Auditor General DePasquale To Audit Game Commission

Auditor General Eugene DePasquale Tuesday announced the start of a performance audit of the Game Commission.

“I look forward to working with Game Commission leadership in this audit, which will be an independent assessment of the Commission’s revenue and expenditures,” DePasquale said. “Through my review, I will evaluate the Commission to ensure its resources are being used to benefit the millions of Pennsylvanians who enjoy hunting, trapping and other outdoor recreational activities.

“This is the first performance audit of the Game Commission in nearly a decade,” DePasquale said. “My team will conduct a thorough audit that I anticipate will be completed late this year.”

The audit will cover July 1, 2014, through June 30, 2017, focusing on these objectives:

-- Identify and analyze all sources of Commission revenue;

-- Identify and analyze all commission expenditures; and

-- Determine each fund’s year-end balance, including any and all money held in escrow or restricted accounts.

-- Determine if expenditures, including the acquisition of property, were in compliance with applicable laws, including but not limited to the fiscal affairs and property and building aspects of the Game and Wildlife Code and any associated regulations.

In addition to licensing hunters and trappers, the Game Commission owns almost 1.5 million acres of state game lands in 65 counties. The Commission also manages wild birds and mammals, develops wildlife habitats, and works with private landowners to provide free access to their land for hunting and trapping. 

The Commission is almost entirely supported by hunters and trappers, or assets procured with license dollars.