​HARRISBURG — The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission (PFBC) voted to give final approval to amendments to boat registration regulations at its quarterly business meeting July 24. Under the changes, the PFBC will comply with requirements of Act 28 of 2022, which established a calendar-year boat registration cycle that is valid from Jan. 1 through Dec. 31. Currently, Pennsylvania boat registrations are valid from April 1 to March 31, which can be confusing to boaters and result in unintentional violations.

Commissioners voted to give final approval to changes to the boat registration application process (58 Pa. Code § 93.3). Currently, for boats that have been previously registered, the PFBC requires the last registered owner to sign the REV-336 form (Application for Pennsylvania Boat Registration and/or Boat Title); or a bill of sale, signed by the last registered owner, may be substituted for the required signature on the REV-336. Under this change, the PFBC will also allow a certificate of registration (boat registration card), signed by the last registered owner, to be accepted as sufficient documentation of ownership and consent to transfer registration to the purchaser of the boat. The addition of this documentation to PFBC regulations is intended to simplify the boat registration process and provide better customer service. This amendment will go into effect upon publication in the Pennsylvania Bulletin.

Commissioners approved the publication of a notice of proposed rulemaking pertaining to boating regulations (58 Pa. Code § 111.22) within a portion of the Susquehanna River, known as Lake Frederick, in Dauphin County. Under this proposal, boaters would no longer be required to abide by a slow, no wake designation on the channel of the Susquehanna River between Bashore Island and the west shore of the river, downstream of Goldsboro. This area was established to protect private cabins that existed on the west side of the island at the time.

Fisheries

The Board voted to give final approval to amendments to regulations pertaining to the propagation, introduction, and transportation of live fish into Commonwealth waters. Under these changes, two chapters of the Pennsylvania Code (58 Pa. Code § 71 and 58 Pa. Code § 73) will be combined into a single chapter (58 Pa. Code §71a) to address current conservation challenges, improve fisheries management and fish health, and simplify the code.

In the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, thousands of lakes, ponds, and stream sections are stocked by private individuals each year. To improve the PFBC’s understanding of stockings occurring in Pennsylvania, protect aquatic resources, and address increased risks associated with aquatic invasive species and pathogens, there is a need to collect information on non-PFBC fish stockings occurring in the Commonwealth. As such, PFBC staff have undertaken an effort to improve management and oversight of fish and aquatic life transportation and stocking in Pennsylvania through the development of a Notice of Stocking.

Commissioners approved a notice of proposed rulemaking pertaining to Miscellaneous Special Regulations (58 Pa. Code § 64.24). This proposal addresses streams designated as Class A wild Brown Trout streams that are also stocked with hatchery-raised Rainbow Trout by the PFBC. 12 of the 13 stream sections with this classification are managed under Commonwealth Inland Waters regulations (58 Pa. Code § 61.1). Considering information gained through 2021 trout population and angler assessments of these fisheries, PFBC staff proposed implementing a new Miscellaneous Special Regulation on the 12 stream sections that would manage Brown Trout with catch-and-release regulations and maintain Commonwealth Inland Waters regulations for all other species with all tackle types permitted, while continuing to stock these stream sections with Rainbow Trout at current rates and frequency. Under this proposal, the following streams would be added to the list of waters managed under Miscellaneous Special Regulations: Yellow Creek, Section 04, Bedford County; Pohopoco Creek, Section 04, Carbon County; Bald Eagle Creek, Section 06, Centre County; Penns Creek, Section 02, Centre County; Fishing Creek, sections 13 and 14, Clinton County; Little Lehigh Creek, Sections 04 and 07, Lehigh County; Monocacy Creek, Section 09, Lehigh and Northampton counties; Kishacoquillas Creek, Section 05, Mifflin County; Martins Creek, Section 01, Northampton County; and Monocacy Creek, Section 08, Northampton County. If adopted on final rulemaking at a future meeting, this amendment would go into effect on January 1, 2024.

The Board approved the publication of a notice of proposed rulemaking pertaining to the Extended Trout Season (58 Pa. Code § 65.26). Changes under this proposal would improve the permitting process for the application of extended trout season regulations to waters that are not stocked with trout by the Commission.

The Board voted to approve the addition of five stream sections to the list of Class A wild trout streams and the addition of nine new waters to the PFBC’s list of wild trout streams. A list of waters proposed for wild trout stream and Class A wild trout stream designation can be found on the PFBC website. All of these additions will go into effect upon publication of a second notice in the Pennsylvania Bulletin.

Board elects new officers

The Board elected William Gibney of Honesdale, Wayne County, as President. Gibney, who served as Vice President and District 7 Commissioner, replaces Robert B.J. Small of Mechanicsburg, Cumberland County.

Daniel J. Pastore of Fairview, Erie County, was elected as Vice President. Pastore, who serves as District 1 Commissioner, representing Butler, Clarion, Crawford, Erie, Forest, Lawrence, Mercer, Venango, and Warren counties, replaces Gibney as Vice President. Both Gibney and Pastore will serve one-year terms through July 2024.