Delaware News

Division of Fish & Wildlife to hold workshops Jan. 12-14 on wildlife services, related hunting and trapping license fees

Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control | Division of Fish and Wildlife | Date Posted: Monday, January 11, 2016



Annual Conservation Access Pass for state wildlife areas also under consideration

DOVER – DNREC’s Division of Fish & Wildlife will hold a series of public workshops this week about wildlife conservation management and wildlife area user services and related hunting and trapping license fees. To continue providing these important services, the Division of Fish & Wildlife is considering possible fee increases for hunting and trapping licenses, along with establishing an annual Conservation Access Pass to be required for anyone using state wildlife areas for wildlife-associated recreation.

One workshop is scheduled in each county as listed below:

  • Sussex County – 7 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 12 at Delaware Technical Community College, Jack F. Owens Campus, William A. Carter Partnership Center Lecture Hall, 21179 College Drive, Georgetown, DE 19947
  • Kent County – 7 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 13 at Kent County Administrative Complex, 555 South Bay Road, Room 220, Dover, DE 19901
  • New Castle County – 7 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 14 at Ommelanden Hunter Education Training Center, 1205 River Road, New Castle, DE 19720

“Hunting and trapping license fee revenues have decreased in the past decade while our wildlife program operating costs have increased, resulting in having to reduce various program operations and services to operate within our budget,” said Division of Fish & Wildlife Director David Saveikis. “The potential fee increases would allow us to avoid further service reductions and to restore and enhance our services while providing added value to the public.”

Increased fee revenues would help ensure comprehensive wildlife program operations and services, which are important for statewide management of wildlife species and for managing wildlife habitat and “providing hunter and other wildlife-associated public access on state wildlife areas,” Director Saveikis said. Value-added options being considered include extended statewide hunting seasons for certain species and increased hunting, trapping and wildlife-viewing access and enhanced habitat management on public wildlife areas.

Delaware’s last hunting license fee increase came in 2007. Each dollar of state hunting license revenue brings in an additional $3 of federal funds to the state to support a variety of wildlife management and hunter access services.

The Advisory Council on Wildlife and Freshwater Fish will consider the potential increases at its meeting Tuesday, Jan. 26 at 7 p.m. at DNREC’s Richardson & Robbins Building Auditorium, 89 Kings Highway, Dover, DE 19901. Any proposed fee increases by the Division of Fish & Wildlife require approval of the Delaware General Assembly before becoming effective.

Background information on wildlife program services and the potential fee increases to fund wildlife conservation and wildlife area management, public access and hunting opportunities can be found in a fact sheet available on the Division of Fish & Wildlife website. For additional information on the workshops, please contact the Wildlife Section at 302-739-9912.

Media Contact: Joanna Wilson, DNREC Public Affairs, 302-739-9902

Vol. 46, No. 6

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Division of Fish & Wildlife to hold workshops Jan. 12-14 on wildlife services, related hunting and trapping license fees

Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control | Division of Fish and Wildlife | Date Posted: Monday, January 11, 2016



Annual Conservation Access Pass for state wildlife areas also under consideration

DOVER – DNREC’s Division of Fish & Wildlife will hold a series of public workshops this week about wildlife conservation management and wildlife area user services and related hunting and trapping license fees. To continue providing these important services, the Division of Fish & Wildlife is considering possible fee increases for hunting and trapping licenses, along with establishing an annual Conservation Access Pass to be required for anyone using state wildlife areas for wildlife-associated recreation.

One workshop is scheduled in each county as listed below:

  • Sussex County – 7 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 12 at Delaware Technical Community College, Jack F. Owens Campus, William A. Carter Partnership Center Lecture Hall, 21179 College Drive, Georgetown, DE 19947
  • Kent County – 7 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 13 at Kent County Administrative Complex, 555 South Bay Road, Room 220, Dover, DE 19901
  • New Castle County – 7 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 14 at Ommelanden Hunter Education Training Center, 1205 River Road, New Castle, DE 19720

“Hunting and trapping license fee revenues have decreased in the past decade while our wildlife program operating costs have increased, resulting in having to reduce various program operations and services to operate within our budget,” said Division of Fish & Wildlife Director David Saveikis. “The potential fee increases would allow us to avoid further service reductions and to restore and enhance our services while providing added value to the public.”

Increased fee revenues would help ensure comprehensive wildlife program operations and services, which are important for statewide management of wildlife species and for managing wildlife habitat and “providing hunter and other wildlife-associated public access on state wildlife areas,” Director Saveikis said. Value-added options being considered include extended statewide hunting seasons for certain species and increased hunting, trapping and wildlife-viewing access and enhanced habitat management on public wildlife areas.

Delaware’s last hunting license fee increase came in 2007. Each dollar of state hunting license revenue brings in an additional $3 of federal funds to the state to support a variety of wildlife management and hunter access services.

The Advisory Council on Wildlife and Freshwater Fish will consider the potential increases at its meeting Tuesday, Jan. 26 at 7 p.m. at DNREC’s Richardson & Robbins Building Auditorium, 89 Kings Highway, Dover, DE 19901. Any proposed fee increases by the Division of Fish & Wildlife require approval of the Delaware General Assembly before becoming effective.

Background information on wildlife program services and the potential fee increases to fund wildlife conservation and wildlife area management, public access and hunting opportunities can be found in a fact sheet available on the Division of Fish & Wildlife website. For additional information on the workshops, please contact the Wildlife Section at 302-739-9912.

Media Contact: Joanna Wilson, DNREC Public Affairs, 302-739-9902

Vol. 46, No. 6

image_printPrint

Related Topics:  ,


Graphic that represents delaware news on a mobile phone

Keep up to date by receiving a daily digest email, around noon, of current news release posts from state agencies on news.delaware.gov.

Here you can subscribe to future news updates.