CRANBERRY TWP — A township man who is a longtime hunting safety instructor now is one of the eight members of the Pennsylvania Game Commission.

Jim Daley, 58, was appointed by former Gov. Tom Corbett in November and confirmed by the state Senate on Feb. 25.

He represents District 1, which covers Butler, Mercer, Lawrence, Venango, Crawford, Erie, Clarion, Warren and Forest counties.

A lifetime Butler County resident, Daley said he has a passion for hunting which made him want to volunteer his time.

“To me it’s all about trying to make sure the game commission is doing all it can to keep the tradition of sport hunting alive and to help mentor young people into the sport,” he said.

He has been involved with the commission for 36 years, working as an instructor. He teaches hunter trapper education classes and a class called Successful Turkey Hunting.

In 2009, the commission recognized him as the Hunter-Trapper Education Instructor of the Year.

He estimates that he has taught more than 15,000 people over the years and has used his position as a way to keep up with the latest commission issues.

Daley also has made environmental concerns his career.

A graduate of Penn State University with a degree in environmental resource management, Daley is a consultant and project manager with Novel Geo Environmental, an environmental firm in Moon Township, Allegheny County.

He is married and has two sons. His preferred pastime is turkey hunting, though he goes deer hunting with his son Jacob, who is 19.

Jacob, like his father, is a certified instructor with the game commission and also was one of the first participants in a junior instructor program before he turned 18.

Daley’s commission district has a variety of lands for gaming use, many of which he has hunted on.

“The hunting I do is in the northwest region. I’ve always hunted here,” he said.

“One advantage of living where I do is I’m familiar with some of the suburban issues. When you’re sitting there talking to other commissioners, it’s helpful to have more of a broader perspective.”

State Sen. Scott Hutchinson, R-21st, said he met Daley before voting to confirm his appointment, and he thinks Daley will serve the district well.

“Jim is very smart, very objective and brings an independent thought process,” Hutchinson said “He is also very committed to hunting, the hunting sport and the future of the hunting sport. I think he will bring a fresh voice to the commission.”

Hutchinson said the commission deals with a number of issues that are important to residents such as the current debate about controlling the white-tailed deer population.

The commission also is dealing with a proposal to charge fees for nonhunting uses of game lands. In January it postponed a vote on the matter.

The proposal was controversial and created a small uproar from residents and from recreation and tourism groups, Hutchinson said.

The game commissioners are appointed by the governor and approved by the state Senate. They are volunteers and do not receive pay.

The board has four meetings a year in Harrisburg and can be viewed live on the Internet. Between regular meeting, the board’s committees have work session meetings. Daley said he will be involved with the budget and finance committee.

In addition to the meetings, commissioners frequently correspond about legislation and visit with sportsmen’s groups and other organizations.

For Daley talking to residents is a way to spread the word about new game commission policies and to hear feedback and public concerns.

The commission has regulatory powers such as setting dates for hunting season, setting bag limits and changing geographic areas where hunting is permitted, according to its website.

It also has the power to change the state’s classification of any threatened or endangered species of bird or mammal and implement plans for the protection or control of wildlife and habitats.

Daley had to nominate himself to be on the commission so the governor would know he was interested. He knew there was an upcoming vacancy so he submitted his resume to then Gov. Corbett’s office in November, he said.

The previous District 1 commissioner was Ralph Martone, and his term expired at the end of 2014.

Daley was interviewed by a citizen review council, which recommended his appointment to the governor.

Though he was not confirmed by the Senate before Corbett left office, Gov. Tom Wolf kept his nomination when Wolf took office in January.

After his appointment was confirmed by the state Senate, Daley visited a district judge to be officially sworn in.

Previous commissioners served eight-year appointments. But the game commission statute was amended by the Legislature in 2014 to reduce the terms to four years with a limit of three consecutive terms.

Daley is the first commissioner to be appointed under the revised rules.