More than a dozen hunting and fishing organizations from around Pennsylvania are urging a Yes vote on the Growing Greener ballot question May 17. They released this letter--

Fellow Sportsmen and Conservation Partners:

Voters on May 17 will be asked to support selling up to $625 million in bonds to support a variety of environmental initiatives. As anglers and boaters, we know that the quality of our recreation is inexorably linked to the quality of our water. Protecting and enhancing open space, cleaning up mine waste, and improving water quality all have a positive impact on fishing, boating and other water-based recreational activities. Growing Greener funding dedicated to fishing and boating infrastructure would also provide a direct benefit to anglers and boaters. Infrastructure such as dams, hatcheries and public access areas is the backbone of boating and fishing in Pennsylvania and contributes to the more than $2 billion in annual economic impacts.

All of the state properties and facilities managed by the PFBC serve us, the sportsmen and women of Pennsylvania. Hatcheries provide fishing opportunities by stocking approximately 4 million adult trout and more than 100 million juvenile fish, including warmwater and coolwater fish. Dams and access areas help support recreational boating for the 2.5 million Pennsylvanians who go out in watercraft every year. These facilities have a backlog of $153 million in capital improvement needs. The PFBC’s day-to-day operating funds from license sales and boat registrations cannot be the basis for paying all the costs for hatcheries, dams, access areas and other properties.

The Growing Greener proposal offers the opportunity for the Commonwealth as a whole to reinvest in these state fish hatcheries, state dams and other fishing and boating infrastructure. We encourage all Pennsylvanians to join us in voting “yes” on May 17.

Signed,

Pennsylvania Federation of Sportsmen’s Clubs

PA B.A.S.S. Federation

Pennsylvania Trout (The PA Council of Trout Unlimited)

Hereford Manor Lake Conservancy & Watershed Group, Inc.

Doc Fritchey Chapter of Trout Unlimited

Allegheny Mountain Bass Anglers Club

Coalition of Concerned Pennsylvania Anglers

Penns Creek Chapter of Trout Unlimited

Adams County Chapter of Trout Unlimited

Save Canonsburg Lake Committee

Donegal Chapter of Trout Unlimited

Southside Lake Corp Homeowners Association

Lancaster County Hawg Hunters Bass Club

Mountain Laurel Chapter, Trout Unlimited

Northeastern Bassmasters

Cumberland Valley Chapter of Trout Unlimited

Berks Bassmasters

5/13/2005