DNR seeks hunting, fishing fee increases
To maintain habitat quality
NEW ULM — The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) proposes modest fee increases to maintain habitat quality and expand research on deer and management for the coming decade.
Jack Lauer, DNR Southern Regional Fisheries Manager, said fee hikes are needed to keep the declining DNR Game and Fish Fund solvent into the next decade.
“Without fee hikes, the fund will be insolvent in 2019,” Lauer said. “The Game and Fish Fund is the primary fund that pays for DNR fish and wildlife management. Without fee increases, the Fund will fall below its minimum recommended positive balance of $5 million in 2018 and be depleted in 2019.”
The DNR says the declining balance is already negatively impacting 600,000 hunters and 1.5 million anglers as the DNR is aggressively managing costs by delaying or canceling habitat and research projects.
In addition, the DNR is reducing walleye and other game fish stocking efforts, reducing biological surveys and assessments needed to make informed management decisions.
Most of the proposed increases are a few dollars. If approved by the State Legislature, residential annual fishing fees would increase $3 to $25 in 2018, non-residential annual fishing to $51, up from $45; residential deer hunting to $34, up from $30; deer hunting lottery applications would be $4 instead of no cost; and resident super sports to $108, up from $93.
A $15 shelter permit is being proposed for wheeled fish houses.
General hunting and fishing license fees were last increased in 2012 at an amount designed to keep the Game and Fish Fund solvent for about six years. Prior to that, it was a decade between increases.
If enacted in 2017, the increases would keep the fund solvent until 2021.
Without a fee hike, the DNR will have to reduce spending to keep the Game and Fish Fund positive. It would also mean, according to the DNR:
• Elimination of maintenance on Minnesota’s thousands of miles of hunter-walking trails.
• Reduced ability to update wildlife management actions according to changes in climate, invasive species infestations, disease, land use, hunting pressure, etc.
• Reduced wildlife and hunting-related information and customer service.
• Reduced ability to use the Outdoor Heritage Fund to restore, maintain and invest in prairie, wetland and forest habitat.
The DNR spends 32 cents of each license dollar on fisheries, 31 cents on wildlife, 29 cents for conservation officers, four cents for clean water, 2 cents for boat ramps and accesses and a cent for sustainable forests.
Ryan Haala, President of the Sioux Trails Chapter of the Minnesota Deer Hunters Association, said his organization supports the DNR license fee hikes.
“It’s needed for what we get from Minnesota’s wonderful fishing and hunting,” Haala said.
Lauer urged hunting and fishing enthusiasts to let their representatives know how they feel about hunting and fishing license fee hikes by visiting www.gis.leg.mn.OpenLayers/Districts
Fritz Busch can be e-mailed at fbusch@nujournal.com.
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