Official: Fish and Boat Commission's future in danger
Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commissioner Ed Mascharka, who is responsible for Butler County, says financial difficulties and volatile decisions have placed the department's future in political peril.
After 13 years of financial decline and no fishing license fee increase to draw new revenue, the board of commissioners voted in September to reduce spending by $2 million for the 2018-19 fiscal year, which begins July 1, if no additional revenues are received.
Among employee layoffs, John Arway, the commission's executive director, decided to close three hatcheries, which turned out to be in the districts of lawmakers who opposed raising fishing license fees.
Mascharka said Arway's decision on how to to make up for the $2 million deficit from last year was poor.
“That was his decision on how to do that,” he said. “Not ours (the commissioners).”
In addition to Butler County, Mascharka oversees District 1 which includes counties in the northwest corner of the state.
A few months later the state Senate voted to limit the term of Arway and any future director to eight years. The House tabled the bill, Senate Bill 935, on March 13.
Arway's eight-year anniversary with the department was in early March.
Senators Scott Hutchison, R-21st, Donald White, R-41st, and Elder Vogel, R-47th, all voted in favor of limiting the term of the director.
At the end of his report Tuesday in Harrisburg, to the House's Fish and Game Committee, Arway apologized and took responsibility for the hatchery selections.
“The locations of the stocking cuts were my decision, and my decision alone,” Arway said. “I am here today to personally apologize for the creation and delivery of that message.”
The commission's current plans for reduction still would involve closing three hatcheries by next year, decreasing the number of trout stocked in 2019 by 7.5 percent, or about 220,000 trout. The decision on which hatcheries will be closed is expected by July 1.
The closest hatchery to Butler County on the proposed closing list is in Union City, Erie County, which Mascharka said shouldn't affect anglers in this region.
“It doesn't affect the sportsmen of District 1, which I have nine counties, nearly at all,” Mascharka said.
Mascharka said Arway's actions possibly ended his career as executive director, and it caused bills advancing license increases to freeze on lawmakers' agendas.
“I feel that John made a decision that significantly targeted areas that affect the legislative bodies. And that subsequently backfired on him,” Mascharka said. “And now there's Senate Bill 935.”
Arway said regardless of his future, the commission still needs the fees raised. Boating and fishing fees in Pennsylvania are set by the state Legislature.
Among bills that would raise license fees is Senate Bill 30, which would give the commission authority to set future license fee prices.
“It would give a stable funding source moving forward,” Arway said.
But passing Senate Bill 30 seems unlikely, with state Senate and House committees questioning funds the commission keeps in reserve.
Sen. Patrick Stefano, D-32nd, heads the Senate Game and Fisheries Committee that held a public hearing March 21. Stefano has also been in support of limiting the director's term.“I don't deny that you are very dedicated to the commission in the work that you've done,” Stefano said during the hearing. “I am concerned about the future of the organization's relationship with the legislature.”Stefano called into question the commission's accounting since the 2013-14 fiscal year, and said that issue should be addressed before negotiating license fees. He also noted that the House is auditing the Pennsylvania Game Commission after it requested fee increases.“I'm beginning to think that we need to do the same for Fish and Boat, so we have an official audit,” Stefano said. “I think that's what's in due order.”Financial questions also were raised about the commission's reserve fund, which has about $110 million. The reserve is about two year's worth of annual operating costs for the commission, which Arway estimated at $54 million.Mascharka said he preferred using the reserve funds to offset the deficit.“My vote was not in support of the $2 million deduction,” he said. “I was more in support of spending the reserves down.”Arway said in a phone interview Wednesday that he would be willing to use the revenue if license fees are increased. The reserve funds would be allocated to continue operating all hatcheries at current production levels, training 20 waterway conservation officers to fill 17 vacant positions, and to address $6.4 million worth of deferred infrastructure projects.“I don't want to use up that reserve until we get some security for revenue in the future,” Arway said.He said he has received input from some of Pennsylvania's 1.1 million anglers and nearly 3 million boaters about license fees. He said most understand the commission's position.“I think anglers have really spoken out on this,” Arway said. “They understand that no private business can continue without raising fees, and the Fish and Boat Commission can't either.”Bob Stephenson, president of the Butler City Hunting and Fishing Club, said the commission could do a lot of good things with the reserve money.He said he also would like to see the fees delegated to the commission.“I think they should have that right to set the license fees as needed because it gets to be political,” Stephenson said. “I don't think they should have to go to the Legislature to ask for a raise in fees.”
