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Combined fee proposal introduced in legislature |
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March 1, 2017 |
By Mike Keckler,
IDFG Bureau Chief, Communications
A legislative committee today voted to introduce
a bill combining Fish and Game’s Price Lock fee
increase with a proposal to create more money to
manage wildlife depredation and increase access
for hunting and fishing, which combined would
raise an estimated $5 million in annual revenue.
A hearing on House Bill 230 has been scheduled
by the House Resources and Conservation
Committee for members of the public to comment.
The hearing will occur at the Idaho Statehouse
at 1:30 p.m. Friday, March 3.
Idaho Fish and Game will post regular updates as
lawmakers consider and deliberate the bill. You
can find updates on the Fish and Game website:
https://idfg.idaho.gov.
Here's a link to House Bill HB 230:
https://legislature.idaho.gov/sessioninfo/2017/legislation/H0230.
Here’s more information about the elements of
House Bill 230.
Price Lock:
If approved, the 20 percent increase in resident
license and tag fees would take effect when Fish
and Game’s 2018 licenses go on sale in December,
2017. However, under Price Lock, resident
hunters, anglers and trappers can exempt
themselves from the fee increase and “lock in”
at current prices by simply purchasing and
maintaining an annual license starting in 2017,
and for at least the next five years.
The Price Lock fee increase proposal would
generate an estimated $3 million in additional
revenue to be used for activities such as:
* Modernize hatcheries and increase production
* Conduct more big game population surveys
* Spend more to improve and maintain public shooting ranges
* Conduct more enforcement patrols
* Increased predator management
* Depredation Management/Access Fee
The proposal also includes an annual $5 dollar
charge for adult resident hunters, anglers and
trappers, and a $10 charge for nonresidents to
purchase annual hunting, fishing or trapping
licenses.
This would be a fee paid when you buy your first
annual license of the year. It would not apply
to any additional annual license purchased later
that year.
Revenue from the proposed fee would generate an
estimated $ 2 million annually. Here’s how the
funds would be utilized each year:
* $500,000 more funding to pay compensation claims for crop damages
caused by wildlife
* $500,000 more funding to prevent crop and forage damage from big game
herds
* The remaining $1 million will be used provide access to land from
willing landowners for hunting and fishing
The Idaho Fish and Game Commission recognizes
that by managing for abundant big game herds,
there is also a responsibility to address
impacts those herds cause to privately owned
farms and ranches and that more funding for
hunting and fishing access programs for
easements and access agreements are a high
priority for sportsmen and sportswomen.
The Commission is also committed to ensuring
that Idaho’s hunting and fishing public benefit
by improving hunting, fishing and trapping
opportunity through adequate funding for fish
and wildlife management. |
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