HARRISBURG, PA — Pennsylvania’s fish and wildlife agencies face unsustainable spending that could exhaust or nearly eliminate their reserves by fiscal 2034, according to an independent review recommending workforce reductions, unified law enforcement and broader funding sources.
The Wildlife Management Institute conducted the assessment for the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission and Pennsylvania Game Commission, examining their finances, organizational structures, physical assets and feedback from hundreds of employees.
The institute projected Fish and Boat Commission expenditures will exceed revenue by $162.6 million between fiscal 2025 and fiscal 2034. The agency ended fiscal 2024 with a combined $145.8 million in its Fish Fund and Boat Fund.
Under the report’s assumptions, Fish and Boat Commission revenue would grow 0.4% annually while spending increases 3.6%, depleting the combined reserves by fiscal 2034 at the latest.
The Game Commission faces a projected $476.8 million cumulative shortfall over the same period, compared with a fiscal 2024 Game Fund balance of $504.3 million. The institute estimated the agency would consume about 95% of that reserve by fiscal 2034 as annual spending growth outpaces revenue growth.
“Without changes to revenue, spending, or both, neither agency’s finances are sustainable through the coming decade,” the report stated.
The institute issued 20 recommendations, including consolidating overlapping administrative units and potentially reducing the combined workforce by about 17%, or 221 positions.
The two commissions employed 1,298 people in 2025. The report estimated that reducing the workforce to levels comparable with selected state wildlife agencies could save approximately $34 million annually, based on combined fiscal 2024 personnel spending of $200 million.
The recommended reductions would affect overlapping executive, legal, human resources, administrative, communications, engineering and law-enforcement functions. The institute cautioned that its estimates require more detailed agency analysis before implementation.
One of the report’s most consequential proposals would combine the commissions’ separate law-enforcement bureaus and reduce their authorized complement from 337 sworn positions, including vacancies, toward a benchmark of approximately 222.
The institute also recommended eliminating deputy law-enforcement positions and creating one training program for new conservation officers. It cited potential liability concerns surrounding deputies who receive limited training before receiving badges, citation books and authorization to carry firearms.
Under the proposed structure, the Game Commission would supervise unified law enforcement, while the Fish and Boat Commission would contribute funding for officers’ fishing and boating duties.
The report stopped short of recommending a complete merger of the two commissions. Pennsylvania is the only state that divides fish and wildlife management between two independent commissions, according to the review, but its proposals focus on shared operations without changing either agency’s jurisdiction or decision-making authority.
The institute also called for a review of the Game Commission’s 74 field offices. Five comparison states averaged 29 such offices, suggesting Pennsylvania could reduce costs by closing or consolidating locations and housing employees from both commissions together.
Additional recommendations include combining the agencies’ websites, consolidating their magazines into one publication and studying whether to shift that publication from print to digital.
On revenue, the institute recommended studying how hunting and fishing license demand would respond to higher prices. It also called for evaluating funding models that would broaden public contributions and reduce reliance on license holders, boat owners and other traditional users.
Neither commission receives appropriations from Pennsylvania’s General Fund, and both are funded primarily through user-generated revenue, the report stated.
Many of the proposed changes would require action by the General Assembly. Existing laws restrict how the Game Fund, Fish Fund and Boat Fund may be used, complicating shared services and cross-agency staffing.
The institute recommended legislation authorizing proportional cost sharing, cross-designated personnel and shared occupancy of commission properties. It also advised the agencies to seek formal legal opinions and consult the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service about federal funding restrictions.
The Fish and Boat Commission emphasized that the recommendations are not mandates and that no timetable has been established for further action. It described the report as a high-level assessment requiring additional analysis of Pennsylvania-specific legal, financial and operational factors.
The institute similarly characterized its findings as a “foundational roadmap,” noting that its limited budget and timeframe did not allow it to develop the proposed consolidation scenarios in full detail.
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