Published: July 26, 2009 12:16 am      

Austen leaving agency

HARRISBURG — The board of commissioners of the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission (PFBC) and Executive Director Douglas Austen announced earlier this month that they have mutually agreed to a transition in leadership of the organization.

“Both the board of commissioners and Dr. Austen intend to make this transition happen in a seamless manner such that the activities of the agency will not suffer nor will our efforts to protect, conserve, and enhance the resources be in any way reduced,” said immediate past-president Len Lichvar. “Philosophical differences between a board and its chief executive officer frequently happen and this in no way reflects any performance issues on the part of Dr. Austen, as some newspapers have reported.”

Austen agreed that such a transition can happen in an orderly manner.

“I respect the board’s authority to find a new executive director when there are differences in philosophy and will assist in any way possible to ensure that the work of the commission proceeds without delay,” he said.

During the next several months the commission will initiate the process of hiring a new executive director.

“The fish and boat commission has made great progress on many fronts under Dr. Austen’s leadership,” said Bill Worobec, the commission’s vice president. “The focus on habitat restoration, hiring new biologists to work on our great rivers, rebuilding our hatcheries, establishing an exceptional access program, and wonderful partnerships with other agencies and conservation organizations, all have been beneficial.”

Austen will continue to fulfill the role of executive director for about six months but will primarily focus his efforts on three key federal initiatives – the National Fish Habitat Conservation Act; reauthorization of the Sportfish and Boating Restoration Act (also known as the Dingell-Johnson/Wallop-Breaux Act) which provides about 20-25 percent of the agency’s funding; and climate change legislation that will provide the states with funds to implement on-the-ground conservation actions to enable aquatic resources to be more resilient to the effects of climate change.

Deputy Director Brian Barner will continue to assist the executive director in day-to-day operations.