New funding advances for state wildlife agencies
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
The funding of conservation programs and state wildlife agencies will improve if the U.S. Senate and President Donald Trump get onboard a bill that was passed last week by the House of Representatives.
The bill, Modernizing the PittmanRobertson Fund for Tomorrow’s Needs Act of 2017, would increase flexibility for state wildlife agencies by allowing Pittman-Robertson funds (collected through excise taxes on hunting and fishing supplies and boat fuel) to be used to recruit new hunters and recreational shooters. Without the need for new taxes or fees, H.R. 2591 would expand part of PittmanRobertson by providing an additional $5 million annually from archery-related excise taxes.
Allowing P-R funds to be used in hunter and shooter recruitment would help to ensure the long-term viability of revenue that helps to fund state-based fish and wildlife conservation in the United States. The legislation would put a cap on recruitment funding to ensure that wildlife conservation remains the primary focus of Pittman-Robertson funds.
Rep. Austin Scott, R-Ga., co-sponsor of the bill, said he intends to push the bill into the Senate.
“With a national decline in outdoor recreational activities, Pittman-Robertson funds are shrinking and our state and local habitats are suffering,” he said in a statement, “which is why I have been fighting to give states more flexibility in how they use their P-R funds and hopefully attract more Americans to the outdoors in the process.”
Jeff Crane, president of the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation, a lobbying group, said in a statement that it’s important for H.R 2591 to reach the president’s desk.
“Recruitment and retention of new hunters means more dollars in the Pittman-Robertson Fund, which directly benefits state-based conservation efforts across the United States,” he said.
Get out
Former television news anchor Sally Wiggin will explore the region’s infatuation with outdoor recreation in a special broadcast on WTAE. “Chronicle: Pittsburgh Outdoors” will air at 10 p.m. Sept. 19. Wiggin strolls in the parks, paddles on the rivers and travels some of the region’s hiking and biking trails. She asks thrill-seekers why they “highline” on a cable stretched 40 feet above a river gorge, and goes fishing with former Steelers defensive end Brett Keisel.
“The natural surroundings in and around Pittsburgh just deepen our love for this region,” said Charles W. Wolfertz III, WTAE president and general manager. “And this special just might introduce you to places and experiences you didn’t even know existed.”
The one-hour show will be rebroadcast at 5 p.m. Sept. 23.
On the fly
Curious about fly fishing? The Community College of Allegheny County is offering three new fall courses on fly fishing with Pennsylvania fly fishing guides and instructors Rob Reeder and Scott Loughner, members of Penn’s Woods West Trout Unlimited. All classes will be held on Tuesdays and Thursdays at the school’s Boyce Campus. The introductory Learn to Fly Fish ($129) includes six sessions beginning Sept. 18. Intermediate Fly Fishing ($129) will be held in six meetings starting Oct. 16. Both courses include an optional on-the-water field trip for an additional charge. A third course, Choosing a New Fly Rod ($59), meets Nov. 6 and Nov. 13. Details and registration information are available at daysonthewater.wordpress.com and daysonthewaterflyfish@gmail.com.