The Wildlife Department’s primary funding source is the sale of annual
hunting and fishing licenses, and the Department does not receive any
general state tax appropriations. The two bills call for increases in the
cost of both annual and lifetime hunting and fishing licenses.

The last hunting and fishing license fee increase was approved in 1994,
and was projected to provide sufficient revenue to meet the costs of
providing services for three to four years. The increase, which went into
effect Jan. 1, 1995, was only $2 per license, which was half of the amount
requested.

“We’re very pleased that the Senate has approved additional funding for
fish and wildlife conservation in the state,” said Richard Hatcher,
assistant director for the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation.
“Inflation, as registered by the consumer price index, has increased 25
percent since our last fee increase was approved in 1994, and the
additional revenue from the proposed increase would help restore a number
of programs that have been affected by shrinking budgets.

The increased cost of providing services has forced the Department to cut
its budget more than six percent in the last five years and the agency has
maintained between 25 and 35 unfilled positions as a means of reducing
expenditures.

House Bill 1663 would increase most annual hunting and fishing license
costs. For example, the cost of a fishing or hunting license would
increase from $12.50 to $20.

House Bill 1419 increases the fees for lifetime licenses. A resident
lifetime combination hunting and fishing license will go from $525 to
$750. This would not generate any direct revenue (the principal of the
lifetime license sales cannot be spent, with only the interest on those
investments eligible to be spent) but would contribute to future interest
income from the lifetime license trust fund.

Both bills would become effective July 1, 2003, according the Senate
versions. They now go back to the House of Representatives for
consideration of the Senate amendments.

To track active legislation affecting the wildlife and sportsmen of
Oklahoma, log on to the Department’s Web site at,
www.wildlifedepartment.com/legislation.htm