http://www.pgc.state.pa.us/pgc/cwp/v...?Q=162235&A=11
BOARD APPROVES CREATION OF FOUNDATION

HARRISBURG - The Pennsylvania Board of Game Commissioners today endorsed the creation of the Wildlife For Everyone Endowment Foundation to assist sportsmen and sportswomen and all Pennsylvanians in funding the management of the Commonwealth's wildlife resources.

The Pennsylvania Game Commission has never received annual General Fund appropriations (state tax dollars) to run the agency. Hunters and trappers historically have paid for wildlife conservation in the state through the purchase of licenses and by paying a federal excise tax on sporting arms and ammunition. But in the face of declining hunter and trapper numbers - as well as the ever-increasing cost of managing wildlife - additional financial help is needed.

"The Pennsylvania Game Commission has had a superb and storied history as an independent agency," said Board President Russell Schleiden, who called for the foundation's creation. "A key to maintaining our independence is to insure that we use the sportsmen and sportswomen's resources in the best means possible. We will never have all the resources we need to accomplish all the things we would like to do for hunters, trappers and the citizens of the Commonwealth.

"However, it is important that we continue to look at ways of increasing the revenue of the agency to achieve the objectives in the Strategic Plan. To that end, I am honored to make a proposal of intent that the Board of Game Commissioners advocate the establishment of a foundation in order to raise, receive, acquire and distribute funds and other property for the education and research for the conservation of wildlife, the increasing and improvement of habitat, and the promulgation of our hunting and trapping heritage in Pennsylvania."

According to Schleiden, the education and research elements could include outreach programs and the establishment of a Central Pennsylvania Scientific Research and Education/Training Center.

"Our vision includes facilities for seminars, lecture series and other multi-use functions," Schleiden said.

The habitat program could include State Game Lands improvement and acquisition, and critical species habitat programs both on public and private lands that wish to participate.

Schleiden noted that the hunting heritage element could include a hunting and trapping section in the Central Pennsylvania Scientific Research and Education/Training Center, mentor programs, recruitment programs and human dimensions studies.

"The Foundation will be separate and independent from the Game Commission with a separate Board of Directors," Schleiden said. "The primary effort would be to build a foundation that would create an endowment to the conservation of wildlife."




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