PA State Archives - RG-72 - Series Description

Reports,
1888-1903, 1905-1917, 1922-1930, 1934-1940, 1948-1954, 1958-1992.
(1 carton, 5 boxes)

{series #72.13} [Holdings]

Arranged chronologically by report.

Reports of the Pennsylvania Fish Commission (PFC), including annual, biennial, combined biennial, and audit reports. Title varies over time and previously includes: Report of the State Commissioners of Fisheries (1888-1903), Report of Department of Fisheries (1905-1917), and Board of Fish Commissioners Biennial Reports (1922-1940). Early reports contain data relative to the Commission's activities, including: listings of various types of fish found in the state, stream listings, records of fish distribution (by species), and superintendent's, treasurer's, and warden's reports. Also present are facts and synopses concerning various species of fish found in the state, as well as color illustrations of numerous types of the Commonwealth's aquatic life. Finally, photographs of bodies of water, fish hatcheries, fishermen, fishing boats, and the official railroad car of the Pennsylvania Fish Commission, are included. Biennial Reports contain charts, maps, black and white illustrations and photographs, along with summaries of the Commission's various activities, projects, and studies, as well as financial statements. Annual reports are organized by bureau or office, with statistical and financial data, along with synopses of Commission activities. In some instances, the annual reports are published in the monthly magazine, Pennsylvania Angler. Audit reports issued by the Auditor General's office verify financial statements, including Statement of Appropriations, Allocation, Expenditures and Balances, as well as related statements. In addition to the above reports, this series also includes Digest of Game, Fish, and Forestry Laws of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania (1917, 1923), which contains summaries of acts and legislation affecting Game Code Laws.

Executive Director and Bureau of Administrative Services

The Executive Director is appointed by the ten-member Commission and is both the chief administrative officer and the chief waterways conservation officer. The Bureau of Administrative Services provides support services for all Commission operations, including labor relations, communications, affirmative action, warehousing, federal aid, personnel, budget, and procurement.

The Bureau of Boating monitored the expenditures of Boat Fund monies, and served the Assistant Executive Director for Watercraft Safety. Responsible for directing the boating registration program, the statewide navigational aids program, inspection and licensing of commercial passenger-carrying vessels and operators, and statewide training and information programs on safe boating practices, boating accident prevention, and water survival and rescue techniques.

Boating Accident Reports (Summaries),
1988-1994, 1996-1998, 2000.
(1 box)

{series #72.9} [Holdings]

Arranged chronologically by year.

Summaries of boating accidents compiled by the Bureau of Boating, consisting of a summary of each boating accident that resulted in a fatality, with information, such as location (county and body of water); age and gender of victim, and details concerning his or her level of boating skill and experience; whether or not the victim was wearing a personal flotation device (PFD); number of other people or vessels involved; the weather and water conditions under which the accident occurred, including air and water temperature, water current strength, etc.; type and size of vessel involved (jet ski, rowboat, motor boat); and other significant factors that resulted in death (e.g. involvement of drugs or alcohol, hypothermia, etc.). Also included are yearly summaries of statistics, including type of boat; type of accident; use of PFDs, age, hypothermia, alcohol, and fatalities by month.

The Bureau of Education and Information plans and directs a statewide fishing, boating and conservation education program, develops and implements media capabilities, and produces brochures, booklets, maps, and pamphlets. It also edits and produces the monthly magazine Pennsylvania Angler and the quarterly magazine Boat Pennsylvania, and supervises the magazine circulation unit and the sale and collection of funds for promotional items.

Audio Show Tapes,
1982-1994.
(23 boxes)

{series #72.2} [Holdings] [APPOINTMENT REQUIRED]

Arranged chronologically.

The Pennsylvania Fish Commission and its successor, the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission, produced a radio show which aired from September 1982 through March 1994. The shows were produced weekly, then dubbed and sent to approximately sixty radio stations. Larry Shaffer, a staff member of the Fish and Boat Commission wrote, produced, and narrated the shows, which were broadcast year-round and ended after twelve years when many radio stations dropped the show. The Fish and Boat Commission radio shows addressed a variety of subjects, most relating to Pennsylvania's aquatic life and natural aquatic environment. Subjects included cold water boating, snakes and other reptiles, trout and bass fishing, exotic fish of Pennsylvania, and pan fishing. In addition, many shows dealt with such issues as boating and alcohol, winter boat projects, boat maintenance, ice fishing, and hypothermia. For transcripts of this show, please see Radio Program Transcripts, 1982-1991 {series #72.12}.

To view special media, please make an appointment in advance by contacting the Pennsylvania State Archives.

Motion Picture Films,
1952, undated.
(4 reels)

{series #72.3} [Holdings] [APPOINTMENT REQUIRED]

Arranged alphabetically by title of film.

The Pennsylvania Fish Commission, the predecessor of the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission, most likely produced these four silent motion picture films depicting fishing activities. One film entitled "Experimental Bass Circling Device" contains footage of the device being used by fishermen at Pymatuning Lake. The other three films are entitled "Bass Fishing at Pymatuning" (1952), "Fresh Water Fishing at Valley Forge Hospital," and "Linesville Construction."

To view special media, please make an appointment in advance by contacting the Pennsylvania State Archives.

News (Press) Releases,
1956-1989.
(1 carton, 2 boxes)

{series #72.11} [Holdings]

Arranged chronologically by date of release.
Indexed by year for 1956-1984.

News releases issued by the Conservation and Education Division of the Pennsylvania Fish Commission (PFC) to newspapers and radio stations. Releases consist of a release date, release number, title, contact person, and main information or summary. Topics vary and include: pollution, season start dates, catch limits, stocking programs, licensing for anglers and motor boats, updates on PFC personnel (retirements, transfers, changes in staffing), safety warnings, board meeting announcements, and information on research projects.

Photographic Prints, Negatives, and Transparencies,
[circa 1889-1986].
(14 boxes)

{series #72.4} [Holdings] [APPOINTMENT REQUIRED]

Grouped by type.

Negatives, photographs, contact sheets, slide-transparencies, and 100 foot, 16mm films produced by staff photographers within the Fish and Boat Commission. Black and white, color, and sepia tone negatives and photographic prints are various sizes ranging from 3x5 to 8x10, as well as other nonstandard sizes. Films are black and white and color, sound and silent, and of varying lengths (100 foot reel size). Subjects vary from Commission activities to aquatic life, including images of staff members and wardens; hatcheries and fish eggs; fishermen and general fishing scenes; lakes, streams, reservoirs and other bodies of water; stream shocking; tagging trout and stocking fish; bank erosion and stream pollution; and various specifies of fish and other aquatic life. A portion of the photographs, negatives and films are labeled with titles, dates or general subject matter.

To view special media, please make an appointment in advance by contacting the Pennsylvania State Archives.

Radio Program Transcripts,
1982-1991.
(1 box)

{series #72.12} [Holdings]

Grouped chronologically by year.

Transcripts of weekly radio programs designed for anglers, boaters and outdoor sportsmen, written, produced and narrated by Larry Shaffer of the Office of Information within the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission. Show aired from 1982 until 1994 and consisted of three-minute broadcasts that could be used in whole or part within a news broadcast, as a feature story, or in conjunction with a commercial sponsor. Content of show varied, and included: helpful tips to improve fishing skills; information about the fish, reptiles, and amphibians common to Pennsylvania; environmental concerns; boating safety tips; suggestions on good places to fish and boat, as well as information on season start and end dates and catch limits. For audio recordings of this show, please see Audio Show Tapes, 1982-1994 {series #72.2}.

Video Tapes,
1994.
(1 item)

{series #72.6} [Holdings] [APPOINTMENT REQUIRED]

Unarranged.

Produced by WGAL-TV, this video recording titled Keep Your Distance: Dams of Death warns recreational users of rivers and streams of the drowning risks posed by low-head dams, with specific focus on the Dock Street Dam that crosses the Susquehanna River between the Shipoke neighborhood of Harrisburg on the east shore and Lemoyne on the west shore.

To view special media, please make an appointment in advance by contacting the Pennsylvania State Archives.

RG-72

Records of the FISH AND BOAT COMMISSION

Series Descriptions