AZ Lifetime License Fees

[cfree]

Has anyone noticed that the Lifetime license fees have already gone up to reflect the new cap fees that aren't in effect yet? Is this total BS or what?

I printed out the lifetime license application a few months ago. My wife asked what I wanted for Christmas and what could be a better gift than a lifetime of hunting/fishing privileges in Arizona? At the time the fee was $672.00 for my age group (31-44). Well, after a few months she misplaced the form and while she was looking for it I thought it would be easier just to print another one out and fill it in. That is when I noticed the new fees---$960!!!

I have searched for any notice of this increase and cannot find anything. It isn't part of any of the new proposed fees/caps. Isn't game and Fish required to at least notify the public of upcoming fee changes and call for public comments? Has anyone seen anything relating to this at all? Was anyone given any notice of the increase?

Today, if I go buy a hunting license for this year and an archery deer tag, I will pay $25.50 for the resident hunting license. So how can it be fair/legal that if I buy a lifetime license today it will be based of next year’s license fees? Why not base it on possible fees 10 years from now then?

In my opinion they should keep the lifetime license fees under the current rates until the rates change (next year).

Any ideas or suggestions on where to start dealing with this issue? I'll still pay the $960 but I want to get $288 worth of questioning/complaining in before that.

Here are the Arizona Revised Satutes dealing with the Game and Fish Department if anyone is interested-- http://www.azleg.state.az.us/ArizonaRevisedStatutes.asp?Title=17

 

[Delw]

guide licences are now 100 they are asking for 300 the cap is 500

Personally I think 300-500 is a fair price buts that just me. Besides I would love them to keep it at 100 I can buy more baits that way.

 

[Tom]

Nonresident would be what, 300,000-500,000, plus an appication fee to use it every year of a few hundred. ???

 

[cfree]

Del, imagine if last month the guide fees were $100. You go and check today and they are suddenly $500. No notice, no public input, no call for comments. That is basically what they did with the lifetime license. They raised it to the maximum without notice. It would have been nice if they had given notice that "next month or next week, we are raising the lifetime license fees so buy one now" but they never did.

I already have my 2006 hunt/fish combo. I had to buy it to apply for the spring draw. It cost $44.50. If I buy a lifetime license they will charge me $60 for next year(lifetime licenses are based on 16 years at the current license rate for my age group, except they are using the new caps). How can they charge two different rates for the same license? Something is screwy here.

Tom, i tried to figure out the non-resident lifetime license. Sorry my calculator only goes 7 digits!

 

[Tom]

Pretty funny, more than 7 digits eh. Whew!

 

[Delw]

Cfree, If those proposals go through they wont be good until 2007 if I remember correctly , do to they put a halt or something on the rules for 2006( I thought they did something like that maybe not.

Its going to be interesting, All I know everyone who submitted to screw the non res got there wish, they just didnt read the fine print where it says that res fees also need to be raised accordinglly. I had that link a while ago where if the non res get boosted the res has to follow... Maybe that was for the caps?