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August 18, 2004
Plan would boost game license fees
MARK HENCKEL
Gazette Outdoor Editor
Montana resident hunters and fishermen could be seeing license increases that average 33 percent over current rates under a proposal released Tuesday by Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks.
That proposal, when it's fine-tuned, will go to the 2005 Montana Legislature. If it's passed, the license increases would go into effect March 1, 2006.
Here are some of the proposed increases:
Resident adult fishing license: $13 now to $20.
Resident adult elk: $16 to $25.
Resident adult deer: $13 to $20.
Resident sportsman (conservation, fishing, elk, deer and bird): $56.25 to $75.
Resident youth fishing: $6.50 to $10.
Resident youth, senior, disabled deer: $6.50 to $8.
"It's the first general license increases for residents since the 1991 Legislature considered them. Those fees went in place in 1994," said Ron Aasheim, information chief for FWP in Helena.
"The dilemma we're facing is that we either cut programs or we need additional revenue. That's the bottom line. This proposal anticipates 4 percent growth, which is about what we've been running for the past four years and inflation," he said.
Nonresident fee increases were approved by the 2001 Legislature and helped delay a fee increase for residents. But FWP estimates that by 2009, there will be a $3 million shortfall in funding the existing programs. By 2011, the shortfall would be $14.5 million.
Aasheim said FWP is only trying to cover existing programs and the effect of population increases and inflation.
"What I don't want to do is give the impression that that this is going to involve a lot of agency growth. It isn't," he said. "This will maintain the status quo, with inflation."
Aasheim said department revenue from licenses amounts to $40 million. Of that total, $12 million is from resident licenses. The new resident fees would add $4 million.
NemontAasheim said that while 33 percent is the average increase, it's not 33 percent for each of the licenses. There was an effort to hold down license costs for youths, seniors and those who buy "package" sportsmen's licenses. And some adult resident licenses increased by more than 33 percent.
"We put in some discounts for package licenses and some pretty significant discounts for youths," he said. "We don't want the cost to be prohibitive for families to go out together and if you have several young hunters in the family, we want to make it affordable for those families to buy licenses.
"For example, one of the best deals is the youth sportsman license, where a youth can hunt everything and fish for $30 until the age of 17," he said. "That's a $45 savings off an adult sportsman's license. Kids who are 12 to 14 can hunt elk for $10 and hunt deer for $8.
"We're trying to keep families hunting together and prevent financial barriers to kids, parents and grandparents," Aasheim said. "It's a family sport. It's part of our tradition. That's a conscious decision. The (FWP) commission was very insistent on that."
There's also a break for adults buying sportsman's licenses. The sportsman's license - which includes conservation, fishing, elk, deer, upland bird - goes up from $56.26 to $75, and the sportsman's license with a bear license goes from $66.25 to $95. Both are $18 less than if a person bought the licenses separately.
Jeff Hagener, FWP director, said the department hasn't identified which programs would be reduced if a fee increase failed. He said the cuts could be in law enforcement, fish and wildlife surveys, hunting and fishing access programs, hatchery fish stocking, FWP lands maintenance or information and education activities.
If the increases pass, he said the department would allow FWP to continue access programs, enhancing fish and wildlife habitat on public and private lands, increased walleye stocking to 50 million fish a year, continuing to stock 5 to 7 million trout and salmon each year, developing more community fishing ponds, increasing private landowner assistance with wildlife conflicts and increasing law enforcement and fish and wildlife education in schools.
"State law does not allow FWP to spend more than it generates," Hagener said. "State taxes do not support FWP. Montana's fish and wildlife management programs are supported primarily by hunting and fishing license fees, so right now, license fees or program cuts are the obvious places to look to reverse the trend (of shortfalls)."
Public meetings will be scheduled in the fall for people to comment on the proposal. More information is available at www.fwp.state.mt.us/feeproposal.asp.
"We want to hear what the rank-and-file sportsman has to say about it," Aasheim said. "This is only a proposal. We're saying if we want to be solvent with existing programs and growth amounting to 4 percent including inflation through 2011, this is what we need. We want to hear what the public has to say and what the public thinks."