Shapiro Sets Sights on Stealing State Game Lands

March 11, 2025

By Rep. David Maloney Sr. (R-Berks)
A few lines that went mostly unnoticed, except by those who are in on the plot, were included in the state budget address by Gov. Josh Shapiro when he announced he is stealing nearly 400 acres of Pennsylvania State Game lands to grow a current state park.

The “plan” is to transfer 391 acres of Pennsylvania Game Commission (PGC) hunting land to the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources’ (DCNR) Lehigh Gorge State Park.

PGC spokesman Travis Lau, on Feb. 10, said Shapiro’s proposal would include a land exchange with DCNR. Lau said, “The particulars haven’t been finalized, but we are working with them on it.”

My question is, “Have any studies been done, surveys taken or opinions gathered of the land’s stakeholders - in this case Pennsylvania hunters?”

Once again, as when I raised the alarm that Shapiro and the Senate were trying to make a grab for $150 million of PGC funds, sportsmen are again being disrespected and federal Pittman-Robertson funds are again being diverted, which is illegal. It was lawless to take the hunters’ money then, and it is lawless to take the hunters’ land now.

As the United States Fish and Wildlife Service stated in the case of the $150 million:

“If PGC loses control of license revenue or license revenue is used for purposes other than the administration of the PGC, the Service may declare your agency to be in diversion and ineligible to receive Pittman Robertson-Wildlife Restoration Program funding.”

“Diversion” of Pittman-Robertson funds for activities not directly related to hunting, such as general park maintenance or recreation programs not focused on wildlife, is prohibited according to the PGC’s own fact sheet. “Diversion can also occur when a state fish and wildlife agency does not have control and expenditure authority over the use of license revenues,” the fact sheet continues.

It is now Gov. Shapiro’s job to explain how the 391 acres being transferred is not a violation of federal law under the Pittman-Robertson Act before the General Assembly is called upon to vote approval for yet another lawless act by this governor.

One way we can start to change that is for hunters and trappers to elect their own commissioners as House Bill 746 would do.

As currently established, a shadowy group called the Governor’s Sportsmen Advisory Council – DCNR has removed the group’s website – interviews and selects commissioner candidates and sends them to the governor. The governor then selects from those candidates and sends them to the Senate for confirmation. These are the internal Harrisburg games many hunters don’t know exist.

House Bill 746 would allow hunters to elect their own commissioner in the nine commissioner districts throughout the state. Then the governor can decide whether to send them to the Senate for confirmation.

Representative David Maloney
130th District
Pennsylvania House of Representatives
Media Contact: Charles Lardner
717.260.6161
clardner@pahousegop.com
RepMaloney.com