Recently the Pennsylvania Game Commission announced proposed license fee increases. In order for these increases to happen, the proposal would have to be approved by the General Assembly. Support by hunters would help to make this happen.

Initial negative reaction to hunting license fee increases can be expected from some hunters.

However, I believe that a majority of hunters, though they may not want to pay more for licenses, should agree that increases are necessary in order to maintain the kinds of services the Game Commission is providing to hunters and to the population in general.

Since the proposal was announced, I have not heard any negative comments. This shows a sound understanding of reality. Hunters realize that costs increase over time.

What some hunters may not realize is that sizeable increases have come from employee benefit costs which are beyond the control of the Game Commission. Since the last increase in license fees way back in 1999, those employee benefit costs have doubled from $40.4-million to $82.1-million, even though the Game Commission now has fewer employees.

Employee salaries have not risen significantly, but benefit costs have skyrocketed.

We all understand what inflation has done to our own costs of living over the past 16 years, and most of us do not have to deal with employee benefit costs on top of inflation.

Game Commission costs are now exceeding income. It does not take a degree in mathematics to realize this can not be sustained for long.

Even with tremendous cooperative help from sportsman groups such as Ducks Unlimited, the National Wild Turkey Federation and Ducks Unlimited, and the general conservation organization Western Pennsylvania Conservancy which has helped to acquire a great mount of land that is open to hunting and fishing, Game Commission under-funding would mean losses for all public land users.

The Game Commission manages for 480 bird and mammal species.

The Game Commission has been improving wildlife management that benefits hunters and others through cutting edge research that is widely admired and respected by other game and wildlife agencies. This could come to a screeching halt due to under-funding.

Planned programs already are on hold due to lack of funding.

With increasing pressures on wildlife and habitat, everyone who loves wildlife is approaching crisis level as Game Commission funding fails to meet needs.

I want friends and friendly adversaries who read this column to understand that the current Pennsylvania license costs are cheaper for comparable opportunities for all states but Hawaii. Even if proposed increases become reality, our license structure still would be cheaper that all but eight states. In some major hunting states, hunters now pay almost three times as much to more than four times as much.

And we do it without support from General Funds which many states do provide.

The Game Commission is one of the most efficiently run government agencies in the nation.

Do not let your opposition to Game Commission policies cloud your judgement of the Game Commission. Disagreement is good if done intelligently.

As individuals we do not have to take into consideration the needs and wants of everyone in the commonwealth. Nor do we have to follow mandates.

License costs would not increase for junior hunters nor senior hunters.

The proposal would increase most hunting license fees three times over five years.

Resident hunting or trapping licenses would increase by $10 in the first year if the proposal passes, by $5 in the third year, and by $5 in the fifth year.

The proposal also includes a new Ultimate Outdoorsman License that would include general hunting, fur-taker, special wild turkey, bear, archery, muzzleloader and migratory game bird. This would amount to a savings of $23 versus buying those licenses individually. This license would cost $125 initially, then increase by $25 the third and fifth years.

Fact: a hunting license provides some of the cheapest recreation you can possibly have, while at the same time helping to conserve wildlife and wildlife habitat.