Belt Woods Hunting.Pdf
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To: City Council From: John L. Fitzwater Acting City Manager Subject: Belt Woods Hunting Date: November 16, 2016 City Council has received concerns about hunting activities on the Belt Woods property located in the northwest quadrant of Church Road and Route 214. In October 2016, the Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) opened Belt Woods to public hunting for the first time. The following e-mail was sent by DNR to hunters describing this opportunity. “There is a new public hunting opportunity available in Prince George’s County. As of October 20, 2016 the 625 acre Belt Woods Natural Environment Area (NEA) will be available for regulated deer hunting which will take place during the archery, muzzle loader, and firearms seasons. The program will follow established season dates and bag limits found in the 2016-2017 Guide to Hunting and Trapping in Maryland. Hunter access to Belt Woods NEA will require possession of a free Southern Region Public Hunting Permit and daily reservations available from the Myrtle Grove WMA office. Hunters must park in the designated parking area only. This property can accommodate up to 8 hunters per day. This program is designed to provide managed public hunting access to the site (Belt Woods NEA). After a comprehensive analysis and review of existing activities and practices on the property, park managers, in consultation with wildlife biologists and experts, decided to continue the limited and managed deer hunt program as a vital tool in ongoing efforts to manage the local population of white-tailed deer.” As indicated above the property is open to eight hunters per day by permit and reservation. Deer hunting is all that is allowed. There is a 300 yard safety zone from the Tall Oaks School, which abuts the Belt Woods property, and a 150 yard safety zone around the entire property. According to DNR, Belt Woods has been hunted for years by a private hunt club. This is the first year that it has been open to the general public. The buffer zone is labeled and posted on the property so hunters should clearly know when they are able to hunt. Three tenants live on the Belt Woods property and a safety zone around these properties has been created as well. DNR marks the property by signs that indicate hunting, non- hunting and safety zones. The signs are placed close enough together so that you can see one sign when standing next to a different sign. They are planning on having more presence of the Natural Resources Police on this property as well. According to DNR the shots will not go beyond the buffer 2 zone and exit the property. Hunting is allowed ½ hour before sunrise and ½ hour after sunset. The number of shots fired will not be continuous like a firing range, but will be periotic and infrequent. Parking for the hunters is designated just inside the gate to the property that is accessed off of Church Road. Hunters that register are given the combination to the pad lock that is on the gate that allows the hunters to bring their cars through the gate and off of Church Road. The weapons that will be allowed for hunting are bow, cross bow, muzzle loader single shot rifle and shotguns. Deer hunting is all that is allowed. There are overlapping seasons for each of these weapons as follows: • Muzzle Loaded Rifle Hunting – October 20th to October 29th • Bow and Crossbow Hunting – October 30th to November 26th • Firearms/Shotgun Hunting – November 26th to December 10th • Bow and Crossbow Hunting – December 11th to December 16th • Muzzle Loaded Rifle Hunting – December 17th to December 31st • Bow and Crossbow Hunting – January 1st to January 5th • Firearms/Shotgun Hunting – January 6th, 7th, and 8th • Bow and Crossbow Hunting – January 9th to January 31st Part of the reason hunting is being allowed is to better manage this old growth forest. Too large of a deer population creates overeating of the forest and damage to the forest as a result of this overeating. These kinds of programs help keep this old growth forest, which is unique, healthy. DNR emphasized that deer are an ecological danger to this property that can have devastating consequences if left unchecked. An overabundance of deer also impacts surrounding areas in terms of increased number of deer and vehicle strikes and deer coming onto private property and eating vegetation. Finally, there is an increased likelihood of Lyme disease with an overabundance of deer. DNR owns the property so this is considered public lands. There is currently no exterior management group associated with this property. This is totally managed by DNR. The Park Service Division of DNR manages the property. The Wildlife and Heritage Division of DNR manages the hunting. Notification to the public about public hunting on this property involved a news release on the web site of DNR. According to DNR, the reason for not having a public hearing on this is that hunting has occurred on this property for at least 25 years. DNR contacted the principal and security staff at Tall Oaks Elementary and provided schedule details and maps. They also notified Six Flags and the three tenants that live on the property. DNR’s perspective is that this is a much more structured and managed process. The only thing that is new is the public hunting aspect. Before unlimited number of hunters could hunt on the property through the private gun club. Now, only eight hunters per day are allowed. Before there were 150 yard buffers around any house and school, but the buffers around roads were less than 150 yards. The new buffers, at 150 yards around the entire property and 300 yards at the school, are greater than they were before. DNR indicated that this is a very conservative buffer zone and much greater than they put on some of their properties. 3 The following DNR representatives will attend the City Council meeting: • Ranger Steve McCoy, Central Regional Manager Maryland Park Service • Mike Riley, Maryland Park Service Regional Manager • David Heilmeier, Maryland Wildlife and Heritage Service Regional Manager The following attachments have been provided by DNR: • Map of the Hunting Area • Specific Hunting Information that is shared with all hunters using Belt Woods • Principles of Leave No Trace JLF/adf Attachments Tall Oaks 4 High School ü No Hunting d a o Six Flags R h c America r u h C oute 214) nue (MD R entral Ave C Belt Woods Natural Environment Area ü Parking Area Property Boundary 0 1,000 2,000 Safety Zone Boundary Feet Maryland Department of Natural Resources Wildlife and Heritage Service Rules for the Southern Region Public Hunting Areas 2016-2017 SEASON New this year: - Parkers Creek WMA in Calvert County will open to deer hunting on Oct. 14th (all seasons). A shooter qualification and orientation will be required in addition to your permit and daily reservation. For information on qualification and orientation dates see schedule on reverse side. - At Riverside WMA a blind site has been established – open Monday through Saturday permit and daily reservation required. - Myrtle Point Park CWMA will open to archery deer hunting on Oct. 17th. The Southern Region Public Hunting Permit and daily reservation are required. During the month of October, hunting is Monday through Friday. Starting in November until the end of archery season, hunting is Monday through Saturday. - Belt Woods NEA will open to deer hunting only on Oct. 20th. The Southern Region Public Hunting Permit and daily reservation are required. Note: - Trapping applications are due by October 14th. 1. To apply for an annual permit, you must provide your 2016-2017 MD Hunting License Number, DNRid, Mailing Address, Date of Birth, telephone number(s) and vehicle tag number(s). You can apply online at http://dnr2.maryland.gov/wildlife/Pages/publiclands/wmasouthern.aspx or mail the information to: Myrtle Grove WMA, 5625 Myrtle Grove Rd., La Plata, MD 20646. NOTE: Permits and maps are available in person Monday through Friday 8:00 am to 12 noon, nine calendar days before the September dove season through January 31, excluding holidays and service reduction days. Outside of these dates and times, you should call ahead before stopping by (301-743-5161). 2. You can make a reservation by calling 301-743-5161 between the hours of 8:00 am and 12 noon. You must give your permit number and the date and area you wish to hunt. Calls will be taken on first come first serve basis. Reservations are “Phone Only” from 8-9. After 9, reservations may be made in person or by phone. NO RESERVATIONS WILL BE ACCEPTED ON THE ANSWERING MACHINE OR BY EMAIL. Reservations may be made as follows: You can only have a reservation at one site on any date. You may make a reservation for yourself and two other hunters in the same area (three other hunters for waterfowl and Cheltenham WMA deer). You may reserve one date and area per phone call and can call as many times as needed to make your reservations or reservations for other permit holders. Reservations for waterfowl hunting will be accepted no more than 4 calendar days in advance. All other reservations will be accepted no more than 8 calendar days in advance. PLEASE NOTE: From February 1st through the end of the late resident goose season reservations will be taken only on Tuesday and Friday from 8:00 am until 9:00 am. Spring Turkey season reservations for those areas that require them will be taken on Mondays from 8:00 am until Noon. 3. Permission to hunt does not include permission to trap, target shoot, build tree stands, camp, build fires or litter.