As people flock to state parks as a way to escape to the outdoors during the COVID-19 crisis, upcoming events planned by the Pennsylvania Game Commission could prove to be just as popular.
State game lands driving tours will be held in various regions during October, an annual event that offers the public a firsthand look at wildlife habitat projects and other work being done on the parcels.
Over the years, several of the tours routinely attract quite a crowd, and that could increase this year.
“We‘ve seen an increase in the use of state parks, state forests and game lands, and there certainly could be increased attendance given that these tours allow people of all ages to get outside while maintaining safe social-distancing in the midst of COVID-19,” said PGC spokesman Travis Lau.
The agency has been fielding calls from the public inquiring about the tours, so the interest is already present weeks ahead of time.
Bill Williams, information and education supervisor for the Northeast Region, said his office has been getting several calls a week. Two tours will be held in the Northeast Region – State Game Lands 57 in Luzerne and Wyoming counties and another on State Game Lands 12 in Bradford County. Williams said each tour is popular and routinely attracts 500 to 600 people. Sometimes the turnout is much larger, such as 2015 when more than 2,200 people participated in three game lands tours in the northeast.
Despite the crowds, Williams doesn’t anticipate any issues with social distancing protocols because the tours are outdoors, self-guided and lengthy. The SGL 57 tour is 30 miles, while the SGL 12 route is 28 miles.
The tours do offer several stops along the way where participants can meet with agency personnel and conservation groups to learn about specific habitat projects. But Williams said those locations shouldn’t be a problem for social distancing.
“We’ll make it a point to make sure social distancing can be maintained,” Williams said. “for these tours, the numbers are spread out along the routes. We can accommodate 100 people and not have an issue because of the length, which actually makes this an ideal activity.”
While the status of the tours were up in the air due to COVID-19 concerns, there has only been one year that the events were cancelled. In 2016, the PGC canceled the tours across the state due to budget constraints. The following year, the agency shifted money from other areas to fund the tours and bring them back.
In the northeast, game lands tours have been held for at least 20 years and the only time there was an issue was 2011. Severe flooding wiped out infrastructure on SGL 57 that year, and the agency canceled the tour.
“These tours are held rain or shine, and the potential is there for large crowds this year,” Williams said. “We’re prepared for it and there’s a value to these events when it comes to showcasing wildlife habitat projects to the public.”
Scheduled state game lands driving tours (as of Sept. 11):
- Sunday, Oct. 4; Driving Tour of State Game Lands 108; Cambria County; 11 a.m. – 4 p.m.
- Sunday, Oct. 4; Driving Tour of State Game Lands 57; Luzerne and Wyoming Counties; 9 a.m. – 1 p.m.
- Sunday, Oct. 11; Driving Tour of State Game Lands 12; Bradford County; 9 a.m. – 1 p.m.
- Sunday, Oct. 11; Driving Tour of State Game Lands 26, Bedford County; Noon – 3 p.m.
- Sunday, Oct. 18; Driving Tour of State Game Lands 211; Dauphin County; 9 a.m. – 3 p.m.
- Sunday, Oct. 18; Driving Tour of State Game Lands 110; Berks County; 9 a.m. – 3 p.m.
- Sunday, Oct. 18; Driving Tour of State Game Lands 67, Huntingdon County; Noon – 3 p.m.
