Pennsylvania Game Commission Proposes Hunting License Increase
The Pennsylvania Game Commission has proposed to increase fees for hunting and furtaker licenses for the first time in 16 years. The proposed fee increase will be used to help establish sustainable funding for the agency and any license-fee increase must be authorized by legislative action.
If the Game Commission’s proposal is adopted as drafted, the fees for hunting and furtaker licenses will increase to $39 over a five-year period. This would make Pennsylvania the eighth-cheapest place to buy a hunting license in the nation, based on existing fees in other states.
Game Commission Executive Director R. Matthew Hough said it’s important hunters and trappers understand why an increase is needed.
“License-fee increases have not come about very often in Pennsylvania,” Hough said. “In fact, this 16-year span is the second-longest period the Game Commission ever has gone without an increase. The longest span was from the Great Depression through World War II.
“Seeking an increase is not something we take lightly,” Hough said. “We understand families often have tight budgets, and everyone needs to live within their means. That’s some of the reason why our license fees are among the lowest in the nation.
“But we also want our hunters and trappers to realize we, as an agency, are facing overwhelming financial challenges, many of which are beyond our control and are certain to continue into the future. Without a license-fee increase we soon will not be able to provide the same level of service. We will have to make cuts. And, to me, that would be much more costly for hunters and trappers than the increase we’ve proposed.”
To view the complete PGC News Release, please go to: PGC News Release
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