Idaho Fish, Game Panel Delays Fee Increases

Chilled relations with sportsmen’s groups prompted the Idaho Fish and Game Commission on Thursday to delay for a year any decision on raising resident license and tag fees to generate extra cash for the financially struggling agency.

“Feelings are running so high now because of the controversy, I don’t think we have time to patch things up between now and October,” Commissioner Keith Carlson of Lewiston said.

Facing a decision on the future mission of the Fish and Game Department in view of its current budget problems, the commission was contemplating an internal department proposal to raise $7.7 million a year by as much as doubling at least some sportsmen’s fees. Gov. Phil Batt wanted any proposal to be made during the 1998 legislative session by October for his review.

Now, the commission will look to the post-election 1999 session, living off its dwindling cash reserves while trying to smooth the ruffled feathers of sportsmen.

The alternative to higher fees is scaling back programs to fit within existing revenues that have suffered from a dramatic decline in nonresident license and tag sales. At the same time, the percentage of Idaho residents buying hunting and fishing licenses is declining.

The commission slashed authorized spending by 11 percent over the past year to sop up millions of dollars in red ink and on Thursday approved another bare-bones budget blueprint for the spending year that will not begin until next July.

Commissioner Jeff Siddoway of Terreton said a number of eastern Idaho lawmakers recently told him they could support a resident fee increase during this winter’s session if it is justified.

But, he said, “If we get even one (sportsmen’s) group in there up and yelling, this deal’s going to go down.”