If these gentlemen or anyone at the Agency thinks this program will not go immediately “to hell in a handbasket”, they obviously must believe our sporting class is incredibly stupid or we just fell off the turnip truck.  Their reasoning is literally a farce.

            It wasn’t that long ago that we witnessed a similar program with horrendous effects on the Agency and our sporting rights.  The Audubon debacle is a spitting image of what is about to unfold with Schleiden’s “Foundation”.  Undisclosed donators channeled a million dollars into deer management studies that led to the brilliant conclusion that a massive deer reduction was necessary.  To this day we do not know the names of the entities and/or individuals that put up the million dollars.  Audubon has refused to reveal their names even with substantial pressure from our legislators.       Commissioner Schleiden has made it perfectly clear that he has no intention of revealing the names of the donators to his new “Foundation”.  He stated “full disclosure” would deter entities from donating money.  Let’s get real.  “Full disclosure” would prevent our enemies from channeling anti-hunting dollars into the Agency for an agenda that we would despise.  The jig would be up before it ever got started.

            Let’s fast forward for a moment and envision Schleiden’s Foundation is well established.  It would be quite easy for the Defender’s of Wildlife to donate a million dollars to the PGC with a secret agreement to reinstate a wolf pack somewhere in PA.  We would never know.  Filthy politics would run rampant.  Let’s be honest.  No entity is going donate substantial amounts of money without getting something in return.  Or, the agenda could be far less obvious.  Audubon could donate with great fanfare another million dollars to improve songbird habitat on SGL’s.  Unfortunately, we already know their concept of “improved habitat” is just a left-handed way of demanding more dead deer.

            When you put it all together Schleiden’s “Foundation” has “disaster” written right into its script.  The PGC is already a bureaucratic, mismanaged, undermined, floundering Agency.  A legal mechanism to channel millions of dirty dollars into the Agency without “full disclosure” is another lawsuit waiting to happen.  If we eliminate big donators and consider $10 or $20 from personal donators, the Foundation will not raise enough money to reimburse Russ Schleiden for his gas to attend Commission meetings.

            We can only hope as Schleiden’s “Foundation” moves forward that our legislators will catch on and display the courage to intervene.  Allowing even one non-sportsmen dollar to go into the PGC without “full disclosure” is totally unacceptable and certain to prompt further legal action against the Agency.

            Once again there is a great irony in the midst of this controversy.  If the PGC did their job, managed deer properly and created a comprehensive statewide habitat program for all wildlife our sporting class would gladly agree to a significant license increase that would eliminate any need for “alternative financing”.  Incredibly, the Game Commission appears intent on listening to everyone except our sporting class.  Their total stonewalling of our hunters in the deer debate is the obvious proof they are willing to shoot themselves in both feet before conceding to sportsmen.  As a last piece of irony, it was and is Commissioner Russ Schleiden that has been the strongest commissioner voice advocating deer reduction.