hunter; I have no intention of hunting there," Behler said. The final piece, a 12-acre homestead purchased last December from the Nagle family, features a 164 year-old stone manor the township is considering retaining, although it needs extensive interior work, Township Manager Ilene Eckhart said. The Nagles retain ownership of 64 acres on the opposite side of the railroad tracks that bisect the property. |
| Country | United States , Northern America |
| Industry | Forestry |
| Entry Date | 15 Oct 2016 |
| Source | http://www.mcall.com/news/local/northampton-sd/mc-allen-township-0908-20160908-story.html |
