Best any of us can recall, none of us have ever called for any state or federal government entity to raise fees to fish, hunt or otherwise recreate in the great outdoors.
The Montana Warp
Living in Montana tends to warp one’s perspective on life in a lot of ways (mostly good ways); shamefully inexpensive hunting and fishing licenses (compared to other venues around the country) being a fine example.
That duly noted, Montana has long managed the bulk of FWP’s (the Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks – the hardworking stewards charged with oversight of nature’s bounty under the Big Sky) budget via general and earmarked license fees, with very little general fund contribution and Federal contributions under 25%.
Engaging deeply with the outdoors is part of the fabric of life for many in Montana; the expectation that common sense coupled with scientifically grounded management of natural as well as fish and game resources will prevail is pretty much accepted dogma with reality aligned pretty damned closely.
To be sure, things are far from perfect under the Big Sky, though I’d venture a guess that the majority of the state’s outdoorsmen/women respect the management approaches of FWP and the state government as whole. (Of course you’ll find a truckload of folks willing to bitch about this and that, my guess is that the bulk of the complaint crowd aren’t outdoorsmen…)
If That’s True, Why Raise My Fees?
Legislators in Helena have been working on options to address an upcoming shortfall in FWP’s budget project for 2017; the’ve appointed an Environmental Quality Council (EQC) to advise the legislature on options to address the shortfall.
Here’s the crux of the issue in a nutshell (from the EQC’s Draft report on the issue) –
FWP’s fish and wildlife management programs and related operations are funded on a roughly
10-year cycle that is considered structurally imbalanced. This means that for the first half of the
cycle, FWP collects more in license revenue than it spends — building the balance in its general
license account (GLA). At the mid-point of the cycle, revenues and expenditures are roughly
equal. And, in the last half of the decade, the department spends more than it takes in — drawing
down the balance in the GLA. Some describe this as the financial equivalent of filling and
draining a bathtub.FWP is in the second half of the current 10-year cycle and estimates it has enough revenue to
sustain daily operations and meet financial obligations through Fiscal Year (FY) 2017.
The Bottom Line – It’s Time
Fees were last raised in 2005, it’s time to do so again.
Neighboring states have been slashing funding and programs; Montana intends to maintain programs, not divert already stressed general fund revenues and is discussing ways to do more with less dollars.
We’re supportive of a fee bump to get it done. The EQC is asking for comment on their proposals through the 16th of August – links below.
FWP’s Bulletin on Upcoming Funding Issues (good summary)
EQC Draft Report – On the Hook: The Future of Fish and Wildlife Funding in Montana
It’s time to pony up and get it done.
