Agency overview | |
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Formed | 1866 |
Jurisdiction | Government of Pennsylvania |
Headquarters | 1601 Elmerton Avenue Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
Agency executives |
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Website | https://www.fishandboat.com/ |
The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission is an independent state agency responsible for the regulation of all fishing and boating in the state of Pennsylvania within the United States of America. Unlike many U.S. states, Pennsylvania has a separate Game Commission.
Its mission is: to protect, conserve, and enhance the Commonwealth's aquatic resources and provide fishing and boating opportunities. [1]
Created by a law that was signed on March 23, 1866 by Governor Andrew Curtin, this state agency's main purpose was to restore fish migrations of American shad within the rivers. Today, its scope manages boat launches, waterways, fish hatcheries, and other properties used for recreational fishing and boating.
It also regulates the accessibility through dams on major waterways via fish ladders. Ten members make up the Board of Commissioners who oversee all operations, serving 8-year terms without pay. Among others, the Commission employs waterway conservation officers and biologists, while also utilizing volunteer deputy conservation officers and volunteer instructors to serve the public. The conservation officers are assigned to various districts across the Commonwealth, where—in addition to fish and boat law enforcement—they conduct boating and fishing schools, fish stocking, public relations work, and investigate water pollution violations. [2]
The Commission's first fishing license was issued in 1922, and licenses have been issued annually since that time. In 2007, the licensing process was converted to a Point of Sale computerized system with licenses valid on December 1 of the preceding year until December 31 of the license year.
This agency also issues boat registrations for two-year periods, expiring on March 31 of the year of expiration. Because the agency is a commission, the revenues it collects from license purchases directly benefits the protection and conservation of aquatic resources. The agency is not supported by general fund state-tax money, but the Commission does receive a portion of federal excise taxes through sporting goods and marine fuel taxation. [2]
Fishing and boating regulations are enforced by Waterways Conservation Officers. WCOs are employed by the Fish and Boating Commission and are police officers certified by the Pennsylvania State Police Municipal Police Officers Training Standards. Officers patrol on foot, in vehicles and on boats, and are certified boating safety instructors. [3] Training consists of 26 weeks basic police officer training, followed by a further 26 weeks specialist training for the role. [4]
The Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources is a department of the government of the U.S. state of Virginia that regulates wildlife conservation.
The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission (NGPC) is the State of Nebraska's State agency charged with stewardship of the state's fish, wildlife, state park, and outdoor recreation resources. The agency is led by a governor-appointed member commission consisting of 9 commissioners which directs agency management. The commission is also charged with issuing of state hunting licenses, fishing licenses, and boat registrations. The agency also manages State Parks and recreation areas throughout the state. It conducts public education programs for hunting and boating safety. The agency is headquartered in Lincoln, Nebraska.
A law enforcement officer (LEO), or police officer or peace officer in North American English, is a public-sector or private-sector employee whose duties primarily involve the enforcement of laws, protecting life & property, keeping the peace, and other public safety related duties. Law enforcement officers are designated certain powers & authority by law to allow them to carry out their responsibilities.
The Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources, an agency of the Kentucky Tourism, Arts and Heritage Cabinet, is responsible for the conservation of wildlife resources and for boating projects in the state. A commissioner appointed by the Fish and Wildlife Commission heads the department. The commission—which oversees the department's commissioner and promulgates regulations governing fishing, hunting, and boating—is a nine-member bipartisan board appointed by the governor from a list of candidates nominated by active hunters and anglers in each of nine geographic districts in the state.
The office of the Pennsylvania State Constable is a municipally elected, sworn Law Enforcement Officer throughout the U.S. state of Pennsylvania.
Law enforcement in Malaysia is performed by numerous law enforcement agencies and primarily the responsibility of the Royal Malaysia Police. Like many federal nations, the nature of the Constitution of Malaysia mandates law and order as a subject of a state, which means that local government bodies also have a role to play in law enforcement, therefore the bulk of the policing lies with the respective states and territories of Malaysia. Below are some of the law enforcement bodies and agencies of Malaysia.
The Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is the agency of the state of Michigan founded in 1921, charged with maintaining natural resources such as state parks, state forests, and recreation areas. It is governed by a director appointed by the Governor and accepted by the Natural Resources Commission. Since 2023, the Director is Scott Bowen. The DNR has about 1,400 permanent employees, and over 1,600 seasonal employees.
The Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR), established in 1995, is the agency in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania responsible for maintaining and preserving the state's 124 state parks and 20 state forests; providing information on the state's natural resources; and working with communities to benefit local recreation and natural areas. The agency has its headquarters in the Rachel Carson State Office Building in Harrisburg.
The Pennsylvania Game Commission (PGC) is the state agency responsible for wildlife conservation and management in Pennsylvania in the United States. It was originally founded 129 years ago and currently utilizes more than 700 full-time employees and thousands of part-time and volunteers in its official mission to "manage and protect wildlife and their habitats while promoting hunting and trapping for current and future generations."
A conservation officer is a law enforcement officer who protects wildlife and the environment. A conservation officer may also be referred to as an environmental technician/technologist, game warden, park ranger, forest watcher, forest guard, forester, gamekeeper, investigator, wildernessofficer, wildlifeofficer, or wildlife trooper.
The Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (ADCNR) is the state agency responsible for the conservation and management of Alabama's natural resources including state parks, state lands, wildlife and aquatic resources. ADCNR also issues hunting and fishing licenses for the state. The department promotes wise stewardship and enjoyment of the state's natural resources through five divisions: Marine Resources, State Lands, State Parks and Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries. Supporting those divisions are seven support sections: Accounting, Diversity and Recruiting, Engineering, Information and Education, Information Technology, Legal, and Personnel and Payroll.
The Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is a government agency in the state of Maryland charged with maintaining natural resources including state parks, public lands, state forests, state waterways, wildlife, and recreation areas. Its headquarters are in Annapolis.
The Louisiana Department of Wildlife & Fisheries – Enforcement Division (LDWF) is the fish & game regulatory agency of Louisiana. It has jurisdiction anywhere in the state, and in state territorial waters. The agency enforces both state and federal laws dealing with hunting, fishing, and boating safety. The agency also enforces criminal laws in rural areas including DWI enforcement both on highways and waterways. Most of the Department's Wildlife Agents also carry Federal law enforcement commissions issued from the United States Department of the Interior - U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and United States Department of Commerce - U.S. National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS). These federal commissions allow these state officers to enforce federal migratory waterfowl laws and federal marine fisheries laws in state and federal waters off the coast of Louisiana. Besides their traditional role as a "game warden", Louisiana Wildlife Enforcement Agents also have a number of other responsibilities, including conducting board of health inspections on some portions of the state's commercial fishing industry. Agents are trained in and conduct numerous search and rescue operations, both in remote land areas and on the state's waterways. Agents ensure that hunters, anglers, boaters, dealers, breeders, farmers, and transporters are in compliance with regulations governing equipment, quotas, licenses, and registrations. Agents also assist other State departments and law enforcement agencies in the coordination of educational and professional endeavors, as well as national and state emergency alerts by the Federal Office of Emergency Preparedness. In addition, agents perform search and rescue missions alone or in conjunction with other local, state, and federal agencies.
The Maryland Natural Resources Police (NRP) is the law enforcement arm of the Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR), tasked with enforcing laws on the state's public lands and waterways, protecting fish and wildlife, and leading search and rescue efforts. The Natural Resources Police is also the state's maritime homeland security agency.
The North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission is a state government agency created by the General Assembly in 1947 to conserve and sustain North Carolina's fish and wildlife resources through research, scientific management, wise use, and public input. The Commission is the regulatory agency responsible for the enforcement of NC fishing, hunting, trapping and boating laws.
Michigan Conservation Officers also known as Michigan DNR Law Enforcement Division are conservation officers who are the enforcement branch of the Michigan Department of Natural Resources. Their primary duty is to enforce the environmental laws in the State of Michigan. Michigan Conservation Officers are fully commissioned peace officers and are empowered to enforce all the laws of the State of Michigan.
Canonsburg Lake is a lake in Canonsburg, Pennsylvania. It is an artificial lake formed by the waters of Little Chartiers Creek behind a 525 feet (160 m) long and 45 feet (14 m) high concrete dam. The dam was built in 1943 by Alcoa to create a freshwater reservoir for the Canonsburg Forging Plant, which was considered a strategic resource during World War II. In 1957, the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission (PFBC) acquired the 138-acre property from Alcoa, which included the 76-acre surface area of the lake plus the dam and surrounding lands. The PFBC converted the body of water from an industrial reservoir into a recreational lake.
The Massachusetts Environmental Police is a Massachusetts, US, state government law enforcement agency, which is the primary enforcement agency of Massachusetts's boating and recreation vehicle laws and regulations and is responsible for registering boats, off-highway vehicles and snowmobiles in Massachusetts. The agency is also responsible for the enforcement of fish and game laws, including commercial and recreational harvesting of the living marine resources along the state's coastline.
The New Hampshire Fish and Game Department (NHF&G) is a department within the government of New Hampshire in the United States. The Fish and Game Department manages New Hampshire's fish, game, and aquatic plant resources.
The South Dakota Department of Game, Fish, and Parks (GFP) is the U.S. State of South Dakota's state agency charged with the management of the state's public recreational and outdoor resources. The GFP manages the 13 state parks and 43 state recreation areas within the state parks system, totaling over 96,000 acres of public lands. The agency manages the hunting of game and the state's fisheries, manages several wildlife management areas and game production areas to restore or establish habitat for a variety of species. The agency conducts public outdoor education programs, typically focusing on hunting and boating safety. The department issues hunting and fishing licenses along with issuance of boat registrations. The agency is also charged with enforcement of fish and game laws, including invasive species regulations. The agency is headquartered in Pierre, South Dakota.