Mississippi’s Commission on Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks takes no action to increase non-resident hunting and fishing licenses

The cost of hunting and fishing in Mississippi is about to increase, both for residents and non-residents. But, it will be another month before increases are announced after the Commission on Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks decided not to take action on non-resident fees at its Wednesday meeting.

Panel must raise non-resident fees before resident increases take effect

Mississippi’s Commission on Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks did not take any action Wednesday to increase non-resident hunting and fishing licenses, but sportsmen from other states can expect to see one soon.

Say, as soon as the next Commission meeting on May 18?

“You would be accurate in saying it will come soon,” chairman Charles Hidgon said after adjourning the meeting in Jackson. “We simply can’t afford to pass up the money we will get to train a (Conservation Officer) cadet class, as well as better equip our current officers.”

The Commission was forced into a position of raising non-resident fees by an amendment to H.B. 1151, the legislation had written to raise resident hunting and fishing license fees for the first time since 1993.

Gov. Phil Bryant signed the bill into law on April 14.

But, to gain necessary support for the bill during the legislative process, Scott Bounds, R-Philadelphia, chairman of the House Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks Committee and the bill’s author, said he had to amend it with language requiring that non-resident fees must increase before the residents could be charged more.

Legislators retain the power to control resident fees, but decades ago turned control over non-resident fees to the governor-appointed Commission on Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks.

H.B. 1151 is scheduled to take effect July 1, the start of the state’s new fiscal year. To beat that deadline, the Commission was scheduled to address the issue on Wednesday, giving it a start on the 60-day regulatory process required for Commission action.

But, at the beginning of the meeting, just after the opening prayer, the non-resident fee proposal was removed from the agenda.

“That was because we felt we needed to look at it further,” Higdon said. “It hasn’t been a week (six days) since the governor signed the bill, and let’s face it, the Legislature hasn’t even adjourned yet. They’re still in session. Who knows what could happen?

“We really haven’t had enough time to look at everything, including our budget, and to consider all the implications. We want to make sure that we get it right.”

Asked if the Commission approved a notice of intent to raise non-resident fees increase at the May 18 meeting and then gave it final approval, without change, at the June 22 meeting would be sufficient for a resident increase, Hibdon wasn’t sure.

“That’s one of things we need to look at,” he said.

Whenever the resident prices do go into effect, the agency is expecting to see a $1.9 million annual revenue increase, plus whatever monies come from the increase in non-resident fees, all of which must be used to enhance the agency’s enforcement division.

H.B. 1151 would raise the Sportsman’s License from $31 to $45, the small-game hunting and fishing combination license from $8 to $10 and the all-game hunting and fishing combination license from $17 to $25.

The bill doesn’t specify which non-resident licenses must be included in the fee increase, nor does it establish a minimum amount of increase.