Rep. Martin Causer (R-Cameron), Majority Chair of the House Game and Fisheries Committee, has introduced a House Resolution 129 calling for a study to assess the pros and cons of merging the Game Commission and the Fish and Boat Commission.

“Pennsylvania is the only state in the nation where management and oversight of fishing, boating and wildlife activities are managed by two separate, independent agencies,” Rep. Causer said. “In these challenging economic times, it’s appropriate to study the commissions’ operations and see if we might be able to do things better and more efficiently with one organization rather than two.”

Last month, the executive directors of both commissions appeared before the House Game and Fisheries Committee to present their annual reports. While a number of issues were covered in both presentations, financial concerns were a significant point of discussion from both agencies.

“Clearly, funding is a concern, and if we can eliminate some duplication and pool our resources, it would save money that could instead be invested in boosting our fish and wildlife populations, benefitting sportsmen and anglers across the Commonwealth,” Rep. Causer said. “Hunting and fishing activities are a vital part of our economy and our heritage, and we need to work to preserve that.”

Rep. Causer’s resolution calls on the non-partisan Legislative Budget and Finance Committee to study the financial feasibility, impact, costs and savings that may be realized by combining the agencies. It also calls on the LBFC to explore a range of options with regard to how to structure the state’s wildlife agency to best manage the wildlife and aquatic resources of the Commonwealth. 

A similar study was conducted 10 years ago, and it showed a merger was feasible and would save money. No legislative action resulted from the study’s findings, however.

House Resolution 129 will be referred to the House Game and Fisheries Committee for consideration.

3/11/2013