Combo Platter; Second Helping

by William Crisp

Recently the PA Fish and Boat Commission (PFBC) announced changes to the upcoming spring trout stocking schedules. Unfortunately, as it currently stands, a number of local streams in the Big Woods area, including Cameron County, are proposed to be eliminated from the schedule, including the Driftwood Branch, Jerry Run and Wykoff Run as well as others in McKean, Clinton and Potter counties. This action is in response to a reported lack of funds.
The PFBC is set to trim two million dollars out of its budget. To accomplish this, not only will stockings be cut but all hatcheries are proposed to be closed.
This action was in response to a license increase initiative for a fishing license that had been put before the state legislature, which had been voted down by a bipartisan count. This resulted in the PFBC looking for ways to save money and shrink costs. Coincidently, the hatcheries and streams cut appeared to a number of people to coincide with the legislative districts of those representatives that voted against the license increase. It is hard to fathom that leaders of an agency would plan and approve such an attack on state representatives and their constituents, but perception is reality.

 

One Comment

  1. Joe Parr says:

    Thanks Bill for telling it like it is. Takes courage to bite the hand that feeds it. And it seems too, that Director Arway may have outlived his usefulness. Could it be that the time has come to revisit a merger plan with the PA Game Commission. Both agencies are on a downward spiral. Perhaps one super agency may be the only solution to maintain solvency.

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