Non-resident fee increase proposed

Secretary of State, not MDWFP, announces changes

Mississippi wildlife officials have met their obligation of raising a non-resident license hunting or fishing fee necessary for a resident fee increase set by the 2016 Legislature to be enacted, according to a posting on another agency website.

Secretary of State Delbert Hosemann’s office has posted a Notice of Intent by the Mississippi Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks Commission, stamped May 12, on his office’s website sos.ms.gov.

No other announcement was made.

The non-resident increases include freshwater fishing, two small-game hunting licenses and an electronic state duck stamp.

If the Mississippi Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks Commission gives it final approval in June, non-resident fishermen will see a $10 increase in the annual freshwater fishing license, from $50 to $60.

It is no coincidence that the $60 fee is equal to what Mississippians pay as non-residents for the same annual freshwater fishing license in Louisiana, nor is it a surprise that three “minor” hunting fee increases announced did not involve big-game licenses. The two states have a history of feuding over license fees, although there has been a truce since a 1992 agreement that no increases would be made without first notifying the other of the proposed increase.

Past battles involved the price Mississippi charged for deer hunting and what Louisiana charged for freshwater and saltwater fishing. For a history of the license fee battle, see the June issue of Mississippi Sportsman Magazine.

Without saying so, the MDWFP was looking for the easiest out in finding an increase that would satisfy the legislative obligation without infuriating Louisiana, with the latter being the reason no deer license increases were included, and keep the state’s fees in line with other states.

According to the Secretary of State posting, three non-resident hunting licenses were raised, but none involving deer or turkey hunting.

The annual small-game hunting license will increase from $75 to $95 (Louisiana’s NR fee is $150), a seven-day small-game hunting license will rise from $30 to $38 (Louisiana’s NR fee for five days is $15 for five days), and the electronic duck stamp fee will increase from $15 to $19 (Louisiana charges $25).

The changes clear the way for increases in resident license fees set by the Legislature this past session. The Sportsman License will increase from $31 to $45, the combination all-game hunt and fish from $17 to $25, and the combination small-game hunt and fish from $8 to $10.

Scott Bounds, chairman of the House Committee on Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks, said he concurred with the recommendations.

“Yes, the proposed non-resident license fee increases do meet the requirements of House Bill 1151,” said Bounds, who authored the bill. “HB 1151 stated that resident fees would not be increased until an increase in non-resident fees was implemented by the Commission. The bill did not stipulate how many categories of non-resident fees must be increased nor how much dollar wise on any of the increases.

“However, I knew we were competitive with our surrounding states on the largest majority of a comparatively similar nonresident license. But, there were some categories that needed to be considered for increases to put Mississippi more in line with our neighboring states. These proposed four categories of nonresident increases is what the Commission came up with after closely examining all the categories, to meet the requirements of HB1151. I concur in their recommendations.”

Bounds said he was pleased that the support he got from residents who felt an increase was fair, since it had been so long since one had been enacted.

“No one likes to have to pay more for anything,” he said. “However, license fees have not been increased in 23 years, period. As with everything, else, the cost of doing business has increased tremendously in 23 years. To better recruit, equip and retain law enforcement personnel within the MDWFP, the economics simply reached a point to where an increase had to be considered.

“When you divide out over a year what the increase in the Sportsman license will be, it comes to .034 cents a day. That’s pretty cheap to have the tools to protect our resources, because without the resources, we don’t have anything.”

MDWFP figures on about a $2 million increase in license revenue per year. The legislation dictates that all revenues raised by the increases be used to enhance the MDWFP law enforcement bureau.