To be submitted to the 2005 Legislature, the proposal would increase the price of a nonresident fishing license by $7, to $20 a year.
Big-game and bird hunters would pay more too, with the price of an elk license jumping from $16 to $25, deer from $13 to $20, antelope from $11 to $20 and upland game bird from $6 to $20.
FWP director Jeff Hagener made the announcement, and defended it as necessary to avoid cutting programs and staff.
"We're spending about $2 million more a year than we are bringing in from license sales," he said. "At this rate, FWP's checking account will be empty in a few years. It's a serious situation for the state's fish and wildlife conservation programs."
Without a fee increase, FWP's revenue would be $3 million short of expenditures - with no program increases - by 2009, Hagener said. By 2011, the shortfall would be $14.5 million.
"State law does not allow FWP to spend more than it generates," he said. "And state taxes do not support FWP.
"Montana's fish and wildlife management programs are supported primarily by hunting and fishing license fees, so right now license fees or program cuts are the obvious places to look to reverse the trend."
Resident hunting and fishing license fees were last increased by the 1991 Legislature, which adopted a two-phase process that brought fee increases in 1992 and 1994.
Those increases were intended to finance the agency through 1999.
In 2001, FWP increased nonresident hunting and fishing fees - thereby delaying the need to increase what Montanans pay.
The increase in nonresident fees will sustain programs through 2007, Hagener said. "But because current expenses exceed license income, Montana's resident hunters and anglers must decide soon what to do beyond 2007. Without additional revenue, programs will have to be cut within one or two years."
If fee increases are not approved, he said, FWP would likely look to cuts in law enforcement, fish and wildlife surveys, hunting and fishing access programs, hatchery-fish stocking at lakes and reservoirs, land maintenance, and information and education activities.
With the proposed fee increases, Hagener promised to increase public access for both hunting and fishing, enhance fish and wildlife habitat on public and private lands, increase walleye stocking to 50 million fish per year, continue stocking up to
7 million trout and salmon each year, and to develop more community fishing ponds.
The money would also go to help urban residents address nuisance wildlife, increase the investigation and prosecution of crimes, and increase fish, wildlife and conservation education in Montana schools.
Hagener emphasized that Montana's resident hunting and fishing licenses are among the least expensive in the West.
For example, a resident fishing license is $13 in Montana. Colorado charges $20 for the same, Idaho $23.50, Nevada $29, Oregon $24.75, Wyoming $18.
The proposed fee increases would include Montana's conservation license (which hunters and anglers must have to purchase other licenses), as well as fishing, turkey, deer, elk, moose, mountain goat, bighorn sheep, antelope, mountain lion and black bear hunting licenses - and elk and deer permits.
Nonresident licenses cannot be raised again because the U.S. Supreme Court has said there is a limit to how far apart resident and nonresident fees can be, Hagener said.
So residents must pay more before nonresidents can see another increase.
Montanans will have a chance to comment on FWP's proposal before it reaches the Legislature. Hagener said the agency will host a series of public forums statewide this fall.
Reporter Sherry Devlin can be reached at 523-5268 or at sdevlin@missoulian.com
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