Wildlife Groups Withhold Support For Hunting Fee Hikes State Agency Needs $7 Million To Gain Solid Financial Footing

Idaho’s two largest sportsman’s organizations are withholding support for the hunting fee increase proposed by the state Fish and Game Commission.

Idaho Wildlife Council president Don Clower and Idaho Wildlife Federation president Russ Biaggne agreed to back a systematic approach to funding the Fish and Game Department’s operations.

“The IWC cannot support any proposal that does not resolve the total funding woes of the department and involve sportsmen in the development of spending priorities and fee structures,” Clower said.

The commission needs more than $7 million to put the agency back on a solid financial footing, but intended to spend time building broad-based support among sportsmen for the kinds of increases needed to generate that amount.

But the commission decided it needs cash immediately for priority game management programs, so it agreed to seek fee increases generating less than $2 million this year and go for the rest in 1999.

There is a risk of leaving the department with the smaller increase, while sportsmen may not support raising more to hit the $7 million target.

“The IWF fears that the political reality is that this approach would jeopardize the potential of meeting the greater needs of the department,” Biaggne said. “We could support a staged fee increase if it is tied to a comprehensive funding plan which would adequately fund wildlife management into the 21st century.”

Fish and Game also wants to raise $1.4 million more by increasing deer and elk tag fees by $6. The commission is scheduled to consider the matter at its meeting Thursday in Boise.

Clower earlier said it might take an initiative to restore independence and a stable funding base to the agency charged with protecting Idaho’s wildlife.