| SPORTSMEN, CONSERVATION ORGANIZATIONS SHOWING SUPPORT FOR ADOPTING GROWING GREENER BALLOT QUESTION |
| May 11, 2005 |
| With less than a week until Pennsylvanians vote on a
ballot initiative for funding a variety of environmental initiatives,
sportsmen’s and conservation groups around the state are actively
encouraging others to vote “yes.”
“As anglers and boaters, we know that the quality of our recreation is inexorably linked to the quality of our water. Protecting and enhancing open space, cleaning up mine waste, and improving water quality all have a positive impact on fishing, boating and other water-based recreational activities,” 17 groups indicated in a joint statement. The groups also noted that the dedication of a portion of Growing Greener Funding to fish and wildlife infrastructure will have benefits to the entire Commonwealth. “Infrastructure such as dams, hatcheries and public access areas is the backbone of boating and fishing in Pennsylvania and contributes to the more than $2 billion in annual economic impacts. Hatcheries provide fishing opportunities by stocking approximately 4 million adult trout and more than 100 million juvenile fish, including warmwater/coolwater fish. Dams, the lakes they create and access areas help support recreational boating for the 2.5 million Pennsylvanians who go out in watercraft every year,” the groups said. “The Growing Greener proposal offers the opportunity for the Commonwealth as a whole to reinvest in these state fish hatcheries, state dams and other fishing and boating infrastructure. We encourage all Pennsylvanians to join us in voting yes on May 17.” The Commission controls through state ownership, lease, or easements approximately 33,500 acres of land in the Commonwealth. These lands contain 14 hatcheries, 62 public lakes, administrative facilities and nearly 250 boating access areas. As specified in the Fish and Boat Code, these properties are owned by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, for use of the Commission. The PFBC faces a total infrastructure improvement project need of more than $150 million at the Commonwealth facilities it manages. These needs include $85 million to upgrade the Commonwealth’s fish hatchery infrastructure, $58 million to address dam safety and dam repair needs and approximately $10 million to address access improvement needs. The May 17 ballot referendum asks voters: “Do you favor authorizing the Commonwealth to borrow up to $625,000,000 for the maintenance and protection of the environment, open space and farmland preservation, watershed protection, abandoned mine reclamation, acid mine drainage remediation and other environmental initiatives?” The bond will preserve working farms and natural areas, clean up streams and rivers, take on serious environmental problems at abandoned mines and contaminated industrial sites, shore up key programs that are dangerously short of funds, and revitalize communities across the Commonwealth. Voters can learn more at www.growinggreener2.com. Additional information on how Growing Greener relates to anglers and boaters is featured on the Commission's funding page.
[Editor’s Note: The complete text of the joint letter from the sportsmen and conservation interests follows.] Fellow Sportsmen and Conservation Partners: Voters on May 17 will be asked to support selling up to $625 million in bonds to support a variety of environmental initiatives. As anglers and boaters, we know that the quality of our recreation is inexorably linked to the quality of our water. Protecting and enhancing open space, cleaning up mine waste, and improving water quality all have a positive impact on fishing, boating and other water-based recreational activities. Growing Greener funding dedicated to fishing and boating infrastructure would also provide a direct benefit to anglers and boaters. Infrastructure such as dams, hatcheries and public access areas is the backbone of boating and fishing in Pennsylvania and contributes to the more than $2 billion in annual economic impacts. All of the state properties and facilities managed by the PFBC serve us, the sportsmen and women of Pennsylvania. Hatcheries provide fishing opportunities by stocking approximately 4 million adult trout and more than 100 million juvenile fish, including warmwater/coolwater fish. Dams and access areas help support recreational boating for the 2.5 million Pennsylvanians who go out in watercraft every year. These facilities have a backlog of $153 million in capital improvement needs. The PFBC’s day-to-day operating funds from license sales and boat registrations cannot be the basis for paying all the costs for hatcheries, dams, access areas and other properties. The Growing Greener proposal offers the opportunity for the Commonwealth as a whole to reinvest in these state fish hatcheries, state dams and other fishing and boating infrastructure. We encourage all Pennsylvanians to join us in voting “yes” on May 17. Signed,
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