This was in the Des Moines paper this morning.
34% increase sought in hunting, fishing fees
By PERRY BEEMAN •
[email protected] • December 15, 2008
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Buzz up! Copyright 2008, Des Moines Register and Tribune Co.
State wildlife workers want to raise basic hunting and fishing license fees by 34 percent, in part because of lost revenues caused by last summer's widespread flooding.
"We had fewer people hunting, fishing and camping this year," said Ken Herring, the state's conservation and recreation administrator. "Our pheasant population was severely hit by the long winter and wet spring. We had parks closed during the peak camping season. It just was not a good year."
Herring said this year's drop in license purchases forced the state to cut the Conservation and Recreation Division's spending by 7 percent, and move to raise fees. Lawmakers would have to approve the increases, which most likely would take effect July 1.
Rumblings about the proposed hikes already have stirred debate on Internet chat boards and in meetings.
Tim Shaw, 45, of Muscatine said in an interview that he is finding it harder to get permission to hunt pheasants on private land - which accounts for most of Iowa's acreage - while license fees go up.
"This year has been a bust" because of poor pheasant populations after the floods, Shaw said. "I'm trying to get my boy interested in hunting, but if it's going to cost him a bunch of money he'll say, 'I don't need this.' "
Outdoors enthusiast Ellen Zaruba of Charlotte said she supports more state spending to build habitat that keeps pollution out of streams and to improve hunting.
"Instead of complaining about increasing amounts for license fees, habitat fees, tag fees, park fees and all those I have not listed, why don't we do the right thing?" Zaruba said. "The residents of Iowa could actually fund this department of the state government that we rely on to keep our water safe. We, the people, need to ask our legislators to fund this department that is so important for our future, both economically and environmentally."
Losses worth millions
Herring said the state delayed capital improvements and land purchases this year to balance the budget. Fishing license sales were down $1 million. The state lost another $1 million in cropland lease revenue while it faced millions of dollars' worth of damage to roads, dams, fish hatcheries, ramps and other facilities.
The license fees cover most of the conservation work done through the state's Fish and Wildlife Trust Fund. This year, licenses generated $30 million of the state's $51 million trust fund budget. The rest is mostly from federal taxes on sporting goods, ammunition and boat gas.
State wildlife workers expect the higher fees to cost them some sales. Projections showed that the new fees would generate $25.8 million, compared with $20 million in 2007, with the same number of license sales. But the department projects $22.4 million a year in sales with the new fee package.
A DNR survey of seven Midwestern states found Iowa's season fishing license fees were below average in 2007. Basic hunting fees were slightly above the Midwest average. However, Iowa's additional fee to hunt antlerless deer in the main season was nearly twice the Midwest average. The new proposal would cut that fee from $25.50 to $15, slightly above the 2007 average.
Some surrounding states already are looking at increases. In fact, Missouri, which has $103 million in sales taxes dedicated to its $172 million conservation budget, is considering fee increases for next year.
Iowa has a budget of $57 million for conservation, none of which comes from general tax money, Herring said.
Projected increases vary
The 34 percent rise in basic hunting and fishing license costs do not count habitat fees, waterfowl stamps or trout fees, for example. Projected increases in various deer, turkey, trapping, short-term fishing and other licenses vary. For example, the habitat fee required of hunters would jump 17 percent, to $13.50. Resident turkey licenses would rise by nearly 20 percent, and resident any-sex deer licenses would rise by 39 percent.
One of the largest increases: a 71 percent increase for a resident trapping license. The cost would go to $36, up from $21.
Some of the license fees, including the trapping charge, haven't risen since 1991. Others were raised within the past decade.
Nonresidents would pay 11 percent to 37 percent more for various licenses.
Herring expects plenty of complaints about the proposal, especially in a weak economy.
"We understand these are difficult times, but the reality we are facing is that our hunters and anglers carry the majority of the conservation funding burden in the state, and we will need to increase the license fees to meet the rising cost of maintaining areas to hunt and fish," Herring said.
"Without an increase, the quality of our natural areas will begin to decline and fewer and fewer people will find these areas attractive
