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HARRISBURG &#8212; Citing a stagnant revenue stream and increasing costs, the Pennsylvania Game Commission said it desperately needs a hunting license fee increase to avoid cutting programs and staff.But one local legislator wants to know what&#8217;s in it for hunters before he supports such a hike.During a press conference on Tuesday, PFC deputy executive director Richard Palmer said the agency hasn&#8217;t had a license fee increase since 1999 and a hike is long overdue. Under the PGC proposal, the cost of a resident adult hunting license would increase by $10 in the first year, from the current $19 to $29, followed by two $5 hikes every other year. Other licenses would also go up for residents, including bear ($8 the first year), antlerless ($5), archery ($5), muzzleloader ($10) and fur taker ($10), with all junior and senior licenses being exempt from an increase. Non-resident licenses would also go up across the board as well.&#8220;I don&#8217;t know of any other state agency that has not had a revenue increase since 1999,&#8221; Palmer said, adding license fees account for almost 40 percent of the agency&#8217;s revenue. &#8220;This is the second-longest period of time since 1895 that the Game Commission has gone without a license increase. The other period was during the Great Depression.&#8221;The state legislature would have to improve any hunting license fee increase. State Rep. Gerald Mullery, D-Newport Township, who is vice chairman of the House Game and Fisheries Committee, said he understands the difficulty the agency faces with not having any incremental fee hikes since 1999, but he questioned if now is the right time to ask hunters to pay more.&#8216;Dramatic&#8217; hike?Mullery called the proposed initial and subsequent fee increases &#8220;dramatic&#8221; and said a committee hearing is needed on the PGC&#8217;s request.&#8220;With hunting license purchases either down or plateaued, coupled with the complaints I still receive from hunters about low deer numbers, now may not be the time for a hunting license increase,&#8221; Mullery said. &#8220;With increasing operational costs due to staff, it&#8217;s perceived as mismanagement and that&#8217;s something hunters will have a hard time with.&#8221;The PGC&#8217;s 2015-16 budget is $106 million with projected personnel expenses accounting for $82 million for 714 employees. The projected revenue is $102 million and projected expenditures total $114 million, leaving an expected deficit of $12 million. Palmer said without a license fee increase that deficit will grow to more than $35 million by 2019-20.&#8220;That&#8217;s going to have a significant impact,&#8221; he said.The agency did see a spike in revenue for in recent years due to Marcellus Shale drilling on game lands, but Palmer said the bulk of new gas development on PGC property is basically over and royalties haven&#8217;t been significant with wells operating at minimal production.Among the programs that could be cut if there isn&#8217;t an increase, in addition to positions being eliminated, include a decrease in habitat projects, research work scaled back and a compromise to the agency&#8217;s ability to provide matching funds to obtain federal Pittman-Robertson grant money.Palmer said an increase would allow the agency to maintain the programs and work it is doing now and possibly do more, especially with habitat improvement and prescribed burns. He also said the PGC isn&#8217;t opposed to looking at the state&#8217;s general fund as a potential funding source to help offset a deficit.Before any of that can be considered, Mullery said he has plenty of questions.&#8220;We should look at what other states are charging non-residents and see if those fees can be used to take more of the burden off resident hunters,&#8221; Mullery said. &#8220;If the Game Commission will use additional revenue to improve habitat and increase deer numbers &#8212; something that could have a positive impact on our experience in the woods, that would make it more palatable for hunters.&#8220;I want to hear why they think now is the time for this and if there&#8217;s an alternative to the $10 hike. It&#8217;s a big issue.&#8221;<div class="metaInfo"><subheadMeta>PGC proposal would raise cost of resident hunting license from $19 to $29</subheadMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta>By Tom Veneskytvenesky@www.timesleader.com</bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><factboxMeta>PA hunters pay less than other statesWhen it comes to the cost of a resident hunter to pursue antlered deer, turkeys, pheasants, small game and waterfowl in other states, Pennsylvania hunters pay less than every state but Hawaii (comparison with neighboring states):New Jersey - $122Ohio - $106West Virginia - $34Maryland - $34New York - $32Delaware - $25Pennsylvania - $24</factboxMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta>Reach Tom Venesky at 570-991-6395 or on Twitter @TLTomVenesky</shirttailMeta></div>

Game Commission ready to push for license fee increase