Monthly Archives: April 2012

Lawmakers OK hike in hunting, fishing license fees

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The long, hard road to raising the price of hunting and fishing licenses in Minnesota now rests in the hands of Gov. Mark Dayton.

The House passed the legislation Saturday night by a margin of 68-62, and the Senate approved it a few hours later, according to The Associated Press.

The Omnibus Game and Fish Bill, HF2171, also includes a provision to establish a wolf season that would open the same day as the firearms deer season. Minnesota’s walleye season will open May 12 and not May 5 as some lawmakers had proposed.

The Department of Natural Resources and Dayton had proposed the increase in hunting and fishing license fees to replenish the Game and Fish Fund, which is projected to go into the red in June 2013 without additional money. Funded primarily by hunting and fishing license fees, the Game and Fish Fund pays for a variety of fisheries, wildlife and enforcement programs.

License fees haven’t increased since 2001.

According to the Star Tribune, Dayton is expected to sign the bill. Here’s a look at how fees for some of the more popular licenses will change under the proposal:

Resident small game: Will rise from $12.50 to $15.50.

Resident firearms deer: Now $26, will rise to $30.

Resident bear: Increase to $44 from $38.

Nonresident small game: Increase to $90.50 from $73.

Nonresident firearms deer: Increase to $160 from $135.

Resident fishing: Now $17, will increase to $22.

Nonresident fishing: Will increase to $40 from $37.50.

The bill also includes several other types of hunting and fishing license options and recommended prices for each. For a closer look at the bill, click here:

Conference committee OKs hike in hunting, fishing license fees

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A House-Senate conference committee in the Minnesota Legislature has approved a modest increase in hunting and fishing license fees.

The measure, which is included in HF2171, the Omnibus Game and Fish Bill, now must go to the full House and Senate for approval.

The Senate had included the fee hike in its version of the bill, a broad-based piece of outdoors legislation, but the fee increase wasn’t part of the House bill, and the House earlier this week refused to concur with the Senate amendment and requested a conference committee reconcile the differences.

Here’s a look at some of the fee increases that will occur if the committee’s report ultimately passes:

Resident fishing: $22, up from current price of $17.

Resident hunting: $15.50, up from $12.50.

Resident firearms deer: $30, up from $26.

Nonresident fishing: $40, up from $37.50.

Nonresident hunting: $90.50, up from $73.

Nonresident firearms deer: $160, up from $135.

Don Davis of Forum Communications’ State Capitol Bureau in St. Paul has filed a story on the compromise bill that you’ll find on the Herald’s website. To view the full conference committee report on HF2171, click here:

UPDATE: Conference committee to tackle license fee increase tonight

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The fate of a measure to raise the price of hunting and fishing licenses in Minnesota now rests in the hands of a House-Senate conference committee in the Minnesota Legislature.

The conference committee is scheduled to meet at 7 p.m. tonight.

The House had requested the conference committee Tuesday after refusing to concur with Senate amendments to HF2171, the Omnibus Game and Fish Bill. One of those amendments was a modest increase in hunting and fishing license fees. The House version of the bill, a broad-based package of outdoors legislation, didn’t include the fee hike.

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources and Gov. Mark Dayton have requested the increase in hunting and fishing license fees to bolster the Game and Fish Fund, which is projected to go into the red by June 2013 without additional funding. Fed mostly by hunting and fishing licenses, the Game and Fish Fund pays for a variety of fisheries, wildlife and enforcement programs. License fees haven’t increased since 2001, and raising the prices requires legislative approval.

Several groups representing hunters and anglers have supported the fee hike, saying the quality of hunting and fishing opportunities in the state will decline without additional funding. About 75 people gathered Monday in the Capitol Rotunda to rally in support of the fee hike.

Members of the conference committee in the House are Rep. Tom Hackbarth, R-Cedar; Rep. Mark Buesgens, R-Savage; Rep. Tony Cornish, R-Vernon Center; Rep. Denny McNamara, R-Hastings; and Rep. David Dill, DFL-Crane Lake.  Senate conference committee members are Sen. Bill Ingebrigtsen, R-Alexandria; Sen. Paul Gazelka, R-Brainerd; Sen. John Carlson, R-Bemidji; Sen. Kari Dziedzic, DFL-Minneapolis; and Sen. Jeremy Miller, R-Winona.

During a stop at the Herald a couple of weeks ago, Ingebrigtsen, who chairs the Senate Environment and Natural Resources Committee, said he was optimistic a conference committee could reach an agreement on a license fee hike. We’ll know more after tonight.

For more information on HF2171, click here: