A bill introduced recently in the South Dakota Legislature would raise money for road repairs by siphoning off $1 from every hunting license sold in the state. The bill also gives authority to the Game, Fish and Parks Commission to institute fee increases or surcharges at its discretion for the same purpose.
The sponsor of HB 1002, Representative Kent Juhnke (R-Vivian), says it’s necessary because of the damage sportsmen do to state roads during hunting season, especially in bad weather. Based on 2007 license sales, the action would take about $600,000 away from conservation and into road repair.
The economic contributions hunters make to South Dakota are apparently lost on Rep. Juhnke. In 2006, the state’s hunters spent $196,063,154 in retail sales; directly supported more than 4,500 jobs, and generated $19,981,361 in state and local tax revenues.*
The bill is opposed by Jeff Vonk, Secretary of South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks, who points out that sportsmen already generate funds for road work by paying gasoline taxes. In fact, hunters buy more than 21 million gallons of gas annually in South Dakota, resulting in $4.5 million in gas tax revenue. “So this seems like a double hit to me,” Vonk told South Dakota’s Argus Leader.
In addition to Vonk’s and South Dakota sportsmen’s objections, the bill risks the loss of $8 million in Pittman–Robertson funds it receives. According to a spokesperson for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Mountain-Prairie Regional Office has provided a written response to the state, explaining to them that, “the expenditure of license fees would constitute a diversion of license fees for the purpose other than the administration of the state fish and wildlife agency. It would violate the provisions set forth in 50 CFR 80.4, Diversion of License Fees.”
This bill is grossly unfair to hunters and puts badly needed federal funding for wildlife conservation at serious risk. South Dakota sportsmen are urged to contact their local legislators and respectfully tell them so. To find their contact information, visit http://www.nraila.org/ActionCenter/ and click on “Write Your Representative.”
*Source: Hunting in America: An Economic Engine and Conservation Powerhouse. Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies/Southwick Associates.
