PA Fish and Boat Commission to show off new home in Bellefonte
In 2015, the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission purchased an unused building complex at 595 East Rolling Ridge Drive in Bellefonte. It took over a year for the agency to remodel the building and move staff and equipment from various locations throughout Centre County.
It was a much-needed purchase to replace the aging and cramped facilities in Pleasant Gap as well as consolidate other offices. It also allows staff to store and service boats and vehicles inside a weather-controlled garage.
On Aug.12, the public will have an opportunity to tour the new facility and participate in a time capsule ceremony at 9 a.m. The time capsule will contain 46 items representing the present, to be opened in 100 years.
“We thought it was fitting to commemorate the new building by placing a time capsule on the property, providing the agency’s future leaders with a glimpse into the past,” Executive Director John Arway commented.
An open house will follow from 9:30 to 11 a.m. In addition to guided tours, the agency will have displays of live amphibians, reptiles and aquatic macro-invertebrates. The public will be invited to learn or practice casting, make fish prints, visit a habitat management display, or get a close-up look at a stocking truck, a law enforcement vehicle and a boat. The 46 time-capsule items also will be available for viewing all morning. A self-guided hiking trail is also located on the facility grounds.
All activities are free and open to the public. Light refreshments will be served.
The purchase of the new facility, the former Woodcraft factory outlet, set the PFBC back nearly $4 million. However, according to the agency, the move will save money in the long run.
“Commission staff have reported to a variety of satellite offices throughout the Centre Region in the past, and the new building allows us to consolidate operations to be more effective and efficient in our use of angler and boater funds,” Arway said. “This new building demonstrates that we will continue to have a presence in the Centre Region for many years to come.
New Commissioners
Four new PFBC commissioners were confirmed by the Senate on July 17. They are Robert Small of Mechanicsburg, Richard Lewis of Gettysburg, Richard Kauffman of Leesport and William Brock of St. Marys. Brock replaces long-time commissioner Bill Sabatose. He will be representing Centre, Clearfield, Cameron, Elk, Jefferson, McKean and Potter counties.
Agency Press Secretary Eric Levis expects all four new commissioners will be in attendance at the Sept. 25-26 PFBC meeting in Erie.
With four new commissioners being seated at once, only time will tell if the influx of new minds and personalities changes the philosophy of the board.
Mark Nale, who lives in the Bald Eagle Valley, is a member of the Pennsylvania Outdoor Writers Association and can be reached at MarkAngler@aol.com
This story was originally published July 22, 2017 at 11:33 PM with the headline "PA Fish and Boat Commission to show off new home in Bellefonte."