Delaware News

Wildlife advisory council to consider possible fee increases and related wildlife program services at Jan. 26 meeting in Dover

Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control | Division of Fish and Wildlife | Date Posted: Tuesday, January 19, 2016



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

The agenda for the advisory council meeting is:

  • Presentation of wildlife program services and funding by Division of Fish & Wildlife Director David Saveikis.
  • Summary of public workshops held Jan. 12-14 on wildlife program services and funding by Director Saveikis.
  • Council action on possible wildlife program fees.

Council consideration of 2016/17 waterfowl season dates, customarily proposed by the Division of Fish & Wildlife at the January meeting, has been moved to the council’s February agenda.

The Division of Fish & Wildlife’s recent series of public workshops on wildlife management and wildlife area user services included discussion on increasing hunting and trapping license fees, as well as establishing a Conservation Access Pass for anyone using state wildlife areas for wildlife-associated recreation. Options discussed include raising the annual Delaware resident hunting license fee from $25 to $39.50 and the annual waterfowl stamp from $9 to $15. An annual Conservation Access Pass for admission to wildlife areas statewide costing $20 for Delaware residents and $30 for non-residents is also being considered.

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. Increased revenues from a fee increase also provide an opportunity for value-added wildlife program public services, including consideration of 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 occurred 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.

Additional information on wildlife program services and the proposed fee increases to fund wildlife conservation and wildlife area management, public access and hunting opportunities is available from a fact sheet found on the Division of Fish & Wildlife website. For more information, please contact the Wildlife Section at 302-739-9912.

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

Vol. 46, No. 11

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Wildlife advisory council to consider possible fee increases and related wildlife program services at Jan. 26 meeting in Dover

Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control | Division of Fish and Wildlife | Date Posted: Tuesday, January 19, 2016



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

The agenda for the advisory council meeting is:

  • Presentation of wildlife program services and funding by Division of Fish & Wildlife Director David Saveikis.
  • Summary of public workshops held Jan. 12-14 on wildlife program services and funding by Director Saveikis.
  • Council action on possible wildlife program fees.

Council consideration of 2016/17 waterfowl season dates, customarily proposed by the Division of Fish & Wildlife at the January meeting, has been moved to the council’s February agenda.

The Division of Fish & Wildlife’s recent series of public workshops on wildlife management and wildlife area user services included discussion on increasing hunting and trapping license fees, as well as establishing a Conservation Access Pass for anyone using state wildlife areas for wildlife-associated recreation. Options discussed include raising the annual Delaware resident hunting license fee from $25 to $39.50 and the annual waterfowl stamp from $9 to $15. An annual Conservation Access Pass for admission to wildlife areas statewide costing $20 for Delaware residents and $30 for non-residents is also being considered.

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. Increased revenues from a fee increase also provide an opportunity for value-added wildlife program public services, including consideration of 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 occurred 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.

Additional information on wildlife program services and the proposed fee increases to fund wildlife conservation and wildlife area management, public access and hunting opportunities is available from a fact sheet found on the Division of Fish & Wildlife website. For more information, please contact the Wildlife Section at 302-739-9912.

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

Vol. 46, No. 11

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.