The Free Press, Mankato, MN

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January 26, 2012

Our View: Raise fees on hunting, fishing

The Free Press

Minnesota legislators put the state’s investment in natural resources on the back burner last year and failed to approve increases in fishing and hunting licenses that many agree have widespread support.

Let’s hope Republicans and Democrats can get together this year and help prevent the Game and Fish fund from going in the red — which, by the way, is against the law.

The core functions of the DNR — game and fish management and law enforcement — have long been mostly paid with revenues from hunting and fishing licenses. The outdoor enthusiasts have had no real objections to this kind of “user fee” funding, and it’s worked well for decades. But it also hasn’t kept up with needs.

Smaller projected hunting and fishing license fee revenues and cuts in state and federal funding over the years have experts saying the fund will be in the red as soon as June 2013.  The modest fee increases are supported by and large by sportsmen’s groups and the hunting and fishing fraternity in general.

They would be raised for the first time since 2001 and go from $17 for an individual resident fishing license to $24. A resident deer license would go from $26 to $30. Even if one considered inflation from 2001, the new fishing license fee would be barely over the rate of inflation for 10 years. In fact, if you considered the rate of inflation on a fishing license price of $7 in 1970, it should, by that measure, cost $41 today.

Clearly, Minnesotans are getting a good value for the outdoor dollar.

We should remember this increase is not a tax. It clearly is as pure as you can get for a user fee. Those who benefit pay the cost.

So, we hope the debate on license fees does not get bogged down in the no-new-taxes conversation or create some other kind of off-kilter way for government to provide a service many, many citizens seem to want and are willing to pay for.

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