Contact: 814-865-0427 or www.PennTAP.psu.edu

Gov. Rendell has signed House Bill 2155 into law this week, providing much-needed operating revenue for the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission (PFBC) through modest increases in the fees charged for fishing licenses and boat registrations.

The new fees go into effect January 1, 2005 - the first time since 1991 that boat registration rates have changed. Fishing license fees were last adjusted in 1996. HB 2155 also includes new forms of licenses and permits including a Lake Erie stamp, a combo Lake Erie/Trout stamp and charter boat/fishing guide permits.

Unlike most state agencies, the PFBC does not receive General Fund tax revenues for its day-to-day operations, relying instead almost exclusively on the revenues generated from registration and license sales.

The fee structure established in HB 2155 evolved from the input of the state's major sporting and boating organizations, including the Pennsylvania Federation of Sportsmen's Clubs, Pennsylvania Boating Association of Southeast PA, Pennsylvania Trout, Pennsylvania B.A.S.S., Pennsylvania Boating Association of Southwest PA, Coalition of Concerned Anglers, and Unified Sportsmen of Pennsylvania.

While HB 2155 addresses the pressing need for revenues for the PFBC's daily operations, the question of funding for state-owned infrastructure managed by the agency continues to loom large. There is an estimated $110 million backlog at state lakes, fish hatcheries and boat launches managed by the Commission. A separate dedicated, long-term source of funding - not license and registration dollars - is needed to address these issues.

12/3/2004