Eight Long Years
With the pending retirement of director John Arway, the Fish and Boat Commission finally might get a license fee increase
THIS WEEK: Overall, did John Arway’s policies benefit anglers since he took over at Fish and Boat in 2010? • Yes • No action on license fees would occur until Arway wasout.
Publically, commissionerssupported Arway while they considered options. The House passed its version of the term limit bill. TheSenate version had not made it to a floor vote when Arway announced hisretirement July 31.
Suddenly, the political clouds cleared and the tempest subsided. The term limit bill went away. Lawmakers who for years had balked at increasing fundingfor an agency with a $50 million cash reserve conceded that Fish and Boat needed a license fee increase. Committee chiefs who had blocked funding bills assured commissioners the matter would finally be decided,
“It’s going up for a vote. We’re moving that at the next session,” said Patrick Stefano, R-Fayette, who heads the Senate Game and Fisheries committee. Stephano now favors incremental license-fee increases over three years.
Keith Gillespie, R-York, chairman of the House Game and Fisheries Committee said he supports a license fee increase that grows incrementally over five years.
“I’ve always supported a funding increase, but there wasn’t enough support to put it up for a vote,” he said. “[Arway’s retirement] enabled legislators who didn’t appear to be supportive, unfortunately, to move that way. Now we’re back to setting a number — $6 million, $7 million [in revenue increases] phased in over five years, three years, whatever it turns out to be. I made a commitment to John and the commission … to do whatever we can do to get a license fee increase.”
One plan that was never voted on by the full Senate would have increased the adult resident license fee next year to about $28.90 with annual increases of 3 percent in each of the following four years.
Arway admits that he pushed too hard to get funding. In his time as director, however, Arway prevented noticeable cuts in service at Fish and Boat. He initiated the ongoing Unassessed Waters program, in which the chemical signatures of 13,000 Pennsylvania waterways and their status as wild trout nurseries have been documented and the up-current watersheds of some have been protected by the state Department of Environment Protection.
Whether he’s a brilliant political chess player or just a passionate supporter of wildlife management and anglers, Arway’s pending retirement accomplishes the goal he set for himself eight years ago. According the lawmakers who can make it happen, Fish and Boat is finally getting a license fee increase.
“At the July meeting we got a commitment from the legislature to recognize our financial need and commit to a fee increase at the next session,” said Arway. “Our board deferred action on closing the hatcheries until nextyear, and we’ll see what happensthen.”
By that time, Arway said, he’ll be fishing with his grandchildren and sitting in a tree stand waiting for the deer he hasn’t had timefor in eight long years.