City of Lock Haven Seeks Hunters to Support Local Forest Health and Control Deer Population Through Free DMAP Coupons
Get a free DMAP coupon at City Hall while supplies last and harvest additional antlerless deer on any of the three city-owned forest properties during hunting season.
LOCK HAVEN— Hunters in the Lock Haven area have a new opportunity to make a difference in local forest health and sustainability. This week, the City of Lock Haven announced the availability of free Deer Management Assistance Program (DMAP) coupons for local hunters, which can be exchanged for antlerless deer tags that are valid on any of the three forest properties owned by the city during deer hunting season. This initiative aims to address longstanding challenges on approximately 5,000 acres of city-owned forest surrounding the city’s water sources.
The DMAP program was developed by the Pennsylvania Game Commission (PGC), to help landowners address deer-related damage on their property. Through DMAP, additional antlerless deer tags are made available for specific properties where a temporary reduction in deer populations is necessary to accomplish the city’s forest management goals.
The City of Lock Haven has been working to restore approximately 5,000 acres of forest surrounding its vital water sources. This effort began over ten years ago, when the city partnered with The Nature Conservancy (TNC) through a Working Woodlands Conservation Easement. Since then, TNC has assisted the city with developing a forest management plan.
One of the main goals of the city’s forest management plan is restore our forest’s “understory”—the small plants, seedlings, and saplings that grow at or near ground level. The understory is considered to be “tomorrow’s forest”, so it plays a crucial role in local forest sustainability.
In a press release issued by Lock Haven City Manager Greg Wilson and Mike Wolf of Appalachian Forest Consultants, LLC, the correlation between deer and local forest’s understory was briefly explained. “The impacts of both deer and invasive plants have been evident in PA forests for many decades. Deer eat most of the understory plants that are important to sustainability, and they do not eat the plants that can cause major understory problems. Deer impacts and invasive plant expansion go hand in hand, and both need to be controlled to improve forest health and sustainability.”
Although the deer population is down significantly compared to the population decades ago, the current population still negatively impacts the city’s forests since the understory has
been unhealthy for many decades, so even a small deer population can cause further harm. To address this, the city is taking action by requesting support from local hunters who are willing to play a role in the effort to revitalize its forest’s understory by harvesting additional antlerless deer on the city’s forested properties.
Hunters with an interest in supporting the City of Lock Haven’s forest management goals are invited to stop by City Hall at 20 E. Church Street to pick up a free DMAP coupon while supplies last. The DMAP coupon and payment of a $10.97 state fee (or $35.97 for non-residents), secures an antlerless deer tag that is valid for use on any of the three city-owned forest properties during the upcoming hunting season. Those three properties are the Castanea Block Management Zone, Keller Block Management Zone, and Ohl Block Management Zone. Additional information about these locations is available online by visiting www.lockhavenpa.gov/government/cityauthority/forest/.
DMAP coupons can be picked up at City Hall Monday through Friday, from 8:30 a.m. to noon and again from 1:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. After recieving your coupon, it can be taken to any license-issueing agent or local business where hunting licenses are sold, or a DMAP tag can also be purchased online at www.huntfish.pa.gov.
For those interested in learning more about the City of Lock Haven’s forest management efforts, a summary of the plan is available on the city’s website linked below. http://lockhavenpa.gov/government/cityauthority/forest/.
More information about DMAP can be found online through the link below or by searching the web for “PA DMAP Program PGC.”
For further information or to ask questions, City Manager Greg Wilson can be contacted at (570) 893-5901 or gwilson@lockhavenpa.gov. Mike Wolf of Appalachian Forest Consultants, LLC, can be reached at (814) 659-1280 or mike.wolf.afc@gmail.com.
