Chairman Maloney Alerts Sportsmen to Nominee Search for Pennsylvania Fish and Boating and Pennsylvania Game Commissions
HARRISBURG – Today, Rep. David Maloney (R-Berks), House Game and Fisheries Chairman, alerted Commonwealths’ many sportsmen’s clubs and associations to the opening of one four-year term on the Pennsylvania Fish & Boat Commission (PFBC) and two four-year terms on the Pennsylvania Game Commission (PGC).
Maloney issued the following statement:
“The nominees for these positions are chosen by the Governor’s Advisory Council for Hunting, Fishing and Conservation. This council is part of the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. The nominees are presented to the governor, and then the governor presents his or her final selections to the Senate for confirmation.
This is a problem because it insulates the commissioners and the governor from the voices of the people who pay for their existence through licensing fees and permits. The idea is to have independent commissions and commissioners who are more closely connected to the sportsmen to advise the governor.
These commissions have a lot of power, and it is a privilege to serve on one. But, as it too often occurs in Harrisburg, over the years there has become a lack of transparency and democracy within these commissions. The advisory council itself was created by former Gov. Tom Ridge to advise on “legislation and other critical game and fisheries policies facing our forests and wildlife,” and has become a shadowy group with no website or public list of its members.
I have introduced legislation, House Bill 746, to address this problem. If passed, my legislation will allow sportsmen’s groups in each of the representative commissioner districts to nominate candidates for appointments to the PFBC and PGC from each respective district. Licensed hunters, trappers and anglers would then be able to vote for those candidates from their respective districts. Under my legislation, the selection process would be still conducted by DCNR. The names of the recipients that garner the highest number of votes from sportsmen in their region would be presented to the governor, and the governor would appoint a commissioner from that group to represent that particular district. The two “at large” boating and water safety commissioners of the PFBC would simply be selected by the Governor himself or herself.
The three commissioners up for retention or replacement are:
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District 2, John Mahn Jr.: Beaver, Allegheny, Washington, Greene, Armstrong, Indiana, Westmoreland, and Fayette counties.
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District 4, Haley Sankey: Cambria, Somerset, Blair, Bedford, Huntingdon, and Fulton counties
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District 5, Allen DiMarco: Tioga, Lycoming, Union, Bradford, Sullivan, Columbia, Montour, and Northumberland Counties
I would encourage the readers of this press release to reach out with suggestions for their commissioner. If they reside within PGC 4 or 5, or PFBC 2, then they can provide input on a new appointment.
If you agree, please help by contacting the governor directly and advise him of your concerns or call 717-787-2500.”
Representative David Maloney
130th District
Pennsylvania House of Representatives
Media Contact: Charles Lardner
717.260.6161
clardner@pahousegop.com
RepMaloney.com