During a meeting Tuesday, the Pennsylvania Game Commission board of directors tabled taking a vote on a proposal to charge a permit fee to people who bicycle, snowmobile or ride a horse on designated state game lands trails. Instead, the PGC executive director will re-evaluate the issue, and it will be back on the agenda for the board's December meeting.

"Many on the board said they continue to believe action is necessary to curb damage occurring on game lands through heavier-impact uses that occur not only on authorized trails, but in other areas of game lands where such uses are unauthorized and illegal," said Travis Lau, PGC press secretary. "By requiring a permit, the Pennsylvania Game Commission would have a vehicle for providing information about game lands and regulations."The meeting was held at the Lamplighter Inn, Delmont. The board heard public comment about the permit proposal on Monday and voted Tuesday.The permit would apply only to those riding bicycles, horses or snowmobiles on designated trails on state game lands. According to the proposal as outlined, those holding a valid hunting or furtaker's license would be exempt from the permit requirement. The permit would have be added into the existing State Game Lands Shooting Range Permit, which costs $30.Throughout the state, there are more than 1,328 miles of designated trails on game lands for horseback riding, bicycling and snowmobiling. According to the PGC, maintenance of those trails has costs about $230,000 in the past three years. Projects related to the use of the trails, such as maintenance of game lands roads and parking lots, topped $4 million in the same time period.