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Do you know what the Wildlife Management Institute is? Probably not, but as a hunter or angler, you should. Each year, the WMI helps to shape the future of wildlife conservation throughout the United States. As I write this, they are in a unique position to directly impact the future of hunting and fishing, as well as the commission that manages it, right here in Pennsylvania.
According to their website, "The Wildlife Management Institute was founded in 1911 by conservation and business-minded people alarmed by declining wildlife populations. Recognizing the need for dedicated professionals, the founders established a small, independent organization focused on wildlife restoration and habitat conservation."
Today's WMI supports wildlife research at over 40 universities, provides expert testimony before Congress, collaborates with other conservation organizations, organizes an annual conference for wildlife professionals (at a cost of $450-$475 per attendee), conducts in-depth reviews of wildlife management practices, and leads projects regarding key conservation issues. Sounds good, right? Sure, it sounds like the kind of people hunters and anglers want in their corner. However, there is more to the story, and not all of it rosy.
Past initiatives included some of today's most controversial topics, including Chronic Wasting Disease and even increasing representation of non-hunters within state fish & wildlife agencies. Now they are nearing completion of an already overdue $49,000 study to identify how the Fish & Boat Commission and Game Commission can build better opportunities for cooperation. For many, this is code for a merger. For others, it means sharing resources. Either way, it will undoubtedly reshape the future of both commissions and how they manage our natural resources.
The idea of a merger is nothing new; it has been studied and reported on at least three times in the past. Each time, the pros and cons of such an action have been explored and explained. Each time, the cons outweighed the pros, so the idea was shelved. The last study, conducted in 2014 by the Legislative Budget & Finance Committee, cost $100,000 and was flatly rejected by elected officials. Yet here we are again. Only this time we are paying outsiders with no understanding of how or why Pennsylvania operates the way it does. Despite decades of experience in wildlife management, including past leaders of state conservation agencies nationwide, none of the WMI staff have experience in Pennsylvania. None have worked in a state with two separate commissions. None have worked in a state funded without the benefit of general fund money, sales tax revenue, or an alternate source of revenue outside the sale of licenses.
Pennsylvania is unique in many ways, not least in how we manage our natural resources and our strong hunting & fishing traditions. The Keystone State was built thanks to whitetail bucks and spring shad migrations. The commissions were specifically designed to address the near-extinction-level decline of each. Today, Pennsylvania hunters and anglers enjoy a robust whitetail population, world-class fishing, one of the largest holdings of public access for sportsmen, and a trout stocking program that is larger than any other anywhere. Pennsylvania sportsmen have paid for all of this.
If another study of a possible merger, or cooperation, if you will, is warranted, it should be done by those familiar not only with our outdoor traditions but also with what is dear to us as sportsmen.