Louisiana lawmakers to debate hunting, fishing license hikes

BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — Louisiana's Department of Wildlife and Fisheries will ask lawmakers to raise the cost of recreational hunting and fishing licenses and other user fees to close a budget gap that is only projected to worsen in the future, the agency's leader said Wednesday.

Department Secretary Jack Montoucet told the Senate Finance Committee that the license and fee hike proposal — which hasn't been filed yet for public viewing — would raise $17 million a year for the agency.

“We haven't had an adjustment in what the licenses cost in 20 years,” Montoucet said. “We are doing 50 more things that have been put on our plate” since then.

Montoucet proposed a smaller license restructuring two years ago to consolidate licenses, reduce the types of permits and increase some costs, but the House rejected it. Since then, the agency's financial problems have worsened.

“The day of reckoning is here,” said Sen. Gerald Boudreaux, a Lafayette Democrat.

The discussion arose in the Senate committee's ongoing budget hearings about the spending plan that Gov. John Bel Edwards proposed for the financial year that starts July 1.

The Department of Wildlife and Fisheries relies on the Conservation Fund as one of its primary sources of financing. But collections for the fund have continued to fall annually since the 2015-16 budget year.

Revenue from oil and gas drilling in wildlife management areas is declining, and the state is seeing fewer dollars each year from licensing fees as more people buy lifetime hunting and fishing licenses, said Bryan McClinton, the department's chief financial officer.

Edwards is proposing a $17 million influx of general state tax dollars to fill a short-term gap in the agency and keep its budget largely standstill at $157 million next...