As many regular readers (of the Centre Daily Times) know, I have not always been happy with the modus operandi of the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission.

I have been frustrated with the design of the PFBC "ship," with its heavy emphasis on non-renewable stocked trout. I have not liked the direction of the organization's "compass," and at times I have been uncertain what course the agency was actually following. While "Resource First" might have been their motto, the agency's actions did not always reflect that. Things had been so bad by March, 2002, that I called for the captain, then-executive director Peter Colangelo, to resign.

It was like a breath of fresh air when I learned that Dr. Douglas Austen, a resource-oriented leader, had been chosen to replace Colangelo in January, 2004. I was optimistic, but patient. Change in a bureaucracy would not happen overnight.

I am thrilled to say that a major shift of funding and focus is underway at the PFBC. Executive director Austen and 12-year veteran agency employee Scott Carney will be at the forefront of those changes.

"The commission is committed to investing major resources in a new habitat focus. This will mark a change in the way in which the Fish and Boat Commission operates," said Carney.

The Fish Passage and Habitat Management Section is being removed from the Environmental Services division and elevated to a separate division in the Bureau of Fisheries. The new Division of Habitat Management will be under the direction of Carney, a DuBois native who now lives in State College. He previously led the PFBC section dealing with anadromous fish passage and dam removal, and those functions will be a part of the new division. The new Habitat Management division will be headquartered at the PFBC's Pleasant Gap offices.

Austen has been the head of the agency for two years, and this shift will mark the first major change since he took over in January, 2004.

"There will be a substantial investment in habitat and an increase in fish habitat enhancement with this new agency structure," said Austen. "Six regional biologists will be hired, and we are in the process of developing new plans and objectives for the division.

"Our change will be a part of a national effort called the National Fish Habitat Initiative, whose goal is to reverse the decline of the aquatic resources of the U.S. by harnessing the energies, expertise and existing partnerships of state and federal agencies and conservation organizations."

Austen will chair of the core committee of the National Fish Habitat Initiative.

According to Carney, three of the six regional biologists will be hired by May and the agency is looking to fill the additional three positions by 2007. These biologists will function as habitat conservation specialists and work out of six of the PFBC's eight regional offices. Their focus will be entirely habitat -- streams, lakes, wetlands, public access and protecting land that is critical to one of the agency's trust species. That includes amphibians, reptiles, mussels, aquatic insects and, of course, fish.

Carney is a busy fellow during this transition period, for in addition to doing his old job, he is putting together the new division. When all positions are filled, he expects to have a total of 12 full-time employees and a seasonal staff of four within his division. The Division of Habitat Management should be operational by late May or early June.

"There is actually a lot of money out there, and most of the funds for habitat will not come from the commission's budget," said Austen. "For example, the Blair County Chapter of Trout Unlimited is sitting on $500,000 that they received as part of environmental mitigation for a Blair County construction project. The new division's job will be to creatively put together packages of talent and funds and provide direction and guidance to get the job done."

Carney added, "We want to maximize state dollars by pairing them with money from federal programs and private conservation organizations. No one is doing that on a large scale right now."

According to Carney, the agency's old concept of habitat improvement centered on physical improvements to streams and lakes, such as building deflectors in streams or submerged structures for lakes. You would need an enormous amount of staff, effort and money to accomplish much on a statewide scale.

"The Commonwealth has provided significant resources through Growing Greener to support the formation of watershed groups and completion of various planning documents, such as river conservation plans," Carney said. "The need is to focus on implementing on-the-ground, high quality projects that benefit aquatic habitat at the ecosystem level. That is the missing link."

While Habitat Management will still do some in-stream habitat work, under the new structure, the division will offer guidance to others, identify needed projects, coordinate the permitting process, obtain grant-funding support, form partnerships and recommend firms to do studies, design projects and complete the actual work. The division's scope will be broadened to include riparian lands, wetlands and access, and all of the species that the PFBC has guardianship over.

"I fully envision Pennsylvania becoming a national leader in fish habitat initiatives," said Carney.

Mark Nale, who lives in the Bald Eagle Valley, is a biology teacher and member of the Pennsylvania Outdoor Writers Association. He can be reached at MarkAngler@aol.com .

This article is reprinted with permission from Mr. Nale and originally appeared in the February 21, 2006 Centre Daily Times.

2/24/2006