Wildlife Commission to make payments for Sandhills Game Lands?
- Thread starter CRC
- Start date
So, effectively, the counties have found a way to steal monies payed by sportsmen for wildlife for their own purposes.
Lonehunter
Six Pointer
"The Commission, from receipts generated from use of the Sandhills Game Land"
Where do they get the funds?
Do they charge a fee to hunt on the Sandhills Game Land?
Where do they get the funds?
Do they charge a fee to hunt on the Sandhills Game Land?
Gamelands are bought, and maintained by hunters through license fees, permits, Pittman Roberson act, etc.
Probably also going after pine straw and logging receipts, any special hunt permits or fees as well as a portion of game land license receipts. Ironically, the amount to be paid may be greater than receipts in many years. Especially if they are including any acreage that is DOD owned lands. Which are, I assume, still part of the game land and managed by WRC under long-term agreements.
Logging revenue most likely is what they are wanting. Dont know how much pinestraw is sold off the gameland because that is detrimental to the longleaf pines if it is done every year. The gameland does make up alot of land in Scotland and Richmond County.
Logging crews are busy year round down there . The Sandhills gameland is a great place to just drive thru . I expect there might be more fees associated with this gameland in the near future.
Logging crews are busy year round down there . The Sandhills gameland is a great place to just drive thru . I expect there might be more fees associated with this gameland in the near future.
It is big enough that they probably get more off pine straw than logging. They just rotate areas.
CRC
Old Mossy Horns
No, not all game lands are bough by sportsmen.
Some have been donated and some have been bought by conservation groups and land trusts and state trust funds not using sportsmen dollars.
You are correct about maintenance though.
so far, logging isn't big on the Sandhills game lands from what I have seen, and I live smack in the middle of them,,, They do sell of spots / areas for pine straw raking. and rotate as nccatfisher stated,,,
what DOD land is part of the sandhills gamelands? None - yes, Camp Mckall butts up against the Sandhills, but the DOD land is managed by Fort Bragg, not the WRC.
the sandhills game land does take up a lot of land in Scotland and Richmond counties,,,and it's not like they are rich counties,,,
what DOD land is part of the sandhills gamelands? None - yes, Camp Mckall butts up against the Sandhills, but the DOD land is managed by Fort Bragg, not the WRC.
the sandhills game land does take up a lot of land in Scotland and Richmond counties,,,and it's not like they are rich counties,,,
Mack in N.C.
Old Mossy Horns
Dont' Like this at all. Also Pine straw per acre is more valuable than timber and how much timber can they cut?? you got to have 70 plus year old Longleafs for the RCW's so that is not going to work in the mgmt plan for the sandhills. they can cut tracts of Loblollies to replant in LL but Long leafs out number Loblollies.
federal govt "pays" local communities/counties for the people living on post who use the local school systems
this is a similar concept
not sure if I support or not yet
this is a similar concept
not sure if I support or not yet
did you read the proposed legislation? It's a straight $2/acre not based on reciepts etc
My bad. Thought they were managing part of Camp Mackall. Further compounded in that much of the land that is now game lands was once part of Camp Mackall but deeded over to the state after WWII with management authority going to WRC sometime thereafter. Also there is some kind of military use agreement for training on the GL.
Mack in N.C.
Old Mossy Horns
it is going to cost NC, us the ones that hunt 120,000 dollars a year. this is really garbage that a McInnis Introduced. if they do this here what is to stop other counties????????? Caswell county may want their 32,000 and what about Durham, orange, Wake, granville??? they are going to want their 100,000 plus??
Yep, sure did. That is why I said that "Ironically, the amount to be paid may be greater than receipts in many years." The bill doesn't define receipts so they might want to stretch the meaning to include a portion of the game lands license fees. With no prorated approach in the bill to make it a portion of receipts then at a flat rate of $2 per acre the WRC would owe over $128,000 each year to the counties. I suspect they don't make that off of the property some years but don't know for sure either way. The bulk of the receipts probably goes to match PR funds or fund other management activities on the GL. meaning that I doubt the WRC has it to spend without it impacting GL management. If the bill gains any traction then I suspect more information will come out.
ok, thanks
still not sure if I support or not - county schools are funded by land taxes (generally) and when large portions of counties are taken by govts there are repurcussions.
However, there is a difference between Federal lands like fort bragg, where there are families living with school age children, and the game lands,,,where no one lives,,,
my opinion is solidifying
still not sure if I support or not - county schools are funded by land taxes (generally) and when large portions of counties are taken by govts there are repurcussions.
However, there is a difference between Federal lands like fort bragg, where there are families living with school age children, and the game lands,,,where no one lives,,,
my opinion is solidifying
Correct, many think it is DOD land because they see troops on there from time to time but they are mistaken.
I just volunteered (there I go again) to man a land nav station for the SF course next month that will run all over that area we know,,,,,,,you'd think I'd learn to quit raising my hand,,,
Well we can all agree there is a reason the Sandhills gameland has been chosen as the Guinea pig for this bill. Money , follow the money. The Sandhills gameland is popular with folks and the state knows it.
Maybe another lawmaker will introduce a bill that directs part of each counties sales tax receipts to the local GL management to represent the sales tax collected from hunters coming to the county to use the game lands? Not likely to happen but bills like this SHGL one tend to overlook the added value that the game lands can bring to the county as well.
funny you say that,,,,lots of people do use the Sandhills game lands for hunting, dog training, horsey riding, bird watching, fishing , etc etc etc
I talk to a lot of them (I'm on the game lands doing something about 3-4 days a week when I am home),,
most stay, eat, and buy stuff in Southern Pines/Aberdeen area (moore county),,,not Richmond or Scotl;and counties,,,,
now to be fair,,,there is a small (very small comparatively) peice of the sandhills in Moore County,,,as well as Hoke,,,,but the MAJORITY is in Scotland and RIchmond
never say never, never say all,,,,but that is what I have seen from folks
No you won't because you love it. LOL
Mack in N.C.
Old Mossy Horns
yes. 9 out of 10 times I hunt down there I eat at the Texas steakhouse in Aberdeen.
If this bill were to pass, it will either eventually eliminate all state owned game lands in NC, or cause a dramatic rise in license/permit fees.
If the commission ends up eliminating the state owned lands, I will just about promise there will be greedy developers lined up to buy them. I'm not sure that isn't the ultimate goal anyway.
When I lived in Troy NC, I remember lots county officials always complaining about the loss of tax revenue because of the Uwharrie Nat. Forest. You never heard them complaining about all the revenue generated from the hunters, hikers, campers etc. that spent money on food and supplies though.
If the commission ends up eliminating the state owned lands, I will just about promise there will be greedy developers lined up to buy them. I'm not sure that isn't the ultimate goal anyway.
When I lived in Troy NC, I remember lots county officials always complaining about the loss of tax revenue because of the Uwharrie Nat. Forest. You never heard them complaining about all the revenue generated from the hunters, hikers, campers etc. that spent money on food and supplies though.
OutdoorsAddiction
Spike
If we do not fight stuff like this, then we asking for the state to take the land that we already pay for. This is a prime example of stealing the public's property in order to line the politicians pocket. We all know that this money will never go to the schools or any other area that need them. There are many other areas in this state where money can be cut out and sent to schools. This is an attack on Public Lands in order to cause a collapse of our access rights and eventually get their hands on the land for their developer buddies. Follow the money and you will that it will eventually end up in the Politician's pocket. We as hunters, fisherman, and trappers need to stand up and fight this or we are going to lose our access rights. I may be reading more into this than I should, but I don't trust Politicians who are out for "our benefit." Write your officials and let them know that we won't lose our access without a fight.
Southern
Ten Pointer
Bladen Lakes rakes their straw yearly, in fact, depending on when they let bids, some guys can rake the same tract twice in the same year. I dont agree with the theory that straw raking hurts timber, where I am it has been going on yearly for decades and all looks good, including my own long leaf stands. Regardless, that does not stop the state. Successful bids I have seen equate to big dollars, especially in Sandhills area where the straw is better than some other areas.
Yeah the Ips beetle is putting a stop on all that. The pinestraw raking is going to a 3 yr rotation now. They have to burn one year , rake the next year and then let the stand alone for the next year... Pinestraw raking is gonna be done away with on parts of Ft Bragg and the Sandhills gameland in the next 10 years because of that beetle.
Really meant it more for other more developed and populated areas as mentined in the quote "if they do this here what is to stop other counties????????? Caswell county may want their 32,000 and what about Durham, orange, Wake, granville??? they are going to want their 100,000 plus?? " I agree that that there are some counties like Scotland where the benefits may be in surrounding communities.