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Scott Township lawsuit stops hunting in Twin Hills Park

By Harry Funk 2 min read
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Harry Funk / Staff Twin Hills Trails Park is the subject of a dispute between Mt. Lebanon and Scott Township.

Mt. Lebanon has been ordered not to hunt in Twin Hills Park.

Allegheny County Judge Michael McCarthy ruled Oct. 5 in favor of Scott Township in its motion for an injunction against Mt. Lebanon, which is conducting a deer management program on public and private land.

Twin Hills, a 25-acre park located within Scott but owned by Mt. Lebanon, is one of three municipal parks designated as potential locations for an archery hunt contracted with nonprofit wildlife management organization White Buffalo Inc.

In its lawsuit, filed Oct. 2, Scott contends that “by permitting hunting in Twin Hills Park, Mt. Lebanon has breached its agreement with Scott Township and conditional use, and potentially created a hazardous environment.”

According to Scott, the conditional use for the park was granted to Mt. Lebanon, which purchased the Twin Hills property in 1994, for “limited recreational purposes only.”

The suit also asserts that Mt. Lebanon is violating state law by allowing hunting in a park “set aside for the use of the public where people may congregate in the open for health, recreation or pleasure.”

Susan Morgans, Mt. Lebanon municipal spokeswoman, said Mt. Lebanon administrators and its solicitor met with their Scott Township counterparts on Oct. 14. Another meeting is planned for Nov. 2 at a time and place to be determined. McCarthy ordered that a meeting take place between representatives of the two municipalities along with someone from White Buffalo.

“We want to comply with the laws of the (Pennsylvania) Game Commission and the judge’s order,” Morgans said. “We certainly want to be cooperative with our Scott neighbors, whether it’s with this or any other issue.”

Mt. Lebanon’s deer management efforts stem from the municipal commission’s stated goal of lowering the number of vehicular collisions involving the animals. “We’re not trying to eradicate deer in Mt. Lebanon,” Morgans explained. “We’re just trying to reduce the population to a manageable level and really be good stewards of the environment.”

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