During their recent business meeting, the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission approved the removal of their long-standing and traditional regulation that requires anglers display their fishing license on an outer garment while fishing.

The new ruling replaces that regulation and now follows a general possession requirement, which would require anglers to only have the license on them while fishing and present the license to a PFBC law enforcement officer upon request.

The PF&BC claims the change should alleviate the problem of lost licenses and the cost associated with replacing them. It also provides consistency with the Pennsylvania Game Commission’s hunting license requirement that also changed to an on-the-person requirement.

Additionally, the PF&BC says that anglers who still wish to display their fishing license on an outer garment, may continue do so.

The agency also pointed out that anglers can purchase their fishing license online through The Outdoor Shop (www.wildlifelicense.com) and receive an electronic version of the fishing license to be saved and printed out at no extra cost to the angler, a convenience especially if the original was lost.

It would seem easier and less of a hassle for WCOs to visually spot a license when worn on an outer garment, as opposed to having to stop and ask the angler to see his or her fishing license.

The new regulation won’t take effect until it’s published in the Pennsylvania Bulletin.

From the Pennsylvania Game Commission comes a definition of the new purple paint law.

According to the PGC, landowners who post their properties now have the option of using purple paint rather than signs to alert others (hunters) that their lands are private and trespassing isn’t permitted.

House Bill 1772 adds language to the section of state law dealing with criminal trespass. Under the law, and according to the PGC, a person is considered a “defiant trespasser” which carries enhanced penalties if that person enters or remains in any place where notice against trespassing is given by actual communication, lawful posting or fencing.

HB 1772 makes use of purple paint on trees or posts a lawful posting method in all but Allegheny and Philadelphia counties. The PGC doesn’t explain why those two are exempt.

The new law states that vertical lines must be at least three or more than five feet from the ground. And painted marks must not be more than 100 feet apart.

The HB authorizes unarmed persons to go onto private property for the sole purpose of retrieving a hunting dog. It doesn’t, however, address retrieving wild game that went down on private property.

In Pennsylvania, defiant trespass is a third-degree misdemeanor punishable by up to a year in jail and $2,500 in fines. If trespassing occurs while hunting, additional game law violations (and additional penalties) might apply.

In the past, landowners would have to contact their local police department or state police to enforce defiant trespassing. But recent legislation has provided the PGC the authority to investigate trespassing complaints and enforce trespassing violations as a primary offense, even if game-law violations aren’t alleged. The PGC will enforce trespassing aggressively, says the agency.