When it comes to managing Pennsylvania’s wildlife resources, the Keystone State stands alone in how it operates.

It is the only state that has two separate, independent agencies – the Pennsylvania Game Commission (PGC) and the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission (PFBC) – that perform the task.

Every other state has a single fish and game commission or a Department of Natural Resources to do the job that the two Pennsylvania agencies do.

The efficiency and cost effectiveness of maintaining two agencies, each with its own headquarters and staffing in Harrisburg, has come under scrutiny for years.

A recent study of the PGC and PFBC by the Wildlife Management Institute (WMI), a third-party, non-profit organization, evaluated opportunities to improve the long-term sustainability of both agencies.

The study does not recommend merging the PGC and PFBC into a single entity, but it does address the redundancy of funding in the two commissions.

Through a broad look at both agencies, WMI has made recommendations that both the PGC and PFBC will take into consideration, specifically as to how those recommendations would impact the state’s hunters and anglers.

The Wildlife Management Institute evaluated opportunities to improve the long-term sustainability of both agencies. Nothing in the report dilutes or erodes the independent decision-making authority of either commission or any regulatory board; these are operational considerations only and do not realign or reduce jurisdictional authority.

The study found that if both commissions stay on their current financial paths, they will spend more than they take in over the next 10 years and draw their reserves down to critical levels – by fiscal year 2034, the Game Commission will have drawn down 95% of its reserves and the Fish and Boat Commission will have exhausted its reserves.

The combined workforce of the two agencies is about 1,300 employees. Most administrative functions exist in both commissions and are candidates for shared services, the study found.

The two agencies contain roughly 220 more positions when benchmarked against agencies of a similar size.

After agency analysis and evaluation, it is possible that the combined workforce could be reduced by about 17% through unified law enforcement and reductions in overlapping executive, legal, and engineering functions, generating around $34 million a year in savings. In addition, the Game Commission operates 74 field offices against a five-state average of 29 offices.

Recommendations the study also made include unifying PGC and PFBC law enforcement into a single structure (comparable state wildlife agencies contain about 222 sworn officers), consolidating overlapping bureaus and administrative functions and study roles to flatten the structure, and reducing and co-locating field offices (comparable state wildlife agencies contain less than half the number of field offices that Pennsylvania currently has).

Other recommendations include putting finances on a sustainable footing, setting minimum fund balances, studying license-price elasticity, and evaluating funding models that broaden public contributions. Also recommended are clearing the legal path, obtaining formal counsel opinions on fund-use restrictions, and asking the state General Assembly to authorize a joint shared-services framework with proportional cost-sharing.

In response to the study, PGC Executive Director Steve Smith said, “The Pennsylvania Game Commission takes its fiscal responsibility seriously, and that includes being good stewards of every dollar entrusted to us. In part, that is why we chose to do this study now, when the Commission is in solid financial standing. …

“It is of the utmost importance to note that the recommendations within this study do not reflect any imminent or immediate action from the Game Commission.”

Smith said that the report warrants meticulous review and in-depth communication with constituents, the board of commissioners, legislators, stakeholders and the Fish and Boat Commission.

A statement from the Fish and Boat Commission said:  “It is important to note that the recommendations presented are not mandates. Moving forward, consideration of any recommendations will require detailed analysis of additional factors that are unique to Pennsylvania, as well as potential action by the Pennsylvania General Assembly.”

The statement said that no timetable has been established for additional action.

In my opinion, the study produced a foundational road map to be sequenced and refined by the commissions and the General Assembly, informed by legal opinions, deeper cost analysis, and stakeholder input.

The extent to which these recommendations might be implemented or even if a complete merger of the two agencies remains a big question for state residents who hunt and fish.

Hunting seasons started Sept. 1

September 1 marked the start of statewide seasons for both Canada geese and mourning doves.

Sunday hunting is prohibited for migratory game birds, including waterfowl, doves, and woodcock, throughout the 2026-27 license year.

Licensed junior and mentored youth hunters can hunt ducks, mergansers, coots, gallinules, Canada geese, and brant statewide during a special Youth Day on Saturday, Sept. 19. All waterfowl hunting licensing requirements apply.

Tom Tatum is the outdoors columnist for the MediaNews Group. You can reach him at tatumt2@yahoo.com.