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On Sept. 1, 2026, a longstanding part of fish and wildlife conservation in Pennsylvania will come to an end. On that date, the deputy game warden and deputy waterways conservation programs will officially be shut down, leaving 140 deputy game wardens and 36 deputy conservation officers the last of their kind.
On Aug. 13, both commissions issued statements announcing the decision, although little additional information was provided. Other than saying "the decision reflects our focus on having the most efficient and effective full-time, professional workforce," and thanking the volunteer officers for their continued commitment, neither agency provided a reason for the decision or how they plan to compensate for the lost manpower.
Although most sportsmen have likely encountered a deputy from one agency or another, few understand what these officers do or how they are selected. With some minor differences, both agencies select deputies from a pool of volunteers. Deputies are part-time officers, paid a daily stipend rather than a salary, and are not considered employees for civil service purposes. They receive no retirement and, other than uniforms, supply most of their own equipment & drive their own vehicles unless working with a full-time officer.
At their high point, both agencies employed 100s of deputy officers. When I started with the PFBC, a single region had more deputies than the combined total of both agencies today. There were similar numbers in each additional region, and even higher within the PGC. These officers were not meant to replace full-time officers but to supplement them by patrolling additional areas, assisting with boat manning, and conducting public outreach. Many future game wardens and conservation officers, including several past leaders within the Bureau of Law Enforcement, came from their ranks. Most full-time officers not only appreciated the contribution these volunteers made but also developed lifelong friendships with many of them.
Although I am surprised by today's announcement it is because of the sudden, joint decision, not the action itself. Anyone who has served in either agency knew the programs' days were limited. As with any other volunteer program, personnel willing to give up their time were becoming harder to find. With the increased reliance on technology and the hours of training each new piece of technology required, the hours required for training also increased. Finally, some past administrations of both agencies sometimes viewed these deputies to fill gaps in manpower, sometimes delaying the hiring of full-time officers because they believed the volunteers increased reliance on technology and the hours of training each new piece of technology required, the training hours increased as well.
Finally, some past administrators at both agencies relied too heavily on deputies, sometimes delaying the hiring of full-time officers as a result. Not only did this blur the lines between the two positions, but it also led to conflict with the unions representing agency employees. As I said, I expected the deputy programs to eventually become a thing of the past. But I expected it to die of attrition, not replacing deputies as they left, rather than termination.
While I am sure that many will look to the commissions for additional information regarding this decision, the bigger question is "What now?" Will the agencies increase the number of full-time officers to fill the gaps? Will the law enforcement programs be restructured to allow additional coverage with the current officers? Or will the officers do what they have often been asked to do and "Find a way"?
Only time will tell what the answers are. Until then, every sportsman should take a moment to thank the deputies past and present who volunteered their time, their hunting and fishing seasons, and many years of service to protect the natural resources of our commonwealth.