Latest News from State Capitol and 55th District
11/14/2024
What are Those Purple Shapes Painted on Trees?
As hunters prepare for the first day of rifle season for both antlered and antlerless deer beginning the Saturday after Thanksgiving, I thought it wise to review a newer law regarding property lines and how they relate to trespassing.
Have you noticed more and more trees and posts, mostly in rural areas, adorned with purple blotches of paint?
Roughly five years ago, Act 103 of 2019 went into effect. It gives landowners another option to communicate that their property is off limits. For generations, landowners relied on plastic or paper “POSTED” signs. Now, they can paint a purple mark which must be at least 1-inch wide and 8 inches in length. The bottom of the mark must be at least 3 feet from the ground but not higher than 5 feet.
I suppose it could be debated whether a POSTED sign or purple mark is less sightly. But for property owners, there are several advantages to using purple marks.
Because the marks or signs are to be no less than 100 feet from each other, it will be considerably less expensive to use the paint option.
In addition, though most hunters are respectful of property lines, intentional trespassers have been known to remove signs, hoping to claim they didn’t realize they crossed property lines, should they get caught.
The one exception to trespassing is that a person may go onto a private property to retrieve a hunting dog.
Standard trespass laws in the Commonwealth apply to someone who knowingly enters another person’s property. However, defiant trespass is applied to someone who has been notified of the property line but has stayed anyway. Entering land that is posted either with signs or purple shapes is considered such notification.
Defiant trespass in Pennsylvania is punishable by up to a year in prison and $2,500 in fines. If trespassing occurs while hunting, additional game law violations and penalties may apply.
Hunting is a tradition in Pennsylvania for many families and sportspeople. Having clear and easy-to-understand regulations will help make sure this tradition continues.
There are almost 1 million licensed hunters in the Commonwealth and according to statistics provided by the Pennsylvania Game Commission (PGC), white-tailed deer hunting is growing in popularity. In 2023, nearly 423,000 white-tailed deer were harvested in the Commonwealth, an increase from just over 375,000 the prior year. The PGC also states that 26% of deer hunters harvested an antlered deer and that harvested antlerless deer success was 27%.
To increase interest in the sport, the PGC offers “Learn to Hunt” seminars. Those interested can register for the seminars at pgc.pa.gov. However, you can also find recordings of previous seminars on the PGC YouTube channel, YouTube.com@PAGameCommissionHDQTRS.
I want to take this opportunity to wish all hunters the best of luck this season! If you are successful, it is important to remember the Hunters Sharing the Harvest program, Pennsylvania’s venison donation program that connects deer processors and food banks to help local residents struggling with food security.
Since the creation of the program in 1991, nearly 2 million pounds of venison were donated. One deer can equate to 200 servings of meat. To learn more and to find a local participating processor, visit sharedeer.org.
Here are some additional news topics and reminders I would like to share.
Heating Assistance Program Now Open - With cold weather knocking at the door, residents who struggle with their home heating bills are reminded they can now apply for assistance from the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP).
LIHEAP is a federally funded program that helps individuals and families pay their heating bills through home heating energy assistance grants. It also provides crisis grants to help in the event of an emergency or if a resident is in danger of losing his or her heat due to broken equipment, lack of fuel or termination of utility service.
The income eligibility guidelines for LIHEAP are set at 150% of the federal poverty income level. For example, the gross income limit for an individual is $22,590 and for a family of four it is $46,800.
Residents may apply for LIHEAP online at www.compass.state.pa.us, by phone at 1-866-550-4355, or by contacting the Westmoreland County Assistance Office by calling 1-800-905-5413. You can also contact my Washington Township/Export office at 724-387-9113 or my New Kensington office at 724-472-4102.
For more information, visit www.pa.gov/en/agencies/dhs.html and find the section marked Home Heating Help. The program runs through April 4, 2025.
Apply Now for Senior Community Center Grants - The Pennsylvania Department of Aging (PDA) is now accepting applications for $2 million in new competitive grant funding opportunities for Pennsylvania’s Senior Community Centers (SCCs).
The grants are for projects aimed at increasing participation and programming, attracting a new generation of older adults, and enabling centers to provide a safe and healthy environment for local seniors.
All applications and required documentation must be submitted electronically by 5 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 13. To learn more, visit www.pa.gov/en/services/aging/apply-for-senior-community-center-grants.html.
DHS Warns of Potential EBT Cards Scam - The Pennsylvania Department of Human Services (DHS) is informing Pennsylvanians of a potential text message scam targeting individuals who receive Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits.
The text claims the user’s EBT card has been deactivated and directs the user to call a number to reactivate it. This is a scam. DHS will never text an individual to say that an EBT card has been deactivated.
Please report any texts or calls about DHS benefits that seem suspicious by calling the DHS fraud tip line at 1-844-DHS-TIPS (1-844-347-8477).