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Administration Home News/Information Contact Us DNR Home   

Joe Manchin III, Governor

Frank Jezioro, Director

News Release
For release:
February 25, 2005

 

Hoy Murphy , Public Information Officer (304) 558-3380 hoymurphy@wvdnr.gov

Contact: Curtis Taylor , Wildlife Resources Section Chief (304) 558-2771 wildlife@wvdnr.gov

 

West Virginia DNR Finds Strong Public Support for Hunting and Fishing License Fee Increase – Revised Hunting and Fishing License Restructure Proposal Announced

 

   The West Virginia Division of Natural Resources (DNR) has released a revised version of its hunting and fishing license restructure proposal, according to DNR Director Frank Jezioro. DNR released an initial restructuring proposal in January and followed up with a series of open houses around the state to gather public comment. The agency also met with leaders from statewide wildlife conservation organizations, posted the information on the DNR Web site and encouraged hunters and anglers to provide the agency with their comments on the original proposal.

 

   Based on information gathered during the public comment period, the license restructuring committee has revised the proposal to include individual hunting and fishing licenses instead of a combined license as outlined in the original proposal. The revision retains the popular elements of the initial proposal such as a reduction in the number of stamps and removal of the county-specific requirement on Class N antlerless deer stamps. The final version of the proposal is available on DNR's Web page at [www.wvdnr.gov/licenseproposal - link is no longer valid - see current regulations]

   “This was a most valuable experience and it was especially rewarding to hear how much support there was for a license fee increase designed to support our wildlife management and law enforcement programs,” Jezioro said. “Nobody looks forward to increasing license fees, and DNR did everything within its power to avoid one for as long as it could. But after 16 years without a resident license fee increase, it is well past time for a fee adjustment designed to offset the effects of inflation. These fee increases will be necessary, as we strive to maintain current levels of services.

 

  “It became clear during the public comment period that not everyone agreed with the original license restructuring proposal,” Jezioro said. “The feedback we received allowed us to go back and modify the proposal based on what we were told by our customers. What we discovered was that the majority of our constituents understood and agreed with the need for a license fee increase, but there was some concerns raised regarding combining the hunting and fishing license into one combination license.”

 

   “DNR is very appreciative of the support and interest from the public during the past several weeks,” Jezioro said. “That support is going to be crucial as we move through the legislative process with the proposal.”

 

**DNR**

 



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