Fish & Game looking for new fees!

[Tired of Waiting]

This could get real interesting!!

How are they going to handle all the out of state boats?? When I come north I bring my boat, which is registered in MA. Then the canoe and kayaks. How will they handle these. Will the visitors have to purchase a special $?? decal before they put them into the water?

Then, how about all the camps for kids that have MANY canoes and sail boats. Will they have to purchase a decal for each of them.

Just one more thing for MP to police. Or would F&G have to police?

ToW

[Skip]

Originally Posted by Tired of Waiting

...This could get real interesting!!...just one more thing for MP to police. Or would F&G have to police?...ToW

Remember, the new legislative body has not even met yet to build committees and alliances, never mind proposing any new legislation for the upcoming year.

What the F&G Director did was float a trial balloon out on the waters to guage response. What do I think the Department's real intent is? To get the legislature to fund a significant portion of its budget via the general fund, not by imposing a vast scheme of unwieldy and unliked users fees.

So far the game is playing out in F&G's favor. Most people are usually against additional fees & tariffs. The implementation & enforcement of some of these suggested fees would eat considerably into any revenue they may produce, and the heavy handed enforcement could have a negative effect on an already soft tourism industry.

The easiest way (politically & logistically) to refresh F&G's coffers is to have the legislature infuse it with cash from the general fund.

While the F&G Director was the first quasi-politician out of the gate attempting to influence the upcoming budget process by invoking public opinion, rest assured he will not be the last!

[phoenix]

all departments are asking for large increases in their budgets. will be an interesting session with leaders having been pro income tax while governor ran against any tax . don't see how tax on non motorized boats can be enforced and i don't think it has anything to do with being saved by fish and game. i bet they end up approving gaming as the compromise to raise income without a full tax increase

[The Big Kahuna]

Originally Posted by Tired of Waiting

This could get real interesting!!

How are they going to handle all the out of state boats?? When I come north I bring my boat, which is registered in MA. Then the canoe and kayaks. How will they handle these. Will the visitors have to purchase a special $?? decal before they put them into the water?

Then, how about all the camps for kids that have MANY canoes and sail boats. Will they have to purchase a decal for each of them.

Just one more thing for MP to police. Or would F&G have to police?

ToW

That is some great logistical thinking. We don't think of those things when we start offering partial solutions, I am as quilty as the next guy.

Well done.

[Woodsy]

On the much touted Lake George... you know that lake in NY with a speed limit but without a 150' rule.... well anyway, in order to boat on Lake george you are requred to purchase a conservation sticker.... the same goes for Lake Sebago in ME. They seemed to have figured out the logistics...

I have no problem spreading the burden amongst all of us.... powered and non-powered. I think a $5 add on for powerboats (because a portion of our registration already helps to fund MP) and a $10 add in for non-motorized craft is more than fair. The money should be split (not necessarily evenly) between MP and Fish & Game....

Woodsy

[phoenix]

Just got an e mail from Fish and Game with letter from their director with plea for more state money. This past summer a homeowners group on the other side of Green's basin from us had a request to get approval to spray for Milfoil( it is getting bad in green's basin). They got all the approvals and made all the public notices and at the last minute it was rejected by the director using inaccurate information and they never even visited the location. The association had already spent $1700 getting to the point they did which of course was wasted. They will try again next year since June is really the only time to use the chemicals and the rejection was too late to appeal. With the way they handled the incident , i am not sure i would want to give them more money

[Diver1111]

F&G's work extends into several VITAL areas beyond what we see them doing on the lake.

Home page/Read all of it before you shortchange them for seeking additional funding:
http://www.wildlife.state.nh.us/

Scope of their work:
http://www.wildlife.state.nh.us/Insi...ion_duties.htm

Where the money goes:
http://www.wildlife.state.nh.us/Insi...dG/funding.htm

For what it's worth I couldn't care less if they assess me $5-10-15-20 a year if it helps keep their work on track. It's absolute chump change. I have a good handle on the scope of what they do (I'm not sure everyone does) and lord knows I don't want to see it stopped or even cut back, no way. We're raping this planet in general and positive change begins and is maintained, right here where we live and work by agencies like F&G. I am no fan of government but like so many other things in life you have to work with it. I'm not saying some gripes here aren't legitimate re: F&G, but this agency needs help. Their work is so far reaching I don't even know where to begin-and boating is just one aspect. I hope they get what they need.

[JDeere]

SAVING OUR WILDLIFE LEGACY
By Lee E. Perry, Director, N.H. Fish and Game Department

Something everyone has a stake in -- the future of our state's wildlife and wild places -- is at risk. The guardian of these resources, the N.H. Fish and Game Department, will be out of money soon, unless its antiquated funding structure is changed. This financial crisis comes at a critical time, when New Hampshire is losing 18,000 acres of land to development each year, placing wildlife, habitat and outdoor recreational opportunities in jeopardy.

Fish and Game today is a modern wildlife agency responsible for conserving the state's fish, wildlife and marine resources -- a complex organization with an ever-expanding set of duties and mandates that benefits all New Hampshire's citizens and visitors. Our work protects open space, scenic beauty and wildlife resources that create jobs and fuel our economy as people enjoy these resources.

As has been widely reported, Fish and Game faces a financial shortfall because revenue is not keeping pace with the rising cost of doing business. The department works for everyone, but hunters and anglers in New Hampshire -- about a quarter of the state's population -- have always paid for the agency, and the benefits we provide, through license fees and Federal excise taxes on their equipment. The people of New Hampshire contribute $50,000 to Fish and Game each year from the General Fund as matching funds for nongame wildlife and habitat conservation -- just 3.8 cents per resident. The vast majority of New Hampshire's state agencies are supported almost entirely by the state's General Fund.

Across the U.S., fish and wildlife agencies are struggling to survive under the traditional funding model. Already, 31 states have changed how they fund their state wildlife agencies, to allow them to meet their missions without relying solely on hunting and fishing fees. Some get money from income or sales tax; others, including Vermont and Maine, from annual General Fund appropriations.

What can N.H. Fish and Game do to get on firm financial footing? As a stopgap measure, we've asked Governor Lynch to put $1.6 million per year of General Fund revenue into the Fish and Game budget in FY2008 and 2009. Without these funds as a temporary fix, we will have to lay off as many as 28 full-time workers and eliminate 36 part-time positions, as well as closing hatcheries and regional offices -- dramatically reducing our ability to serve New Hampshire.

In the past, we've coped with budget crunches by raising license fees, but that won't work this time. They're already the highest in New England; also, the data tell us that we'd lose money after another fee increase because participation would go down. The Fish and Game budget is bare-bones, totaling $27 million annually -- we've already eliminated staff and dug deep for possible efficiencies.

And so, we need a long-term plan. One proposed legislative strategy is to capture some of the $579 million that hunters, anglers and wildlife watchers pump into the state's economy each year by allocating a small part of the state rooms and meals tax to Fish and Game. Here's how it would work: Currently, hotel and restaurant patrons pay an 8% tax. Some of that money goes to the Department of Revenue to administer the program; what's left is divided between municipalities (40%) and the General Fund (60%). Fish and Game seeks to capture a small portion -- just 4% of the 60% that goes to the General Fund, or about $4.6 million. Since hunters, anglers and wildlife watchers pay about 7.4% of the total rooms and meals tax collected in New Hampshire -- more than $13 million annually -- we believe that it makes sense to reinvest some of the money into the resources that generate it.

Many citizens and media outlets seem to understand Fish and Game's need for a new revenue source, and have offered support. Even those who have criticized our approach acknowledge that everyone who benefits from Fish and Game's work should be asked to contribute. As a recent Concord Monitor editorial put it: "The truth is that everyone reaps rewards from the department's work, and that's true in spades in a tourist state like New Hampshire. If everyone benefits, everyone should pay."

In the coming months, the State Legislature will consider several measures to provide the funding needed to save New Hampshire's wildlife legacy. Their actions will determine not only the future of Fish and Game, but of the wildlife, woods and waters that add so much to our quality of life.

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Copyright 2006 New Hampshire Fish and Game Department, 11 Hazen Drive,
Concord, NH 03301. Comments or questions concerning this list should
be directed to [email protected].

[phoenix]

thanks diver i didn't know they did all that either. seems like many things they do should be funded from state revenues not just licences but as i said in a prior post most state agencies are asking for double digit budget increases so it will be interesting how this shakes out without a tax increase. nickel and dime use taxes can't fund everything. still think casino gambling will happen as a way to raise revenue without broad base tax