Pennsylvania Mixed Bag: PF&BC NE Region Office closes temporarily – Outdoor News
Sweet Valley, Pa. — The Pennsylvania Fish & Boat Commission recently announced that its Northeast Region Office here will be closed to the public through approximately October 2026.
This temporary closure is necessary the agency said, so that construction can begin on a new Northeast Region Office, which will result in an active work zone around the current office facility.
During this closure, on-site sales of fishing licenses, launch permits, and boat registration services will not be available at the Northeast Region Office. Anglers and boaters can use the HuntFishPA online portal or find alternative in-person license and registration issuing agents on the PFBC website.
Anglers and boaters can continue to contact northeast region law enforcement and education staff by calling 570-477-5717.
MORE COVERAGE FROM PENNSYLVANIA OUTDOOR NEWS:
Pennsylvania Fish & Boat Commission intends to use boat funds to pay for hatcheries
Penn State study shows strange, pale ghost pipe plant is in demand
Some PGC Ranges May Add Steel Targets
Harrisburg — Shooters at certain Game Commission ranges might start hearing a new sound ringing out aside from gunshots: the accuracy-confirming ping of a bullet hitting a steel target downrange.
A measure adopted by state game commissioners at their recent quarterly meeting will allow the Game Commission to add steel targets to some of its rifle and handgun ranges in the future, providing shooters with the benefit of near-instant, audible responses to confirm accurate hits.
At the same time, the commission expects the addition of steel targets at designated ranges, especially long-distance ranges, to eliminate or substantially reduce safety risks and range downtime associated with a shooter traveling downrange to check targets for hits.
Some Hunters Cleared for More Tags
Harrisburg — Hunters in Wildlife Management Units 5C and 5D will be able to hold more antlerless licenses at the same time.
At their recent meetings, game commissioners increased the number of antlerless licenses a hunter simultaneously can hold for those units.
Hunters statewide now have a personal limit that allows them to hold six active antlerless licenses at a time. With the recently adopted change,, that number will increase to 15 in units 5C and 5D.
The change will be in place when 2025-26 hunting licenses go on sale in June.
In all WMUs, hunters still will have the opportunity to obtain additional antlerless licenses, if they remain available, to return to their personal limit as they fill and report harvests.
With the change, hunters will have more freedom to harvest additional antlerless deer when opportunity presents in areas of the state where it is needed the most.
New Manager for Hickory Run Park Complex
Harrisburg — The Department of Conservation and Natural Resources recently announced the appointment of Stacie Hall as the new park operations manager for the Hickory Run State Park Complex in eastern Pennsylvania.
Hall oversees the complex, which includes the 15,990-acre Hickory Run State Park, 6,107-acre Lehigh Gorge State Park and 3,105-acre Nescopeck State Park.
Hall comes to the Hickory Run complex after nine years at Pymatuning State Park, most recently serving as the assistant manager. She holds an undergraduate degree in environmental science, environmental policy and biology from Albright College.
State Invests $12M to Preserve Farmland
Harrisburg — The Shapiro administration recently announced that Pennsylvania is investing nearly $12 million to purchase development rights for 3,187 acres on 29 farms in 17 counties, protecting them from future residential or commercial development.
These joint investments by state and local government ensure that Pennsylvania farmers will have the prime-quality land they need to continue feeding our families and supporting jobs and communities in the future. Since the Shapiro administration began, Pennsylvania has preserved 380 new farms and 32,505 prime acres of farmland across the state.
The governor’s proposed budget recognizes that agriculture isn’t just part of a rich heritage in Pennsylvania – it’s key to our future. Fifty thousand farms across Pennsylvania contribute $132.5 billion to the state’s economy and support almost 600,000 jobs, making agriculture a key driver of Pennsylvania’s economy.
New Manager for Sinnemahoning State Park
Harrisburg — The Department of Conservation and Natural Resources recently announced the appointment of Tyler Ickes as the manager for Sinnemahoning State Park in Cameron and Potter counties.
Ickes oversees the 1,910-acre park, which is nestled between the green-shouldered ridges of Pennsylvania’s Elk State Forest and Susquehannock State Forest. The park is a destination for camping, hiking, wildlife watching, boating, fishing, and more – all while being an excellent location for visitors to explore the other treasures of the Pennsylvania Wilds region.
Ickes, a Bedford County native, holds an undergraduate degree in biology and environmental science from Mount Aloysius College.
He began his career with DCNR as a seasonal ranger at the Shawnee/Blue Knob complex before taking a position as a manager trainee in Pennsylvania’s south-central region.
