License Fees, Duck Zones and Fishing Regulations on Commission Agenda

The Kansas Wildlife, Parks and Tourism Commission will conduct a public meeting in Burlington on October 22, 2015 at the Coffey County Library, 410 Juniatta Street. The afternoon session will begin at 1 p.m. and will recess for supper at 5 p.m. The meeting will reconvene for the Public Hearing portion at 6:30 p.m. The public is encouraged to attend all portions of the meeting.

Items on the afternoon General Discussion agenda include a report on the fiscal status of the agency and state by Secretary Robin Jennison; the upcoming 2016 session of the Kansas Legislature; Kansas tourism, staff report on the Coffey County Lake fishery, the Flint Hills National Wildlife Refuge, and antelope and elk regulations. Workshop items include deer hunting regulations and big game permanent regulations.

The Public Hearing portion will begin at 6:30 p.m. Items to be discussed and voted on by the commission include hunting and fishing fees, big game and turkey permit applications, definitions concerning setline fishing, fishing regulations near fish ladders, length and creel limits and duck zone boundary changes.

Time will be available during the afternoon and evening sessions for public comment on non-agenda items. If necessary, the commission will reconvene at the same location at 9 a.m., October 23, to complete any unfinished business.

Live video and audio streaming of the meeting will be available at ksoutdoors.com.

If notified in advance, the department will have an interpreter available for the hearing impaired. To request an interpreter, call the Kansas Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing at 1-800-432-0698. Any individual with a disability may request other accommodations by contacting the Kansas Wildlife, Parks and Tourism Commission secretary at (620) 672-5911.

The next Kansas Wildlife, Parks and Tourism Commission meeting is scheduled for January 7, 2016 at the K-State Alumni Center in Manhattan.

Fishing and Hunting Fees Discussed

GREAT BEND ­– During the Workshop portion of the Kansas Wildlife, Parks and Tourism Commission’s August public meeting in Great Bend, commissioners heard a proposal from department staff to raise fees for hunting and fishing licenses. The proposal outlined fee history, revenue needs and compared proposed fees with those of surrounding states.

The Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism (KDWPT) has not increased hunting and fishing license fees since 2002, and fees for deer and turkey permits haven’t increased since 1984. However, the department has arrived at a critical point due to inflation, and increased revenue is needed to maintain pivotal wildlife and fishery programs. Spending has remained constant, but the uncommitted portion of the Wildlife Fee Fund has begun to shrink. A healthy Wildlife Fee Fund with an uncommitted balance is important for cash flow at certain times of the year and ensures that excise taxes on hunting and fishing equipment allotted to the state through the Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration program can be captured.

KDWPT staff outlined the programs that need continued funding to provide quality hunting and fishing opportunities and ensure wildlife and important habitats are conserved. Priority programs include: Walk–In Hunting Access – leases more than 1 million acres of private land for public hunting access, more than tripling the amount of land open to hunting; FISH – leases private ponds and streams for angling access; Community Fisheries Assistance Program – enhances fishing opportunities on community-owned lakes and pays to remove any angler fees; the Pass It On and Aquatic Education programs – provide hunting, fishing and outdoor experiences to thousands of youth annually; and private land programs – assist landowners to improve wildlife habitat with economically feasible methods. There are also day-to-day operations that require funding, including law enforcement, four state fish hatcheries that produce 100 million sport fish annually, managing wildlife and habitat on more than 350,000 acres of federal and state land, and managing sport fisheries on 24 federal reservoirs, 44 state fishing lakes and more than 200 community lakes.

The fee proposal also includes recommendations for value-added options with substantial savings. For example, resident hunters and anglers currently pay $18 for a fishing or hunting license and $36 for an annual combination license. The proposed fee for a general resident hunting or fishing license is $25, but the proposal also includes an annual fish/hunt combination license for $45 and an early-buy combination for $40 if purchased before March 1. The proposed early-buy combo license would be just $4 more than what current combo license buyers are paying.

Other value-added licenses being recommended include 5-year hunting and fishing licenses. The recommended price for a five-year fishing or hunting license is $100, a savings of $25. The price for a five-year combination hunting/fishing license would be $180, which is a $70 savings and equal to what hunters are paying currently for combination licenses over a five-year period.

Other recommended fee increases include: nonresident hunting license from $70 to $95; nonresident deer permit from $315 to $415; nonresident spring turkey permit from $30 to $60; general resident deer permits from $30 to $40; and resident turkey permits from $20 to $25. A complete listing of all proposed fee changes can be downloaded from www.ksoutdoors.com, by clicking on “Commission,” “Pending Draft Regulations,” and then “October 22, 2015 60-day Notice.” The fees changes are included in K.A.R. 115-2-1.

Related articles

• MDC gets $1.1 million in USDA funds for new program for landowners (missourioutdoors.blogspot.com)
• Mild winters and wet summers created a positive hunting outlook in most of Wyoming (trib.com)
• For hunters and habitat, DNR renews efforts to reverse pheasant decline (lacrossetribune.com)

Donate to Fund Disabled Veteran Hunt and Fish Licenses

PRATT – To show appreciation for the service and sacrifice of our disabled veterans, the Kansas Legislature annually appropriates a limited amount of funding to provide them free hunting and fishing licenses. Any Kansas resident who is a military veteran with at least 30 percent disability qualifies, and application for the licenses must be made each year. However, if the number of qualified applicants exceeds the amount appropriated, the Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism (KDWPT) must cease issuing the licenses or rely on a pool of donations to fund them. Anyone purchasing a hunting or fishing license online is given the option through a check box to make a donation to fund these licenses.

The appropriation for Fiscal Year 2015 ran out in May and donations have been exhausted, so KDWPT has applications for licenses that cannot be issued. The appropriation is expected to be in the FY2016 budget, but those funds won’t be available until July 1 and may be insufficient to fund all the applications that could arrive during the coming fiscal year.

It’s difficult to predict demand for these licenses and permits and when funding runs out, the only recourse is to use donations. Help ensure our disabled veterans enjoy the Kansas outdoors by donating when you purchase licenses online. Call 620-672-5911 for more information.