EDGEFIELD, S.C. — The National Wild Turkey Federation (NWTF) and the sporting community throughout Pennsylvania rallied to oppose House Bill 1300, which sought to divert $150 million from the Pennsylvania Game Commission Game Fund to other uses.

The bill would have vastly reduced the agency’s ability to manage the commonwealth’s wildlife and wildlife habitat. Through the NWTF’s advocacy actions and the Pennsylvania sporting community’s unification, the provision has officially been removed from the bill.

“It was outstanding to see sportsmen and women rally across Pennsylvania to oppose the provision that would take $150 million away from the PGC Game Fund,” said Mitchell Blake, NWTF district biologist for Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, Delaware and Maryland. “Hunters play a critical role in not only contributing to the fund, but also safeguarding those hunter-generated dollars from outside pressures and illegitimate uses. It was a great win for Pennsylvania’s wildlife and hunting heritage and hopefully sets a precedent for any future attempts to transfer or divert portions of the Game Fund.”

The PGC and the Game Fund are funded through the sale of hunting licenses, income produced from the state game lands system such as timber sales, and by the Pittman-Robertson Wildlife Restoration Act, which is derived from an excise tax on firearms and ammunition. Diverting money from the PGC Game Fund is in direct violation of the Pittman-Robertson Wildlife Restoration Act and Pennsylvania Title 34 Game Code. Moreover, HB 1300 would have put the PGC at risk of losing eligibility to attain Pittman-Robertson funding (nearly $42 million in 2023). The attempt to divert funding violates the nearly 100-year-old agreement between the commonwealth and its 840,000 hunters that generate critical funding to manage state wildlife and wildlife habitat.

NWTF staff work with the organization’s volunteers, partners and policymakers to identify and engage on issues that impact wildlife management, lands conservation and hunting rights.

The NWTF’s engagement at the policy and rule-making levels is vital to delivering its mission. Working alongside state- and federal-level legislators and agencies, the NWTF can encourage laws and regulations that protect and bolster hunter rights and ensure to deliver conservation effectively and efficiently on the landscape.