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On May 9th at 10:00 AM the House Game & Fisheries Committee will vote on a bill to change Commissioner term to four years in effect removing some sitting board members and in the hopes of getting new Commissioners who will "listen to hunters". I have no doubt that they have a good chance of getting this through the House.

This could very well be the beginning of the end for hunters in our great state. If this change occcurs I can only imagine the "type" person that will become a PGC Commissioner and start to make changes based on what they will say is "hunter's desires" but will more than likely actually be partisan politics. A part of a much larger plan to over ride the PGC and allow game lands etc all to become a part of the make Pa a more tourist friendly state with LOTS of public land for receational use for non-hunters.

We already have to many politicians trying to run the wildlife programs based on partisan politics.

Many on the committee have little to none when it comes to actual hunting or fishing experience.

I would suggest ---
If you TRULY care about future generations being able to enjoy the hunting and fishing traditions of PA... that we write, or beter yet CALL our representatives and express that we do not want the terms limits of our commissioners to be changed..

If we sit back and quietly allow this to happen and if the joy of hunting and fishing ends in the near future we will only have ourselves to blame....

TRY to remember the goal of politicians to change the "power" of the PGC is not all about DEER and how many we see or how the PGC figures the herd numbers...

IT's about control of alot of public land that WE HUNTERS bought and paid for and the future use/developement of those lands....

Your nearby State Game Lands may be the first to become Pennsylvania's newest state park for rental cabins and camping or the latest ATV  playground...

Let's stand together and tell these politicans to keep their noses out of All Wildlfe Management and to leave the PGC ALONE

What say you ?????  

--Last edited by Dr Trout on 2007-05-11 09:13:42 --

I for one will become very vocal should these folks start touching my game lands.I agree ~I paid for the lands for the purpose of wildlife management and my use.If I decide to hunt,fish,walk,bike,horseback ride ect...I can.I do not want the management of the game lands to go outside the agency that currently has control.
I definatly do not want to see more legislation attacking the PGC.

Change isn't always bad- one door closes 2 doors and a window open.

I too have concerns about the future of our game lands, but new blood could help listen to the outdoors people and not listen as much to the politicians.They possibly will come with fresh and un tainted ideas to bring to the board.

While change is neither good or bad, how comes when the PGC want to make a change most everybody thinks it's bad?   dd

I wouldn't say that term limits are automactically a "bad thing" but I do question the motives of it.
It seems some legislators are very unhappy that sportsmen and women put pressure on to get Jay Delaney in as the next commissioner. Jay being a hunter and generally indicating support and cooperation with science-based deer management. (that is strictly "my" interpretation)

There is a loud cry and intense political lobbying for "more deer" and an end to habitat-diversity priorities.

The very politicians who do not want term limits for elected officials now want term limits for appointed officials......?
The concensus is that all of this is to re-shape the BOC to a less pro-deer management theme among commissioners.

"If" term limits are passed it would not be fair to throw out current commissioners who were appointed for longer terms. There should be a grandfather clause to allow them to fullfill their term as appointed.

I would hope all hunters would get behind this and, even if you approve of limiting terms, express support for not using this legislation as a tool to trash the current BOC for political purposes.