At the end of August, the state senate passed fiscal bill, House Bill 1300, that held a number of funding provisions, but one in particular shocked the entire outdoor community, a last-minute amendment to divert $150 million from the Game Fund to the Clean Streams Fund. The Game Fund is where hunting and trapping license fees and related dollars go, so this is a direct assault on the hunters and trappers of Pennsylvania, of this there can be no doubt.
Sportsmen and women throughout the state must respond. The state house comes back in session on September 26th, and they need to hear our voices loud and clear. Not only is this raid of sportsmen’s dollars flat wrong, it also puts into question the state’s annual Pittman-Robertson allocation, which now numbers $30-40 million per year. Many who understand the law have said this is an illegal diversion and will cost the state if allowed to stand.
This Game Fund raid is especially egregious noting that the state is currently enjoying a large surplus, reportedly at $13 billion. Funding for “clean streams” or anything else is available for those who don’t want to attack hunters and trappers to get additional state monies.
“It’s hard to believe, but even in a pro-hunting state like Pennsylvania, our outdoor traditions are under constant attack,” said Todd Adkins, vice president of government affairs at the Sportsmen’s Alliance. “Let’s keep spreading the word about this egregious slap in the face and get this amendment killed once and for all.”
Please use our Take Action button to email your state Representative urging them to protect the Game Fund and the states Pittman-Robertson allocation by removing the amendment diverting $150 million from the Game Fund to the Clean Streams Fund.
Don’t forget to share this alert with your family, friends, and fellow sportsmen asking them to also email their state Representative urging them to remove the $150 million game fund raid.
About the Sportsmen’s Alliance: The Sportsmen’s Alliance protects and defends America’s wildlife conservation programs and the pursuits – hunting, fishing and trapping – that generate the money to pay for them. Sportsmen’s Alliance Foundation is responsible for public education, legal defense and research. Its mission is accomplished through several distinct programs coordinated to provide the most complete defense capability possible. Stay connected to Sportsmen’s Alliance: Online, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
