The House Game and Fisheries and Environmental Resources and Energy Committees held a  second hearing Tuesday in Indiana, Pa on House Bill 1576 (Pyle-R-Armstrong) which fundamentally changes the way threatened and endangered species are listed and changes the designation process for wild trout streams.

Click Here to watch a video of the second hearing.

The Committees heard testimony from (click on links for testimony)--

-- Melody Schell, PA Federation of Sportsmen’s Clubs;

-- Darrel Lewis, Allegheny Mineral Corporation, PA Aggregates and Concrete Assn.;

-- George Jugovic, PennFuture;

-- George Ellis, PA Coal Alliance;

-- Department of Environmental Protection;

-- John Arway, Fish and Boat Commission; and

-- Carl Roe, Game Commission.

Also providing written testimony was the Independent Regulatory Review Commission.

Letters of opposition to the bill were submitted by the Game Commission, Fish and Boat Commission, PA Council of Trout Unlimited, the PA Environmental Council at the first hearing. 

Click Here for more information of the opposition of the Commissions and Trout Unlimited.  Click Here for PEC’s letter of opposition.  Click Here for a copy of the Chesapeake Bay Foundation’s comments on the bill this week.  

Click Here for a summary of the first hearing.  Click Here for a video of the first hearing.

The hearing will be held at Indiana University- Northpointe, 167 Northpointe Blvd., Building 167, Room 129, Indiana, Pa starting at 10:00.

Rep. Martin Causer (R-Cameron) serves as Majority Chair of the House Game and Fisheries Committee and Rep. Gary Haluska (D-Cambria) serves as Minority Chair.

Rep. Ron Miller (R-York) serves as Majority Chair of the House Environmental Resources and Energy Committee and Rep. Greg Vitali (D-Delaware) serves as Minority Chair.

NewsClips:

House Endangered Species Bill Spurs Debate

Pyle’s Endangered Species Bill Debated

Editorial: Phony Protection For Endangered Species

Letter: Changing Endangered Species System, Rep. Causer

9/23/2013