For eight years, John Arway has been a vocal advocate for increasing funding for the Fish and Boat Commission. As executive director he’s trimmed spending, shelved projects, shrunk staffing, brought introduced new funding ideas and practically begged the state legislature to allow anglers and boaters to keep the agency afloat by raising their license fees, a move that internal polling shows is supported by license holders.
But in the last three months, key lawmakers have said the greatest single obstacle to increasing Fish and Boat funding is John Arway. When members of House and Senate Game and Fisheries committees return to Harrisburg next week, one of their first actions may be placing a term limit on Arway’s job that will force him out.
“It didn’t have to be that way,” said Keith Gillespie, R-York, chairman of the House Game and Fisheries Committee. “I told him on more than one occasion, I’m on your side, but if you want this to get done you have to ratchet it down a bit.”
But last fall, when commissioners instructed Arway to cut $2 million from the agency’s budget, he threatened to close trout hatcheries that stock streams located in the districts of legislators he believed were dragging their feet on a funding increase. A map pointing out the legislative districts and streams that would be denied fish was posted briefly on the Fish and Boat website.
“It backfired, and I told him it would,” said Patrick Stefano, R-Fayette, chairman of the Senate Game and Fisheries Committee. “I said, before you do anything make sure you talk with me first, because things might be going on that you don’t know about. But once he made the threat he couldn’t pull it back.”
Stefano said despite eight years of good work, that single statement, perceived by lawmakers as a political threat, turned much of the legislature against him.
“I’d like to see his math on that,” said Arway. “I get calls from legislators on both sides of the aisle telling me I still have their support.”
Originally from North Huntingdon, Westmoreland County, Arway was Downtown Friday to address the Pittsburgh Sportsmen’s Luncheon Club.
“The [lawmakers] on the committees, they know their fishing constituents wouldn’t mind a license fee increase. If they wanted to [raise license fees] they could.”
Instead, Rep. Gillespie said he intends to introduce the term-limits bill when his committee convenes Monday.
Arway said he doesn’t regret his attempt at playing political hardball, but suggested it could have been done in a better way.
“Look, I’d been hearing from these guys for eight years that they understand our funding issues and that they would deal with it,” he said. “Over and over again and nothing ever happened. When I started this job my main goal was to find stable funding. It had gotten to the point where, what else could I do. I don’t mind getting in trouble to support the needs of the state’s anglers.”
To become law Senate Bill 935 would have to move the committees, be approved by the Senate and House and get the signature of Gov. Tom Wolf. A Democrat who has supported wildlife issues, it remains uncertain if he would support a bill some insiders are calling a power play.
“This is an embarrassing power play by vindictive legislators who have made it clear they want Director’s Arway’s head,” said Jacquelyn Bonomo, president and CEO of environmental lobbying group PennFuture, in a statement. “For 13 years, the legislature has refused to consider and approve license fee increases so the commission can do the work of scientifically managing our fisheries, providing excellent recreation experiences and protecting rare and endangered species.”
Bonomo said PennFuture stands with Fish and Boat and other underfunded state resource agencies.
“If [legislators] succeed in their ploy to withhold the needed funds for the agency to do its work until Arway is gone, it will be an affront to Pennsylvania anglers who have always valued the independence of the commission as essential to science-based management of our fisheries, free of dangerous political games like the ones we see playing out here.”
Fishing without a reel
Tenkara, the traditional Japanese method of fly fishing without a reel, will be explained at 7 p.m. Wednesday at the Tri-County Trout Club in Lower Burrell. Get details at 412-298- 0964 or tctcnews@gmail.com.
First Published: March 11, 2018, 5:00 a.m.