The start of the new decade will bring about a change in Pennsylvania's Criminal Trespass Law that hunters and hikers will need to know.

            At the end of November the PA General Assembly passed, and Governor Wolf signed, a bill that allows property owners the option of using purple paint markings instead of "No Trespassing" signs to mark their property boundaries.  It has become part of the Section 18 (Offense of Criminal Trespass) of the Pennsylvania Crimes Code

.           Several other states already have a similar law in place.  The "Purple Paint" provision does not apply to counties of the first or second class (Philadelphia and Allegheny).  The new law will take effect in all other classes of Pennsylvania counties next month.

            The new rule does not apply to an unarmed person who enters onto posted property for the sole purpose of retrieving a hunting dog

            The purple paint markings will make it easier to define property lines.  Currently, trespassing is prohibited if the property is posted with signs that indicate "no trespassing allowed."

            But as time passes the signs degrade and become worn and illegible.  In some cases the signs are removed by vandals or adverse weather conditions. 

            According to the law, the placement of the identifying purple paint marks on trees or posts on the property must be: vertical lines of not less than eight inches in length and not less than one inch in width; placed so that the bottom of the mark is not less than three feet from the ground nor more than five feet from the ground; and placed at locations that are readily visible to a person approaching the property and no more than 100 feet apart.

            The paint used should be one of the commercially available "No Hunting" paints.  Several commercial paint manufacturers currently make the weather resistant and durable purple paint formulated to mark trees, gates and fences, including Krylon and Rust-Oleum, among others.