Sportsmen and environmental groups and representatives of the Game and Fish and Boat Commissions told the House Finance Committee this week they support broadening the funding base for the two wildlife agencies.

The Committee held a hearing on House Bill 1676 (Levdansky-D-Allegheny) that would set aside 0.00116 percent of the revenues collected for the Game Commission (about $11 million) and 0.00058 percent for the Fish and Boat Commission (about $5.5 million).

Rep. Levdansky said the two commissions face a funding “crisis” with ever increasing hunting and fishing license costs and a shrinking hunting population. He noted that every time there is a license increase the number of hunters and anglers falls.

He said the two commissions are not only charged with managing game species, but also non-game animals that benefit the citizens throughout the state, not just hunters and anglers. “It is appropriate that general revenues be used to support these programs,” Rep. Levdansky said.

Melody Zullinger, Executive Director of the PA Federation of Sportsmen’s Clubs said House Bill 1676 would provide a more predictable source of income for the commissions who often go years between license fee increases. She said the bill would also help reduce the burden on hunters by helping to reduce the need for such large license increases.

“With the agencies’ mandates increasing, specifically for non-game species, and costs increasing everywhere we turn, we realize the rising costs of resource management is far outpacing what license buyers alone can afford to pay for, and some type of dedicated alternative funding must be provided if we hope to keep our agencies fiscally sound and independent,” said Zullinger.

Zullinger noted hunters and anglers spend $3.5 billion a year in Pennsylvania and are responsible for creating 51,000 jobs.

Audubon Pennsylvania provided written comments to the Committee supporting the legislation saying diversified funding is needed to keep pace with the increasing demands for game and non-game programs.

Sarah Sargent, Important Bird Area Coordinator for Audubon PA, said based on recent surveys there are over 4.1 million people engaged in wildlife-related recreation in Pennsylvania—1.4 million hunters and anglers and 3.6 million wildlife watchers.

“Audubon Pennsylvania believes the funding sources for the agencies need to reflect the larger interest in wildlife on the part of Pennsylvania, beyond the sportsmen’s community, although certainly including sportsmen and women as primary stakeholders,” said Sargent.

Jan Jarrett, Citizens for Pennsylvania’s Future, told the Committee they have supported taxpayer funding for the two commissions, like the Growing Greener II bond issue in the past and they support House Bill 1676.

She cautioned, however, that environmental funding for watershed restoration, abandoned mine reclamation, environmental education, farmland preservation and greenway and trail projects will be reduced dramatically in the near future.

Jarrett pointed to the proposed use of up to $60 million in the Environmental Stewardship Fund to pay for the debt service for the Growing Greener II bonds instead of directly for projects and the fact that the bond funds themselves will be exhausted by 2012 (and sooner in many categories).

She also said there needs to be a long term solution to funding the $40 million Hazardous Sites Cleanup Program.

The Committee also heard from Ed Wentzler, United Bowhunters of PA who added his group’s support for the legislation.

Both the Fish and Boat and Game Commissions provided their support for the bill.

"As you may know, the Commission's current funding structure is largely dependent upon hunting and trapping license revenue. The Commission's duty, however, extends far beyond managing game and furbearers for sportsmen,” said Michael Schmit, Game Commission. “In Pennsylvania, the preservation and protection of natural resources, including wildlife, is a constitutional mandate, and the Commission is the state agency tasked with fulfilling this mandate. It is the Game Commission's responsibility to manage all wildlife, and their habitats, for the benefit of current and future generations. The alternative source of revenue provided for in House Bill 1676 would provide the Game Commission with a new, reliable long-term source of revenue, something absolutely vital if the Commission is to fulfill this state constitutional mandate.”

J. Gary Moore, Legislative Liaison for the Fish and Boat Commission, said the Commission provides funding for many programs that benefit all citizens of the state including environmental permit reviews, environmental education and water safety awareness programs, conducting management studies of non-game species and more.

“With a supplemental funding source, future fishing license and permit increases may exceed 10 or more years in duration and the dollar amount may be at a much lower average percentage than the past three increases,” said Moore.

The Fish and Boat Commission has a budget of about $64.5 million and the Game Commission budget is $89.2 million, all presently from license sales, federal funds, mineral leases and Growing Greener II bond funds.

Rep. David Levdansky (D-Allegheny) serves as Majority Chair of the Committee and Rep. Steven Nickol (R-York) serves as Minority Chair.

5/2/2008