I read on another site where PGC was trying to get out of the audit, because usp has an ongoing lawsuit over the deer plan and pgc did not want to go through both at the same time!

SOme reasons given by pgc insiders have been that they do not want to give usp any "ammo" for their case with whatever may be found in the audit!!

Anyone else heard about this or read the article? IF they had nothing to hide, and the science is completely backing them and the extremes theyve implemented (ha ha Yeah, right!)what do they mean by not wanting to give them ammunition?

They ALSO previously stated that they were not interested in an audit that focused on the numbers. (in other words, they want the audit to avoid them COMPLETELY)

Sounds like to me they are trying to get rid of the lawsuit and that they want a self servingaudit on their own complete terms.

Correct me if Im wrong, but the whole reason for the audit is because so many hunters and legislators are VERY unsatisfied and to focus on issues OTHER than what all the dissatisfaction is about in the first place makes ZERO sense.[8D]

I haven't seen where the PGC is trying get out ofan audit.The company assigned to the audit doesn't want any part as long as there's a current lawsuit.

From an article on the topic over on hpa.

""And Game Commission officials said as long as there was a lawsuit going on, they would be extremely reluctant to cooperate with an audit."

It was good to see that Rep. Staback is looking out for the sportsmen of Pa though!! Some other interesting quotes from the article:

"As it stands now, if the audit does take place, I don't see a hunting license fee increase taking effect until 2010," Staback said. "I will be open to beginning deliberations about a backtag increase next year, but I just don't think it is realistic to expect to have a package passed and in place before July. That just isn't going to happen."

Without an audit, Staback said all bets are off. He continues to insist that the deer-management controversy is addressed before the agency receives new funding.

"I will say this, if the Game Commission is willing to put their best foot forward and cooperate with an audit, I think the agency can come out of this looking very good," he said. "An audit may very well prove they have been doing a good job.

"Or it may show that there is a better way to manage the deer herd, and if the commission is willing to make adjustments, that will satisfy me."


"We need to bring this to a head - this has been bandied about for three years," he said. "The sportsmen across the state need to be convinced that the PGC is managing deer the best way possible. And if they are, I don't think a license increase will be a problem."

The Unified Sportsmen are disturbed by false statements Game Commission officials are putting out concerning the lawsuit, Mohr noted.

"The general operating budget of the state is covering the Game Commission's legal costs," Mohr added. "Our lawsuit isn't costing the agency or hunters a penny."

Why would the PGC need to cooperate in the audit other than giving the WMI access to their data and isn't all of the PGC data, except personnel information,subject to the right to know law? Wouldn't the PGC have to supply the same data to both WMI and the USP?

Does anyone know if the RFP included a provision for public comments and questions to be submitted to the auditors?

Before this goes to far, read the story in the "PA Outdoor News" . I'm not taking sides but thats not what the story says.

What is it that you claim that the article doesn't say? The article says WMI doesn't want to do the audit with the law suit pending. It also says the PGC doesn't want to cooperate in the audit with the lawsuit pending. So what is your problem other than the fact that you can't spell corporate?

That has been the message on everything I've seen. the PGC is on record as welcoming the audit. The auditing company is expressing some reluctance to doing the audit while litgation is pending. If the USP we're to drop the lawsuit, the audit would proceed and we'd all get the truth. Of course, the USP may not want to see an independent audit result come out.

Bwana, thats exactly what was in the article.

Here is what the head-cheese over there on hpa, bluetick, had to say about it:

"The GC has concerns going forward with the audit for some of the same reasons.

The first rule of court - never offer what is not asked for. An audit (full and complete compliance) compared to a court proceeding (protection from a court precedent or court order of those not familiar with wildlife practices in this case) are different. The court case could have very dire results for all wildlife management in PA and nationally."

Apparently BTB is in deep denial since the quote states specifically that the PGC is reluctant to cooperate with the audit as long as the lawsuit is pending. It can't get much clearer than that. The PGC is running scared because breeding rates and productivity have decreased instead of increasing. there is no way they can deny it and they have no logical explanation for why their predictions didn't come true. They lied themselves into a corner and are now trapped by their own lies.