PA Chapter Backcountry Hunters & Anglers Oppose Transfer Of $150 Million From Game Fund To Clean Streams Fund In Senate Budget Bill; Could Make State Ineligible For Federal Wildlife Funds

On September 1, the Pennsylvania Chapter of Backcountry Hunters and Anglers said they were "disappointed" in the actions taken by the Senate in the Fiscal Code budget bill House Bill 1300  that proposes to transfer $150 million from the Game Fund to the Clean Streams Fund.

They are calling on legislators to correct this action before the amendment becomes law jeopardizing federal wildlife funding coming to Pennsylvania.  Read more here.

"This proposal was made with little advance notice, was attached to a broad appropriations bill and passed through the Senate in one day."

"This action sets a dangerous precedent for future legislative sessions and violates the trust of the nearly one million hunters in Pennsylvania who have paid into the Game Fund either directly through license fees or indirectly through the excise tax on hunting and shooting supplies known as the [federal] Pittman-Robertson fund with the understanding that those monies will be deposited in the Game Fund and be used for the benefit of the Commonwealth’s wildlife, wildlife habitats and the administration of the agency responsible for them, the Pennsylvania Game Commission.

"The PGC [Game Commission] functions entirely without General Fund or tax dollars. If future legislators follow suit and conduct further raids on the fund, it will result in immense damage to the Commission’s ability to carry out its mission, as the Game Fund is earmarked for wildlife conservation and administration of the Commission and is the PGC’s sole source of funds."

"Another result of this action is the possibility that Pennsylvania could become ineligible to receive federal Pittman-Robertson funds.

“Pittman-Robertson funds are derived from a federal excise tax on hunting and shooting equipment. Pittman-Robertson funds are collected by the federal government and disbursed to the states as matching grant money to state wildlife agencies. 

“In 2022 Pennsylvania received $31,347,944 in funding from this program. Mainly due to the large number of hunters in Pennsylvania, it ranks third among the 50 states in the amount of money received each year. 

“The shooting and hunting industry and its customers-- shooters and hunters--  proudly pay into the fund to support wildlife, the North American Model of Conservation and our hunting heritage.

“Eligibility for these federal funds is dependent on revenue derived from the state sale of hunting and fishing licenses being controlled by the state agency and used only for administration of the state fish and wildlife agency; which includes only the functions required to manage the agency and the wildlife-related resources for which the agency has authority under state law. 

“Any diversion of these funds could render the state ineligible for Pittman-Robertson funds. 

“As stated in the amendment to House Bill 1300, the dollars being targeted for diversion from the Game Fund are from revenue derived from oil and gas leases on state game lands. Those dollars are inextricably linked with hunter license fee dollars. 

“Hunter license fees were used to purchase these lands. Therefore, any ensuing revenue would likely be considered under the category of hunting license fee revenue.

“If passed into law, this amendment would not only dispossess Pennsylvania of a functioning wildlife agency able to manage its own finances, it would also deprive the hunters in our state of conservation funding they have already paid for.

“The Pennsylvania Chapter calls on the legislators to correct this action before the amendment passes into law.”

Click Here for more information.  Questions should be directed to Don Rank, Chairman, PA Chapter Backcountry Hunters and Anglers, at pennsylvania@backcountryhunters.org. 

Visit the Pennsylvania Chapter of Backcountry Hunters and Anglers website to learn more about how the Chapter seeks to ensure Pennsylvania’s outdoor heritage of hunting and fishing in a natural setting, through education and work on behalf of wild public lands, waters and wildlife.

[Note: The Game Commission receives significant revenues from shale gas drilling by leasing part of its 1.4 million acres of state game lands for natural gas development.  Since drilling began, the Game Commission has brought in revenues of over $812 million.  Read more here.]

[The General Assembly has a record of diverting revenues generated by shale gas drilling on DCNR state forest lands for other purposes.  

[The PA Environmental Defense Foundation, which won two lawsuits declaring the practice unconstitutional, estimates the General Assembly diverted $1.1 billion of upfront payments and royalties to DCNR’s Oil and Gas Lease Fund to fill holes in the state General Fund budget and pay DCNR operating costs.

[PEDF won the first case in 2017 and the second in 2021, but the practice still continues.]

NewsClips:

-- PA Federation Of Sportsmen & Conservationists Oppose State Budget Bill Transfer Of $150 Million From Game Commission Fund To Clean Streams Fund

-- Chesapeake Bay Foundation Applauds Senate Amendment To Budget Bill Providing Historic, Annual Investments For Cleaner Pennsylvania Waters

-- Bay Journal - Ad Crable: Fracking Yields Both Fears, Funding For Pennsylvania Public Lands

Related Articles:

-- PA Senate Republicans Pass 2 Fiscal Code Budget Bills - But It Doesn’t Matter  [PaEN]

[Posted: September 4, 2023]  PA Environment Digest