AP writer John Flesher says that although an advisory panel proposed a package of license fee increases to solve a chronic funding shortfall in the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, lawmakers failed to step forward to support the panel's recommendation of raising license fees or to offer any alternatives. Ten years ago, the DNR received almost 1/4 of its budget from the general fund, but that number has dwindled to just 9%.
DNR Director Rebecca Humphries says that without a significant new revenue, the agency soon will have to consider serious cutbacks in personnel and programs, especially personnel intensive field work and monitoring. She acknowledges that support for major increases in fees has been scant and says:
We've been working the outdoor shows, been over doing a lot more meet-and-greets with the Legislature, and we're getting fairly good support. I think most of the folks in our hunting and angling community are well aware of the fact that we need to have increases ... (but) they'd really like to see something that's incremental in nature.
Read A compromise possible on state DNR fee increases in the Lansing State Journal and get background on this issue (and a ton of discussion) in Should the DNR raise license fees? on Absolute Michigan.
12 Comments
why do we have to pay all the time why dont they quit giving them self raises all the time
make all the non staters pick up the slack
because we live here and they dont so why should they get to enjoy our great state so cheap
the state has not made money over the last 7 years
Money from hunters and fishers buying licenses my family probably spends eaisly 100 dollars a year on licenses.
just another great economic idea from our wondrfull govenor. ha ha ha. We have 3 more hard years ahead of us.
FYI Eric, this was the recommendation of the Michigan Department of Natural Resources advisory panel.
I continue to fish in Canada, once or twice a year, and they have no problem charging me more for a fishing license there. I think the same could be said for out of state folks here. Michigan is such a tourist spot, along with the out of state Hunters and fisherman, then let them, bridge the gap on the budget.
Living in the State should be a bonus for the Hunters and Fishermen!!!
I Feel the same way the rest of my fellow anglers and hunters feel about this. I think a few dollars would not be bad but the thing im hearing are crazy like a combo going up to 75$ all thats going to do Is make more prob if they raise it to that price they better hire more more dnr b/c poching is gonna go threw the roof I listen to guys at work say it all day long if they raise the price I wont buy a tag I'll just shot it and hope I don't get caught. feel bad for them guys If they do thats a huge tag but I cant say I don't under stand lots Of guys love to hunt and fish but at this price and are state the way it is plus gas it's not cheap to be a michagander.So if my vote counts no on the rate hike unless it's only a buck or 2
they shouldnt raise the price double a little is alright but a license is permission to hunt so it shouldnt cost thet much
I think its high enough. How will young people be able to afford to fish or hunt cut them some slack. If you charge less more people and their familes would be able to do it and you would make more money. I realize less and less are hunting and fishing so you are raising the price to make up for the extra money. One day only one really rich person will be hunting and fishing and it will cost him or her millions for the license . What about a family license hmmm???
boy i bet they wish they had the millions of dollars they spent reintroducing the wolf to the u.p. and investigating people who shoot them (on purpose or by accident, i dont know). perhaps if they spent that money properly managing the deer herd or planting fish so people would actually benefit from buying licenses they wouldn't be in such a mess. Nobody wants the wolves around up here, and contrary to what they say there are a lot of them, ask anybody who lives in the western U.P. we see more wolves then deer somedays it seems.
you know most people say that there are not alot of hunters out there right now anyway but that is all due to the fact that the government is raising the prices so high it really isnt worth going out and buying one. for instance say there is an elderly person that still hunts but is getting to the point of not liking the cold. how much can you honestly expect him or her to go out and hunt exspecially when they pay so much for a tag that might not even get filled?
Post a Comment