Pennsylvania Federation of Sportsmen's Clubs 2426 North Second St. ● Harrisburg, PA 17110 Phone: 717-232-3480 ● Fax: 717-231-3524 info@pfsc.org ● www.pfsc.org Providing leadership and advocacy for the enhancement of fish and wildlife resources for the benefit of all hunters, anglers and conservationists.

TO: House Environmental Resources and Energy Committee

FROM: Melody Zullinger, Executive Director

DATE: April 25, 2006

SUBJECT: SB 868

The Pennsylvania Federation of Sportsmen’s Clubs, representing over 100,000 sportsmen, women and conservationist in the Commonwealth, has grave concerns about the impact of SB 868 on the Pennsylvania Game Commission (PGC). The impact of SB 868 puts an unequal burden on Pennsylvania’s hunters and trappers, and would jeopardize the fiscal solvency of our wildlife resource agency. The bill will also have an impact on our aquatic wildlife resource agency, the Pennsylvania Fish & Boat Commission (PFBC).

In FY 05-06, the Pennsylvania Game Commission paid $1,713,865 for in lieu of tax payments for approximately 1.4 million acres of lands, waters, and buildings. The in lieu of tax payment rate was changed in 1995 from 20 cents per acre to each of the school district, the county, and the township to 40 cents an acre to each. Senate Bill 868, which is currently in the House Environmental Resources and Energy Committee, proposes increasing the rate from 40 cents to $1.20 per acre payable to each of the three municipalities making the total payment $3.60 per acre. This would increase the total payment from $1,713,865 to $5,141,594.

The PGC’s budget is comprised of monies raised primarily from hunters and trappers license fees, fines, timber revenues and Pittman/Robertson taxes. The agency receives no money from the states general fund. They have not had a license fee increase since 1999, and are currently seeking a license fee increase through the legislature, which has the sole responsibility for making sure the agency is adequately funded. The passage of SB 868 as written, would increase the agencies costs by over $3.4M per year. This increase on an already over-burdened budget would severely jeopardize the fiscal stability of our wildlife resource agency.

It is imperative that we remember that the Pennsylvania Game Commission’s mission is to manage our states abundant wildlife for ALL Pennsylvanians, and our Game Lands are used by ALL Pennsylvanians. They are set aside for the protection and propagation of our wildlife species. ALL Pennsylvanians benefit from the continued viability of healthy wildlife populations, and places where they can go to enjoy them, whether for wildlife watching, hiking, biking, actively harvesting wildlife or for simply enjoying a viable ecosystem. We cannot afford to say that setting aside wildlife lands benefits only a small segment of citizens, nor should the costs to keep them be endured by only a small segment of citizens. The in lieu of tax payments on these lands is something that should be addressed by the Commonwealth for the benefit of all its citizens, and the costs shared by all its citizens.

We understanding the whole property tax dilemma currently under debate, but tripling the in lieu of tax payments on our state owned lands and placing that burden on Pennsylvania’s sportsmen will not solve all those problems. SB 868 could be amended to ensure that any increase in Forest Reserve payments come from the state general fund, not the PGC Game Fund or the PFBC Fish Fund. These costs should no longer be placed on just the hunters, trappers and anglers to the exclusion of all others. The costs for the responsible stewardship of our public wildlife lands can and should be endured by all of Pennsylvania’s citizens whom all benefit from such. Please oppose SB 868 unless it is amended to remove this burden from the PGC & PFBC. Thank you!