The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission is threatening to close fish hatcheries and reduce trout stocking if legislators do not hand over the authority to raise fishing license prices.

License prices have remained the same since 2005. They can only be changed with approval from the state legislature.

A bill being considered in Harrisburg, Senate Bill 30, would allow the Fish and Boat Commission to set its own license prices without oversight from lawmakers.

The commission has threatened to make significant cuts if Harrisburg does not pass the bill. At a meeting last month, they voted to cut three fish hatcheries next year, and reduce stocking by 7.5 percent if SB 30 is not passed.

Fish commission officials say the cuts will save $2 million in operating expenses.

“The price of a general fishing license was last raised in 2005,” Executive Director John Arway said.

“Since then, we have continued to provide the same level of services to our customers, while seeking a price increase from the state legislature. The Senate has acted twice and passed legislation in 2016 and 2017 to give the Commission the authority to set license fees. But the House has failed to vote on Senate Bill 30. Until they do, we must cut expenses to pay our bills.”

The proposed cuts would impact Carbon County. Eleven of the 81 trout stocking “sections” on the chopping block are located here.

They are located on the Aquashicola Creek, Buckwha Creek, Hickory Run, Lehigh Canal, Lizard Creek, Mahoning Creek, Mauch Chunk Creek, and Nesquehoning Creek.

The bill was passed by the Senate in March. Since then, it has been stuck in the House Game and Fisheries Committee. PFBC Spokesman Eric Levis says that there are enough votes in the house to pass the bill if it is voted out of committee.

State Rep. Doyle Heffley, R-Carbon, who formerly served on the House Game and Fisheries committee, calls the proposed cuts a “power play” by the fish commission.

“There are a lot of different factors in play, but I think (the commission) is going out there just trying to scare everybody, so they call their legislators to push them to give this authority.”

Heffley said that while he supports the work of local waterway conservation officers, he is concerned about overreach by the commission leadership.

He said that it is important for the legislature to retain control over fishing license prices because PFBC is an independent agency over which lawmakers have no control.

“Because they have so much authority, I think it’s important that we keep some sort of oversight for them, and that they continue to fulfill their role to the sportsmen,” he said.

Heffley says he is concerned with excessive regulation of fish hatcheries by both federal and state agencies. Carbon County is home to several private clubs who stock streams, like the Nesquehoning Stocking Association and the Pohopoco Stocking Association — that Heffley said have been restricted by regulations from the commission in recent years.

Fish hatcheries are considered to be a form of “point source” pollution, not unlike factories and sewer systems. They must have a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permit from federal government.

Heffley said he believes the driving force behind the regulations are environmental groups which are opposed to fish stocking as a whole.

“I think it’s something where they need to keep them in check. As a sportsman, I want to see fishing opportunities, because that’s how we’re going to pass this on to generations to come,” he said.