KeviR
Active member
I went to buy my 2025 fishing license today. My last purchase was a 5 year license that just expired, so I haven't looked at the license purchase website since then.
You can now purchase several types of voluntary permits with your license.
How long has PFBC been selling these permits?
Is there any information about how much money has been raised by each of these permits? (Either annually or cumulative.)
Is there any information about what specific programs these funds have been used for or plan to be used for?
From the PFBC webpage about voluntary permits, this is the description for the Voluntary Wild Trout and Enhanced Waters Permit:
For anglers who prefer exploring Pennsylvania's remote areas and fishing for wild species, the Wild Trout and Enhanced Waters Permit will benefit wild trout. This voluntary permit will benefit wild trout fisheries, improve habitat, and maintain and enhance the existing Pennsylvania's Best Fishing Waters for wild trout.
Wild trout projects may include instream habitat work designed to improve a population from a lower biomass class to a higher biomass class, as well as fund further research needs for wild trout. Funds from this permit will not be used on trout stocking programs.
If they just started this program, I could understand that there may be no projects or programs they have funded yet, but there should be some kind of plan for how the money would/will be used. With some specifics - not just "research" or "habitat work". And in spite of considerable outside research about how stocking affects wild populations, PFBC still stocks (or allows stocking) over wild fish on a regular basis. What additional research do they propose doing?
Based on how they currently (don't really) manage for wild populations in most places, I'm not inclined to voluntarily pay extra because I don't trust they would make good use of the money. And without any real specifics, it's even harder to make that leap.
I would love for this to be at least a little island of true wild trout management in the PFBsea of hatchery money.
You can now purchase several types of voluntary permits with your license.
How long has PFBC been selling these permits?
Is there any information about how much money has been raised by each of these permits? (Either annually or cumulative.)
Is there any information about what specific programs these funds have been used for or plan to be used for?
From the PFBC webpage about voluntary permits, this is the description for the Voluntary Wild Trout and Enhanced Waters Permit:
For anglers who prefer exploring Pennsylvania's remote areas and fishing for wild species, the Wild Trout and Enhanced Waters Permit will benefit wild trout. This voluntary permit will benefit wild trout fisheries, improve habitat, and maintain and enhance the existing Pennsylvania's Best Fishing Waters for wild trout.
Wild trout projects may include instream habitat work designed to improve a population from a lower biomass class to a higher biomass class, as well as fund further research needs for wild trout. Funds from this permit will not be used on trout stocking programs.
If they just started this program, I could understand that there may be no projects or programs they have funded yet, but there should be some kind of plan for how the money would/will be used. With some specifics - not just "research" or "habitat work". And in spite of considerable outside research about how stocking affects wild populations, PFBC still stocks (or allows stocking) over wild fish on a regular basis. What additional research do they propose doing?
Based on how they currently (don't really) manage for wild populations in most places, I'm not inclined to voluntarily pay extra because I don't trust they would make good use of the money. And without any real specifics, it's even harder to make that leap.
I would love for this to be at least a little island of true wild trout management in the PFBsea of hatchery money.
