Sportsmen May Notice Slight Increase in License Cost

West Virginia hunters and anglers who buy their license annually may be in for a surprise when they re-up for 2010.    Depending on what permits and stamps an outdoorsman wants, the cost may higher than 2009.

The reason for the increase is "indexing."  It’s a provision added to a rule-change by the legislature last year.  The legislation increased license prices across the board–but also allowed for future increases that are indexed to the Consumer Price Index.

"In the past we would go years without a license increase and then come back and have to ask for a big one to catch up," said DNR Wildlife Section Chief Curtis Taylor.  "This way, we try and keep pace with the rate of inflation which affects us just like it does everything else.

Taylor says the costs that all of us endure in our everyday lives are hitting the DNR’s coffers too.   Gasoline, fertilizer, lime, and trout food are among the items the DNR buys regularly, which have exploded in price.

The increase will not affect every license and it will hit out-of-state sportsmen much deeper than West Virginians.

"Most of the increases are on the non-resident side," Taylor explained. "The statewide (non-resident) hunting license goes from $110 to $119.   The statewide (non-resident) fishing license goes from $35 to $37."

"It wound up being about an eight-percent increase overall," said DNR Fish and Wildlife Planner Steve Brown. "But it was affected by a couple of things.  The legislature said we had to round DOWN to the nearest dollar and we were only allowed to increase the cost if the calculation produced more than a dollar of an increase."

For example, if the cost of a certain permit is $10 and adjusted for inflation the new cost should be $10.91, by rule the cost remains $10.    Therefore, sportsmen will notice a hodge-podge with the cost of some permits and stamps going up and others staying the same for the New Year.

The indexing also impacts the lifetime hunting and fishing license.    The rate for a lifetime ABL, for combined hunting, fishing, and trapping goes from $760 to $805.   The cost for infant (under age 2) lifetime hunting, fishing and trapping license goes from $380 to $402.50.  Taylor says that’s the most popular license right now.

"Grandparents and parents are buying these things for their grandkids and kids before they turn two-years old," said Taylor. "It’s a heck of a deal, for the rest of their life, even if they move out-of-state, they don’t have to buy a license."

The calculations of the various lifetime licenses were a little tricky, since by law they must be based on the average cost of an annual license to hunt or fish.   Then the CPI calculation was factored into the equation causing a substantial increase in the AL lifetime hunting license compared to relatively nominal hike for the BL lifetime fishing license. 

Taylor understands nobody likes to see the cost of a license go up, but he says they DNR still must pay its bills amid increasing costs as well.  He says this beats the long-used alternative of a massive increase all at one time.

"We don’t have to come back and ask for some big increase that the legislature doesn’t like it, sportsmen don’t like it, and this is I think an easier way to do it," explained Taylor.

Here is a breakout of the cost differences from 2009 to 2010 on various stamps and permits.  Those not listed are unchanged in price for 2010.