01-27-2006, 03:38 AM
January 25, 2006 - The state's Natural Resources Commission (NRC) has established a workgroup to examine and recommend fishing and hunting license fee increases as a way to combat potential future Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR) budget deficits.
According to DNR Spokeswoman Mary Dettloff, the workgroup is composed of representatives from different hunting and fishing groups, the general public, and other people who have interest.
"We're looking for a recommendation from the workgroup that the NRC can present to the Legislature, which deals with restructuring fishing and hunting licenses and increasing fees for certain licenses," she said. "If we don't get some sort of license fee increase, we will be looking at pretty significant shortfalls in the Game and Fish Fund, which is the fund that pretty much pays for most of the conservation work we do."
Dettloff said the DNR could face a deficit of between $15 million and $20 million by 2008; a deficit between $20 million and $40 million by 2009; and a deficit approaching $40 million by 2010.
The work group, chaired by NRC Commissioner Frank Wheatlake of Big Rapids, will begin work on designing a proposal to change existing hunting and fishing license fees, which have not been significantly changed since 1996.
"License fee packages tend to have about a 10-year lifespan before the cost of doing business and inflation catches up," Dettloff said. "Our increase in costs for doing business basically is inflationary-based. We have a decreasing amount of money coming into the Game and Fish Fund because of a 1-percent yearly decline in license sales. As our costs go up and our revenue goes down, we're creating a deficit in the fund."
According to Dettloff, the Game and Fish Fund has been living off its fund balance, which is currently very small at approximately $5 million.
"We're to the point now where we're dangerously close to not having any kind of surplus in it, and going into the negative," she said.
The workgroup will recommend what it thinks the license fees should be.
"The NRC does not have the authority to increase those fees," Dettloff said. "The NRC can recommend to the Legislature what the fees should be set at, but it's completely up to the Legislature whether (it agrees)."
Currently, license fees in Michigan are well below that of other states.
"We've looked at other states around Michigan to see what they sell their licenses for," Dettloff said. "For example, for a bear license in the state of Wisconsin, it's $49; in Michigan, it's $15. In many cases we have the bargain basement of licenses. We have a huge demand for bear hunting licenses in our state, so we could be making a lot of money there."
The current charges to Michigan residents for other state licenses are as follows:
• Spring turkey hunt — $15;
• Annual state park vehicle entry permit — $24;
• Senior citizen annual state park vehicle entry permit — $6;
• Snowmobile — $25;
• Restricted fishing — $15;
• All species fishing — $28;
• Small game hunting — $15;
• Waterfowl hunting — $5;
• Off-road vehicle — $16.25; and
• General deer hunting — $15.
A full list of all state hunting and fishing licenses, with all dates and specifics, is available online at www.mdnr-elicense.com/welcome.asp, under the "List of Licenses" link.
Dettloff said hunters earlier this month spoke publicly at an NRC meeting, stating the cost of licenses is not important as long as they were not too expensive.
"Most couldn't tell us what they paid for their deer hunting licenses this year," she said. "They just went and bought them. They told us to do what we had to do, but not to price them out of being able to hunt and fish, which is what we want, too. We need to increase license fees, but we don't want to price them so high that people can't go out and enjoy that hunting and fishing."
The workgroup was created after DNR Director Rebecca Humphries and NRC members asked constituent groups such as Trout Unlimited, Whitetails Unlimited, Pheasants Forever, and others if they want to participate because of their representation of hunters who pay the license fees.
"We want their input on what they think people are willing to pay," Dettloff said. "We also want their input on whether any of the licenses need to be restructured."
One thing that could be restructured is the process by which some licenses are obtained.
For example, Dettloff said, turkey hunting licenses currently are not sold over the counter, but they must be obtained through an application. Licensees are selected through a lottery process.
"One question would be if we should change that," she said. "In the past, constituent groups have said they wanted turkey licenses to remain in that lottery system."
In addition to workgroup chairman Wheatlake, there are 18 members appointed to serve on the panel.
NRC Chairman Keith Charters of Traverse City also named the following citizens to the workgroup: Steve Arwood of Heart of the Lakes; Rick Bowman of the Michigan Chapter of Trout Unlimited; George Burgoyne, former DNR resource management deputy director; Jim DeClerck of the Saginaw Field and Stream Club; Glen Duncan, a hardware store owner from Bay City who will represent the licensing retailers; Dennis Grinold of the Michigan Charter Boat Association; Jack Kelley of the Michigan Steelhead/Salmon Fisherman's Association; Bill Malloch of UP Whitetails Association of Schoolcraft County; Katrina Mueller, a Michigan State University student; Tom Namacheck of the UP Tourism and Recreational Association; Dan Potter of the National Wild Turkey Federation; Gary Schinske of the Michigan Trappers Association; Gerald Thiede, former chief of the Forest Management Division of the DNR; Sam Washington of the Michigan United Conservation Clubs; Christopher Wesolek, a Lake Superior State University student; Harry Whitely, a former NRC commissioner; Gary Williams of the Michigan State Extension Service; and Wayne Wood of the Michigan Farm Bureau.
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According to DNR Spokeswoman Mary Dettloff, the workgroup is composed of representatives from different hunting and fishing groups, the general public, and other people who have interest.
"We're looking for a recommendation from the workgroup that the NRC can present to the Legislature, which deals with restructuring fishing and hunting licenses and increasing fees for certain licenses," she said. "If we don't get some sort of license fee increase, we will be looking at pretty significant shortfalls in the Game and Fish Fund, which is the fund that pretty much pays for most of the conservation work we do."
Dettloff said the DNR could face a deficit of between $15 million and $20 million by 2008; a deficit between $20 million and $40 million by 2009; and a deficit approaching $40 million by 2010.
The work group, chaired by NRC Commissioner Frank Wheatlake of Big Rapids, will begin work on designing a proposal to change existing hunting and fishing license fees, which have not been significantly changed since 1996.
"License fee packages tend to have about a 10-year lifespan before the cost of doing business and inflation catches up," Dettloff said. "Our increase in costs for doing business basically is inflationary-based. We have a decreasing amount of money coming into the Game and Fish Fund because of a 1-percent yearly decline in license sales. As our costs go up and our revenue goes down, we're creating a deficit in the fund."
According to Dettloff, the Game and Fish Fund has been living off its fund balance, which is currently very small at approximately $5 million.
"We're to the point now where we're dangerously close to not having any kind of surplus in it, and going into the negative," she said.
The workgroup will recommend what it thinks the license fees should be.
"The NRC does not have the authority to increase those fees," Dettloff said. "The NRC can recommend to the Legislature what the fees should be set at, but it's completely up to the Legislature whether (it agrees)."
Currently, license fees in Michigan are well below that of other states.
"We've looked at other states around Michigan to see what they sell their licenses for," Dettloff said. "For example, for a bear license in the state of Wisconsin, it's $49; in Michigan, it's $15. In many cases we have the bargain basement of licenses. We have a huge demand for bear hunting licenses in our state, so we could be making a lot of money there."
The current charges to Michigan residents for other state licenses are as follows:
• Spring turkey hunt — $15;
• Annual state park vehicle entry permit — $24;
• Senior citizen annual state park vehicle entry permit — $6;
• Snowmobile — $25;
• Restricted fishing — $15;
• All species fishing — $28;
• Small game hunting — $15;
• Waterfowl hunting — $5;
• Off-road vehicle — $16.25; and
• General deer hunting — $15.
A full list of all state hunting and fishing licenses, with all dates and specifics, is available online at www.mdnr-elicense.com/welcome.asp, under the "List of Licenses" link.
Dettloff said hunters earlier this month spoke publicly at an NRC meeting, stating the cost of licenses is not important as long as they were not too expensive.
"Most couldn't tell us what they paid for their deer hunting licenses this year," she said. "They just went and bought them. They told us to do what we had to do, but not to price them out of being able to hunt and fish, which is what we want, too. We need to increase license fees, but we don't want to price them so high that people can't go out and enjoy that hunting and fishing."
The workgroup was created after DNR Director Rebecca Humphries and NRC members asked constituent groups such as Trout Unlimited, Whitetails Unlimited, Pheasants Forever, and others if they want to participate because of their representation of hunters who pay the license fees.
"We want their input on what they think people are willing to pay," Dettloff said. "We also want their input on whether any of the licenses need to be restructured."
One thing that could be restructured is the process by which some licenses are obtained.
For example, Dettloff said, turkey hunting licenses currently are not sold over the counter, but they must be obtained through an application. Licensees are selected through a lottery process.
"One question would be if we should change that," she said. "In the past, constituent groups have said they wanted turkey licenses to remain in that lottery system."
In addition to workgroup chairman Wheatlake, there are 18 members appointed to serve on the panel.
NRC Chairman Keith Charters of Traverse City also named the following citizens to the workgroup: Steve Arwood of Heart of the Lakes; Rick Bowman of the Michigan Chapter of Trout Unlimited; George Burgoyne, former DNR resource management deputy director; Jim DeClerck of the Saginaw Field and Stream Club; Glen Duncan, a hardware store owner from Bay City who will represent the licensing retailers; Dennis Grinold of the Michigan Charter Boat Association; Jack Kelley of the Michigan Steelhead/Salmon Fisherman's Association; Bill Malloch of UP Whitetails Association of Schoolcraft County; Katrina Mueller, a Michigan State University student; Tom Namacheck of the UP Tourism and Recreational Association; Dan Potter of the National Wild Turkey Federation; Gary Schinske of the Michigan Trappers Association; Gerald Thiede, former chief of the Forest Management Division of the DNR; Sam Washington of the Michigan United Conservation Clubs; Christopher Wesolek, a Lake Superior State University student; Harry Whitely, a former NRC commissioner; Gary Williams of the Michigan State Extension Service; and Wayne Wood of the Michigan Farm Bureau.
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