The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission today voted to create a voluntary $1 youth fishing license and to link the revenue generated from it to programs to increase youth fishing participation.
The voluntary youth license will be available starting Feb. 1 from all licensing agents and online through the PFBC’s Outdoor Shop. With a $1 agent fee and a $0.70 transaction fee, the total cost to purchase the license will be $2.70.
“Increasing youth and family participation in fishing, boating, and conservation programs has always been part of our strategic plan,” John Arway, Fish and Boat Commission executive director, said in a news release after the commission’s quarterly meeting. “This goal responds to the fact that the percentage of children and young adults ages 6 to 15 who fished in Pennsylvania in 2010 was only 24 percent, as compared to 37 percent in 2005 and 41 percent in 1995. We want to continue to refine and develop programs to engage kids.”
For every youth license sold, the PFBC will receive approximately $5 in federal revenue from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Sport Fish Restoration Act program, which provides funds to states based on a formula that includes the number of licenses a state sells. The commission said approximately 25 percent of its budget now comes from federal funding.
According to the “2011 National Survey of Fishing, Hunting, and Wildlife-Associated Recreation,” 367,000 children and young adults ages 6 to 15 fished in Pennsylvania in 2010.
“I want to emphasize that this is purely a voluntary youth license, and it is not required for kids to fish,” Arway said. “If just 25 percent of those 367,000 children were to purchase a voluntary $1 license, it would result in more than $550,000 in revenue for the commission to invest in youth programs,” Arway said.
Youth who plan to participate in the upcoming Mentored Youth Fishing Days must obtain either a voluntary youth fishing license or a free mentored youth fishing permit. The Mentored Youth Fishing Days are scheduled for March 22 and April 5.
The voluntary youth license will be available starting Feb. 1 from all licensing agents and online through the PFBC’s Outdoor Shop. With a $1 agent fee and a $0.70 transaction fee, the total cost to purchase the license will be $2.70.
“Increasing youth and family participation in fishing, boating, and conservation programs has always been part of our strategic plan,” John Arway, Fish and Boat Commission executive director, said in a news release after the commission’s quarterly meeting. “This goal responds to the fact that the percentage of children and young adults ages 6 to 15 who fished in Pennsylvania in 2010 was only 24 percent, as compared to 37 percent in 2005 and 41 percent in 1995. We want to continue to refine and develop programs to engage kids.”
For every youth license sold, the PFBC will receive approximately $5 in federal revenue from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Sport Fish Restoration Act program, which provides funds to states based on a formula that includes the number of licenses a state sells. The commission said approximately 25 percent of its budget now comes from federal funding.
According to the “2011 National Survey of Fishing, Hunting, and Wildlife-Associated Recreation,” 367,000 children and young adults ages 6 to 15 fished in Pennsylvania in 2010.
“I want to emphasize that this is purely a voluntary youth license, and it is not required for kids to fish,” Arway said. “If just 25 percent of those 367,000 children were to purchase a voluntary $1 license, it would result in more than $550,000 in revenue for the commission to invest in youth programs,” Arway said.
Youth who plan to participate in the upcoming Mentored Youth Fishing Days must obtain either a voluntary youth fishing license or a free mentored youth fishing permit. The Mentored Youth Fishing Days are scheduled for March 22 and April 5.
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