The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission is looking beyond its decision to not renew an inflated contract for 130,000 trout, which the agency had been importing from an out-of-state hatchery.

Following an informational meeting of the commission last week in Perryopolis, executive director Doug Austen said the loss constitutes about 2 percent of its stocking inventory.

"That money can be better spent on habitat improvements, access and other issues," he said. "Those are the priorities now."

The meeting, attended by a full house at Frazier High School, gave Austen and his staff a chance to showcase agency departments and initiatives, and to answer angler questions.

The Pennsylvania Board of Game Commissioners is hedging its controversial vote to ban magnifying scopes on crossbows. In a notational vote, it gave preliminary approval to a regulatory change that would allow hunters to use magnifying scopes on bows and crossbows during the archery deer and archery bear seasons.

In January, the board voted to permit the use of crossbows in archery deer and bear seasons, but added a compromise amendment to prohibit the use of magnifying scopes.

"The agency has received significant public comment about that vote," said Game Commission executive director Carl Roe. "The board decided it would be appropriate to revisit this aspect of the recently approved use of crossbows in the state's archery seasons."

The board of commissioners will reconsider the amendment at its April 20-21 meeting in Harrisburg. A copy of the agenda for the upcoming meeting will be posted on the agency's Web site prior to the meeting.

Among other agenda items will be final approval for hunting and trapping seasons and bag limits for 2009-2010, and antlerless deer license allocations.