Managing Fish and Wildlife is Expensive Work

By Cal Groen, director Idaho Fish and Game Idaho Fish and Game receives no general state tax dollars. All our revenues come from license and fee sales or from federal and private grants. But increased costs are affecting Fish and Game's ability to do its job. That job is protecting Idaho's wildlife heritage, providing opportunities for families to share hunting and fishing adventures. It means local ponds where children of all ages can spend a day fishing. It means big game herds in remote backcountry and week-long hunting camps in wall tents and accessible only on horseback. It means upland game birds and waterfowl hunting in frozen blinds on winter mornings with retrievers tail-wagging eager to dive into icy water after the prize. In the four years since fees last were raised, Idaho Fish and Game's budget has increase only 2 percent, compared to 26 percent for the average state agency. The price of fish food alone has increased 31 percent in the past four years and game farm raised pheasants have gone up 25 percent. Inflation has taken a bite as well. Idaho families are hurting too. We want to keep basic hunting and fishing fees as reasonable as possible, affordable for all Idahoans. This year, rather than seek an across the board fee increase, Fish and Game has developed a "differential" fee schedule. The cost of tags and permits would increase more for select game and fish, such as bulls, bucks, salmon and steelhead. Differential fees could help keep prices lower for general licenses and permits. For example a resident combination license could increase by $3.50. But salmon and steelhead permits could go up by $7, and the application fee for trophy hunts could go up by more than $14. If approved, the proposed increase would bring in almost $7 million in additional Fish and Game revenue annually. Most of the increase would go to maintain existing core programs; however, nearly $1.7 million would be used for projects directly benefiting hunters and anglers such as increased access to private land, more hatchery trout, new family fishing ponds, improving wildlife habitat and connecting youth and the outdoors. In 2007, nearly 80,000 hours were donated by volunteers who helped us improve habitat throughout the state. If the revenue increase is approved by lawmakers, we will have the resources to recruit and deploy even more volunteers to improve habitat. This unpaid work force is critical to the mission of preserving our wildlife heritage. The proposed increase would cover Idaho Fish and Game operations for at least three years. People still want fish and game services on the ground, especially during these hard times. Fishing and hunting is part of what makes people want to live in Idaho, and it helps drive economic growth across the state - over $800 million in 2006 alone. We try to make that possible, and we want to keep doing it and making it better.