Game Commission Executive Director Carl G. Roe told the House Game and Fisheries Committee this week that uncontrollable parts of his budget will mean revenue shortfalls in the coming year without an increase in revenue.

"Working to keep our expenditures in line with revenues, we have been forced to cut millions of dollars from our operating budgets,” said Roe. “We have cut back on purchasing new equipment, reduced program and project budgets, allowed vacant positions to go unfilled and, in some cases, eliminated services altogether. For example, simple conveniences, such as toll-free numbers for those seeking to contact our region offices and free subscriptions to our Game News magazine to landowners enrolled in our public access programs and to schools and libraries have been suspended.

"However, there are some line items in our budget that we do not control. For example, with the new fiscal year comes an increase in personnel costs provided for under the state employee contract. This will amount to a $2.8 million increase, which we can only control by not filling vacancies, which means fewer people to provide the services that the public has come to expect from the agency. Additionally, we just received a bill for the Integrated Enterprise System, better known as SAP, which is the automated business operating system for the state. This was previously paid for by the administration. That cost now is being passed to the agencies. Our portion of the cost is a little more than $500,000.

"Also, the House of Representatives has before it Senate Bill 868, which, if enacted, would triple the agency's current payment in lieu of taxes on State Game Lands. We currently pay $1.7 million annually to counties, school districts and municipalities. If Senate Bill 868 becomes law, we would be forced to pay $5.1 million, an additional $3.4 million that currently is not budgeted. This basically means that hunters are paying twice. They pay the total share for the Game Commission and their tax dollars go to assist in paying other agencies share. They foot the entire bill for the Game Commission and yet the entire public has access to State Game Lands.

"And, just like every Pennsylvania family, we are forced to pay higher costs for everyday items, such as utilities and gasoline. Gasoline alone has caused a more than $1,000,000 jump in our annual expenditures from the last license fee increase in 1999, when gas cost about $1 per gallon. To maintain a flat level in this item, we would have to drastically cut patrols and call outs by our conservation officers and wildlife biologists, as well as the habitat improvement work of our food and cover crews.

"Our current estimated Game Fund balance, as of June 30, 2006, is expected to be approximately $24 million. However, as our license year begins concurrent with our fiscal year on July 1, we must maintain approximately $14.2 million in that fund in order to cover expenses to run the agency for two months, which is when we anticipate receiving monies from issuing agents.

"Also, depending on the Legislature's action regarding Senate Bill 868, we must have between $1.7 million and $5.1 million available to make our payment in lieu of taxes, which must be paid annually prior to September 1. This would move the necessary funds from $14.2 million to $17.6 that would need to be available on July 1.

"As noted in its reports of 2003 and 2006, the Legislative Budget and Finance Committee stated that the Game Commission's ability to implement important programs and projects outlined in our Strategic Plan are stymied by a lack of sufficient revenue.

"Without any annual stream of revenue from the state's taxpayers to support our operating budget, the inflationary affect on the revenues generated by the current license fee structure has impacted our ability to maintain the status quo, let alone move forward.

"Wildlife needs your support and we, at the Pennsylvania Game Commission, remain committed to seeing that those funds entrusted to us by our license buyers are used on behalf of all Pennsylvanians, in responsible stewardship of managing all 465 species of wild birds and mammals."

A complete copy of Roe’s statement is available online.

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