PA Fish & Boat Commission Open House

Fish & Boat Commission to Host Open House at Quarterly Meeting

Harrisburg, PA – The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission (PFBC) will hold its summer quarterly meeting on July 12-13 at its Harrisburg office. In addition to the regular meeting, the PFBC will host an open house on Monday evening from 7 -9 p.m. at its headquarters.

The two-hour evening session allows members of the public who cannot attend during normal business hours the opportunity to hear about current issues and to interact with Commissioners, the executive director and agency staff. The open house will feature guest speakers Rob Bates and Vicki Blazer.

Bates is a local angler who grew up on the Susquehanna River and now directs trips on the river through his Koinonia Guide Service in Carlisle, Pa. He will discuss his experiences on the river and some of the current issues he sees facing the fishery. Blazer, a research fishery biologist and fish pathologist with the U.S. Geological Survey’s National Fish Health Research Laboratory in Kearneysville, W.V., will discuss health issues related to the river’s smallmouth bass.

Commission committees will meet beginning at 10:15 a.m. on Monday, July 12, and again at 8:30 a.m. on Tuesday, July 13. Formal consideration of the agenda by the full Commission will begin at approximately 10:20 a.m. on Tuesday, July 13. All committee meetings and the formal meeting are open to the public.

Commissioners will address a variety of issues during Tuesday’s formal meeting, including:

• The adoption of the agency’s new five-year strategic plan;
• A staff recommendation to approve the publication of a notice of proposed rulemaking containing proposed amendments to the royalty rate schedule for the extraction of sand and gravel from Commonwealth waters;
• Staff recommendations that the Commission authorize the acquisition of property rights in Benner Township, Centre County, and Antis Township, Blair County;
• Staff recommendations that the Commission approve grants under the agency’s Boating Facility Grant Program for projects in Columbia, Northumberland, Union, Luzerne and York counties;
• A staff recommendation that the Commission approve additions to its list of Class A wild trout waters;
• Staff recommendations that the Commission approve grants under the agency’s Statewide Grant Program for Fish Passage and Habitat Restoration for a fish passage project on the Lehigh River and a Wilson College project on the Conococheague Creek in Franklin County; and
• A staff recommendation that the Commission approve a bog turtle restoration project.

A complete copy of the meeting schedule and the full agenda for the meeting can be found on the Commission’s web site at fishandboat.com/minutes.htm.

The mission of the Fish and Boat Commission is to protect, conserve, and enhance the Commonwealth’s aquatic resources and provide fishing and boating opportunities. For more information about fishing and boating in Pennsylvania, please visit our website at fishandboat.com.