Rep. Jim Haddock, D-Hughestown, is pictured helping the state Game Commission stock pheasants in October. Haddock is proposing legislation that would require a search for the heads of the state Game Commission and the state Fish and Boat Commission.

The state Game Commission’s impact on rural areas like Warren County has been heavily discussed over the past couple of years.

Now, a pair of state House Democrats are proposing a more intensive search for the commission’s executive director as well as the director of the state Fish and Boat Commission. Reps. Jim Haddock, D-Hughestown, and Frank Burns, D-Johnstown, are circulating a co-sponsorship memorandum for legislation they are drafting that would require a national search to fill top leadership posts at the two state agencies.

“As the state with the second most licensed hunters in the nation, with over 840,000 hunting licenses sold and over 825,000 fishing licenses, Pennsylvania relies greatly on its hunters and fishers for both economic activity and contributions to our state’s culture,” Haddock and Burns wrote in their co-sponsorship memorandum. “Accordingly, the Pennsylvania Game Commission and the Pennsylvania Fish & Boat Commission are entrusted with key responsibilities in our state, as millions of Pennsylvanians rely on them to oversee our hunting and fishing seasons and protect the wildlife that are key to these pastimes. Our hunters and fishers deserve to have the best possible individuals represent them in these commissions.”

Haddock and Burns disagree with the way current state Game Commissioner Stephen Smith, who had previously served as the commission’s assistant counsel for legislative affairs and deputy executive director. Smith had been partially responsible for legislation that expanded Pennsylvania’s mentored hunting program, increased the penalties for the unlawful taking of wildlife and authorized Pennsylvania to join the Interstate Wildlife Violator Compact.

But Burns and Haddock say the lack of a requirement in state law for an executive director search meant Smith was hired the same day former executive director Bryan Burhans resigned.

“This important and responsible position was not posted, and no job interviews were held,” the lawmakers said. “This is not transparent, and we must ensure this does not happen again. As state legislators, we have a responsibility to ensure that our hunting and fishing agencies and their respective policies are executed by the most qualified candidates, and no positions are more important in this regard than the executive directors of these commissions. As state legislators, we have a responsibility to ensure that our hunting and fishing agencies and their respective policies are executed by the most qualified candidates, and no positions are more important in this regard than the executive directors of these commissions. That is why I plan to introduce legislation that would require both the Pennsylvania Game Commission and Pennsylvania Fish & Boat Commission to conduct a publicly advertised, national job search to fill future vacancies for the executive director positions of these commissions.”

Smith found himself in the crosshairs of local officials, including County Commissioner Ken Klakamp and state Sen. Scott Hutchinson, R-Oil City, who have been critical of the Game Commission’s land acquisitions in Warren County that have taken property off the tax rolls. Warren County is home to 36,922.03 acres of state game lands that will be valued in 2026 under the county’s reassessment at $10,920,950, according to testimony provided by Klakamp during the hearing. Roughly one-third of Warren County’s land is owned by either the Allegheny National Forest, Pennsylvania Game Commission or the Pennsylvania State Forest.

“Pennsylvania’s scenery and wildlife, as well as our culture of hunting and fishing, are some of our state’s most important attributes, and the qualifications and dedication of the individuals overseeing these aspects of our state should reflect the same dedication that our hunters and fishers possess,” Burns and Haddock said.