It’s been more than a year since the forced retirement of former state Fish and Boat Commission Executive Director John Arway, who was ousted following a public 10-month feud with legislators over increasing funding for the agency.
Fish and Boat gets no financial backing from Pennsylvania taxpayers, but lawmakers set the license fees. Mr. Arway’s retirement was expected to grease the wheels for a funding increase. With several weeks remaining in 2019, however, the price of an adult resident fishing license has remained unchanged since 2005.
Mike Nerozzi, Fish and Boat director of policy and planning, said that behind the scenes progress is being made.
“We’re the closest we’ve ever been in that effort,” he said. “We’re almost to the finish line.”
Fish and Boat operates on a $54 million annual budget with 75 percent raised through the sale of license fees and permits. The rest comes from the federal Sport Fish Restoration Program, commonly called the Dingell-Johnson Act, which places an excise tax on fishing and boating equipment and boat fuel, adds grants based on individual states’ license sales and reapportions the collective funding back to the states.
In a climate of harshly divided state government, part of the problem has been the reluctance of some lawmakers to be seen as making it more expensive to go fishing. Some legislators complained about a long-term Fish and Boat policy of holding cash reserves about equal to its annual budget. Commissioners called the reserves a financial cushion that would ensure the survival of its wildlife and habitat programs in the case of an ecological or economic catastrophe.
That changed when Executive Director Tim Schaeffer took over in November 2018, Mr. Nerozzi said.
“He took a look at that unrestricted reserve fund and determined what level it should be, based on risk factors — possible dam failures, issues at the hatcheries or the licensing system,” said Mr. Nerozzi. “Staff set the unrestricted reserve fund at 70 percent of the prior year’s revenue. We’re investing those excess funds in other areas.”
A backlog of construction projects including dam and road upgrades and construction will be bankrolled using former reserve funds, he said. Some money was used to reopen the school for waterways conservation officers (23 are expected to graduate in 2020) and $1 million will go into the popular boating facility grant program.
House Bill 808, which would permit Fish and Boat to set its own license fees with multiple levels of legislative oversight, has been approved by the state House and has been in the Senate appropriations committee since June.
Whether it passes this year or not, Mr. Nerozzi said Fish and Boat will continue to stock 3.2 million hatchery trout plus another 1 million raised through its co-op agreement with independent fish hatcheries. And in 2020, he said, the agency will double the number of trophy-size trout stocked statewide.
Whatever happens, license fees will not change within a license year, Mr. Nerozzi said. License years correspond to the dates of calendar years.
“There will be no fee increase for the upcoming license year. We’re hoping it happens in time for 2021.”
Erie tournament
The Erie Sports Commission announced Thursday the lakeside city will host the 2020 TNT Fireworks B.A.S.S. Nation Northeast Regional Championship to be held June 24-26. Top anglers from 11 states including Pennsylvania will advance to the B.A.S.S. Nation Championship, where the three highest ranking anglers will qualify for the series’ top contest, the Bassmaster Classic.
Steelhead trip
Seats are sold out for the Post-Gazette’s Nov. 16 bus trip to Erie County.
First Published: November 7, 2019, 6:09 p.m.
