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Thank You

From EVFD

To the editor:

Emporium Volunteer Fire Department thanks everyone who attended our recent Fire Prevention Open House. A special thank you to the following who donated to our event: L&M Lumber, Olivett's, Dave's NAPA, South Park Supply, Helen Erskine, Sheetz, Medicine Shoppe, Rite-Aid, WLEM/WQKY, Cameron County Echo, Endeavor Media, Charles Cole Wellness Center, DCNR, Pizza Palace Plus and STAT MedEvac.

Thanks also to the following organizations/agencies that participated in Open House: Cameron County Ambulance, Mountaineer Search & Rescue, Pa. State Police from the Emporium barracks, Cameron County Emergency Management and the Cameron County Incident Response Team.

Butch Housler, Chief

Stop Killing So

Many Deer!

To the editor:

We must stop the continued decimation of Pennsylvania's deer herd.

Deer hunters provide a $5 billion economic impact in Pennsylvania. The sport is central to the economy of many counties in the northern tier.

Starting in 2000, the Game Commission switched to a concurrent two-week buck/doe season. From 2000 through 2006, hunters slaughtered more than 3,000,000 deer. The PGC reports that 25 percent - that's 500,000 - of this kill was button bucks. It is no wonder that there are no bucks being seen on the public land.

The justification for the high antlerless deer license allotments action is "scientific deer management, herd health, habitat health and deer/human conflicts." That's all just an excuse to slaughter more deer.

We all have been informed that the primary reason for the massive doe kills the last six years was to improve the habitat. Before we started the deer slaughter, regeneration rates for tree plots was, on average, about 47 percent. Since we have killed some 3,000,000 deer over the last six years, regeneration now is up to 49 percent.

I believe they have a regeneration goal of about 75 percent. Imagine the low deer numbers it would take to reach that figure.

DCNR and foresters admit privately that the acidic condition of the soil has a significant effect on regeneration. What are the DCNR/foresters going to do about acid rain? Are they going to lime the soil to improve the pH and improve regeneration? No, they just keep killing deer; it's cheaper.

Money talks, and that's what calls the shots today for the power brokers, the forest financial interests and their lobbyists in the state. The 1 million hunters of this state have funded the PGC for the last 110 years. However, these loyal hunters now need to understand that the commissioners have sold them out.

Six years after the start of the program, we are at 49 percent regeneration with a goal of 75 percent. Just how far will they go and how long do the commissioners intend to stick with this plan? Without liming, the goal of 75 percent regeneration is not possible, but the commissioners will just continue on their current mode because that's what they're being told to do.

Hunters, hunt for your buck, but please do not shoot the doe or the fawns; there are only a few left on the public land, and they are our last hope to restore the herd.

Also write the commissioners and ask them how long this "kill the deer to improve the habitat" program is going to last. Contact them by letter; they will not respond to emails or phone calls.

Finally, contact your state senator and state representative today. Remember, we are 1,000,000 strong. We can muster 3 to 5 million votes. If we act now, we can stop this problem.

Joe Miceli, Director Unified Sportsmen of Pa.