Bill Would Enable Pennsylvania Game Commission to Set License Fees

By Justin Stakes

Harrisburg, PA -(AmmoLand.com)- Legislation that would enable the Pennsylvania Game Commission to set fees for hunting and furtaker licenses today was moved forward in the state Senate.

Senate Bill 1166 was introduced March 18, and today the Senate Game and Fisheries Committee unanimously moved the bill out of committee. It would need to pass by majority votes in the Senate, then the House of Representatives, before it could be signed into law by the governor.

Game Commission Executive Director R. Matthew Hough said Senate Bill 1166 would serve to ensure wildlife conservation in Pennsylvania is adequately funded, both now and in the future.

“It’s no secret the Game Commission is in financial crisis,” Hough said. “It’s been more than 17 years since there’s been a license-fee increase in Pennsylvania, and in the past year, we’ve laid off staff, ended agreements with several limited-term employees and opted to forego recruitment of a new class of wildlife conservation officers, even though there already are vacant positions waiting to be filled.”

“All of these measures have their consequences,” Hough said. “Simply put, inadequate funding for wildlife conservation means less can be accomplished for Pennsylvanians and wildlife.”

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Source:: AmmoLand