Plan to balance books at Fish and Boat Commission stokes controversy

(Harrisburg) — A recent proposal to cut costs at the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission has drawn some controversy.

A state fishing license costs $21. It has since 2005. It’s a main source of funding for the agency.

The sale of licenses has been on the decline since the 1990s, but the commission is still expected to stock the same amount of trout in rivers and streams. Plus, pension and healthcare costs have gone up for employees.

But not enough lawmakers would back a measure to raise revenue by increasing the cost of the license gradually over the next four years. 

So, the commission’s executive director John Arway drafted a plan to close fish hatcheries and stock less trout in the districts of lawmakers who didn’t support the hike.

“I felt that–why should we cut streams in districts that supported us? They were representing the anglers and boaters out there,” Arway tells WITF’s Smart Talk. “And the anglers and boaters aren’t driving this discussion. They understand the need for a license increase.”

Arway says the proposal is now off the table because of the political outcry.

“But to this day, not one legislator has come up with an alternative solution for us to pay the bills. John Arway can go tomorrow, but that financial dilemma is still going to be with the commission, no matter if I’m there or not,” he said.

Some lawmakers are pushing a measure to limit the tenure of the director of the commission to eight years.

Arway is closing in on his eighth year on the job.

You can hear the entire conversation with Arway here.