Jan 30, 2016 5 min read

State Rep. Martin Causer (R-McKean) has been a proponent of merging the Pennsylvania Game Commission and the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission into one agency for quite some time now.

It’s come up in the past and seemingly does every decade, but Causer might have the ammunition to finally make it happen this time around.

Armed with a 2014 study by the Legislative Budget and Finance Committee that showed that the two agencies would save some $5 million per year – mostly through the elimination of some redundant upper management positions – Causer is set to introduce a bill that would merge the two agencies.

Why is this timely now?

Both organizations, which do a good job of limiting expenses, rely heavily on license sales for funding. And both are currently seeking increases in their license costs.

When you’re attempting to get a license increase – which in the case of the Game Commission is a hefty one – it’s tough to ignore a solution that would save $5 million per year.

Pennsylvania remains the only state in the nation with two separate agencies with management and oversight of fishing, boating and wildlife activities. And there’s no doubt the agencies have done well for themselves as separate entities.

But hunting numbers, in particular, have fallen in recent years. In the past 10 years, Pennsylvania has seen a decrease of about 80,000 hunters, or about 8 percent.

During that same period, fishing license sales have fallen by about the same rate.

Some of the falloff in hunting sales is because of antler restrictions. Senior hunters, in particular, have expressed frustration with the antler restrictions because they feel they can’t adequately count points on a moving deer.

And therein lies part of the problem. We live in a state with an aging population. Some hunters and anglers are forced by age to give up the sport. Others have died. And there aren’t enough youngsters taking up the sports to replace the ones who are lost.

At some point, it will even out, but the days of hunters being one million strong in this state are over.

So merging the two organizations would help bolster the financial situations of both.

There would be some initial startup costs involved, but they would be offset by the long-term savings.

License increases would still be needed, to be sure, but wouldn’t it be nice to be able to purchase just one license per year to hunt and fish like so many others can do across the country?

• After being postponed two weeks ago, the much-anticipated match between Dormont-Mt. Lebanon and Frazier-Simplex took place last week with Dormont-Mt. Lebanon taking control of first place in the Pittsburgh and Suburban Rifle League with a win by virtue of a better standing score.

Dormont-Mt. Lebanon shot a 1,484 with a 489 standing score, while Frazier-Simplex matched with a 1,484 with 484 standing.

Frazier-Simplex was clean prone, sitting and kneeling but Dormont-Mt. Lebanon stayed close enough to win it and take sole possession of first place with a 9-1 record. Frazier-Simplex falls to 8-2, one spot ahead of Murrysville at 7-3.

Tom Benedict was high shooter for the winners with a 298, matching his high score for the season. Amy Smith and Tom Gerner each shot 297, while Nicholle Benedict and Dominique Thomas had 296 each, respectively.

Zach Nicolella led Frazier with a 298, while Sylvia Dreistadt and Morgan Duerr each shot 297 and Jim Mounts and John Husk 296.

Tom Benedict and Nicolella’s scores tied for the league lead, while Nicolella’s score also was the high junior for the week.

Dreistadt, Duerr and Smith were the high ladies, while Mounts took home high senior honors.

• Heading into the final week of the regular season, Waynesburg holds a half-match lead on McGuffey for the Section 1 title. The Raiders are 5-1 in section matches and 5-5 overall, while the Highlanders are 4-1 and 6-2.

Avella is in third place at 4-3 and 5-6, but the Eagles handed Waynesburg its first section loss Thursday to stay alive in the playoff hunt.

The top two teams in each section advance to the WPIAL tournament.

McGuffey will travel to Waynesburg Tuesday with the section title on the line, barring an upset loss by either in their final matches Thursday. Waynesburg will compete against Washington Thursday, while McGuffey will finish its regular season schedule against West Greene.

Avella has just one match remaining, Tuesday against West Greene, and would need either McGuffey or Waynesburg to drop its final two matches to force a tie for second place.

In Section 2, Woodland Hills (6-0, 9-0) and Mt. Lebanon (5-1, 9-1) have clinched the top two spots. Trinity is currently 2-5 and 6-5.

In Section 3, Hempfield has clinched a spot in the WPIAL tournament with records of 6-0 and 6-3, while Butler (5-2, 8-3) needs only a win this week against Plum or a loss by Penn-Trafford (3-3, 3-7) to lock up the other spot.

Outdoors Editor F. Dale Lolley can be reached at dlolley@observer-reporter.com.