Why It Matters: On Tuesday, October 1^st, the Pennsylvania Game Commission (PGC) and the Pennsylvania Fish & Boat Commission (PFBC), along with the Chairs of the House and Senate Game & Fish Committees (Sen. Greg Rothman; Co-Chair for the Pennsylvania Legislative Sportsmen’s Caucus and Caucus member, Rep. Anita Astorino Kulik. n addition to the bill sponsor, Sen. Wayne Langerholc, Jr., unveiled the new “PA Sportsman” license plate which provides additional funding to the Youth Hunting and Fishing Accounts which assists in the Recruitment, Retention, and Reactivation (R3) of youth sportsmen and women.

Highlights:         

• The “PA Sportsman” plate was unveiled at the Pennsylvania State Capitol during a press conference at National Hunting and Fishing Day event hosted by the PGC and the PFBC.
• The specialty license plate sports artwork featuring a fishing scene on a lake, a white-tailed deer, and a ruffed grouse.
• The plate will cost $40 plus the registration fee, of which $14 will be deposited into a Youth Hunting and Fishing Account which will be allocated evenly to the PGC and the PFBC to be used for the promotion of hunting and fishing activities for youth.

In the United States, participation in sporting traditions has been generally declining since the 1980’s. Sportsmen and women generate billions of dollars annually for the national and local economies and support hundreds of thousands of jobs while hunting license sales provide funding for wildlife conservation and habitat restoration through the American System of Conservation Funding. In response to the declining number of sportsmen and women, state fish and wildlife agencies, conservation organizations, shooting sports organizations, and hunting/fishing/shooting sports industry have invested heavily in recruitment, retention, and reactivation (R3) initiatives. With the introduction of the “PA Sportsman” license plate, Pennsylvanian’s can proudly show other motorists that they are a sportsman or woman while providing some additional funding for youth hunting and fishing programs within the state.

The Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation (CSF) applauds the legislature and Governor Josh Shapiro for passing and enacting this legislation to bring attention to provide critical funding for youth hunting and fishing programs. If you are a resident of the Keystone State, and wish to purchase the “PA Sportsman” specialty license plate, please visit the PennDOT website, choose Special Fund, and select the “PA Sportsman” option.