The Pennsylvania Fish & Boat Commission’s Board of Commissioners held its quarterly meeting on April 28 at the Harrisburg Headquarters. During the meeting, the commissioners took action on several issues affecting anglers throughout the commonwealth, especially those in the northwest.

The highest profile issue dealt with the possibility of significant changes to when anglers can pursue steelhead in Lake Erie tributaries. The commissioners agreed to publish a notice of proposed rulemaking regarding special regulations on Lake Erie tributaries. The proposed rulemaking would limit fishing hours on Walnut Creek (from Route 5 downstream to the Manchester Road Bridge) and Elk Creek (north of Route 5) from one hour before sunrise to one hour after sunset. A possible amendment was not adopted, which was first discussed at an earlier Law Enforcement Committee meeting, to expand this limitation to all Lake Erie tributaries.

A second notice of proposed rulemaking was approved regarding insurance for charter boat operators and fishing guides. Under current regulations, holders of a charter boat or fishing guide permit must maintain general liability insurance covering all periods during which they will operate on or in Pennsylvania waters. However, due to industry changes since the original regulations were adopted many insurance companies no longer offer general liability insurance for these on the water businesses, issuing protection and indemnity policies instead. The proposed regulation change would allow charter boat operators and fishing guides to have either general liability or protection and indemnity policies.

The third notice of proposed rulemaking concerns the use of electric motors on waterways controlled by either the Fish & Boat Commission or the Department of Conservation & Natural Resources.

Under current regulations, PFBC lakes and impoundments are limited to electric motors only and slow, no-wake speed. DCNR lakes and impoundments, depending on size and location, are restricted to slow, no-wake speed, electric motors only, or horsepower restrictions. Due to advances in electric motor designs and performance and the types of watercraft they are being used on, concerns arose regarding potential confusion amongst the boating public.

The proposed regulation change wording would be amended to clarify that electric motors on the same waterways would be subject to the same slow no wake and horsepower/kilowatt rating as traditional combustion engines.

Following the publication of the notice of proposed rulemaking public comments will be collected and the matter will be further discussed at a future meeting. If the change is adopted after further discussion, it will go into effect upon a second notice in the Pennsylvania Bulletin.

The commissioners also approved various grants related to stream access and boating facilities, including two in the Northwest Region.

The first was to the Erie-Western Pennsylvania Port Authority to construct a new courtesy boat dock at the Lampe Marina, Lake Erie, Erie County. This project will be funded through a Boating Facility Grant.

The second project approved was the McKean Conservation Area Phase 2, Elk Creek, Erie County. This project will be funded through an Erie Access Improvement Grant. The Erie Access Improvement Program obtains funds via the sale of Lake Erie Permits, which are required when fishing Lake Erie or its tributaries. These monies fund access, fishing, and habitat projects within the Lake Erie watershed.