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Hunting, fishing license fees provide bulk of DNR budget

According to the Michigan Wildlife Council, on the day before the opening of firearm deer season, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR) released data showing an upsurge in the number of hunting licenses purchased by out-of-state visitors through Oct. 31. Out-of-state visitors also purchased an estimated 201,835 fishing licenses over the same period. Nonresident hunting license purchases jumped to 21,723, an increase of nearly 4%, from the 20,895 nonresident hunting licenses bought through Oct. 31, 2021.

The Michigan Wildlife Council was created to educate about the importance of wildlife conservation, according to the DNR website, and the role of hunters and anglers in preserving Michigan’s great outdoor heritage for future generations.

The increase in license purchases is important, the release states, because Michigan’s management of the state’s wildlife and other natural resources depends on it.

The DNR funding website states that the biggest state revenue source for the DNR is the Game and Fish Protection Fund, which supports about 20% of the overall DNR budget. The primary source of revenue for the fund comes from hunting and fishing license fees. The fund supports statewide hunting and fishing programs and the enforcement of hunting and fishing laws.

The Wildlife Council statement goes on to state that in 2021, licenses purchased by anglers and hunters generated more than $65.5 million for the Michigan Game and Fish Protection Fund. The fund is the DNR’s largest revenue source — not state taxes — and is critical to its conservation work. Hunting and fishing equipment sales raised an additional $32 million to support wildlife and natural resource management.

Because out-of-state, or non-resident, hunters pay more than 10 times as much as Michigan residents, depending on the license, the increase is significant.

Nick Buggia, chairman of the Michigan Wildlife Council, said license sales are the main funder of conservation efforts in Michigan.

“Whether they come from the cities, towns or villages of Michigan or from other states,” said Buggia, “we are grateful for all the benefits we gain when hunters and anglers continue to support conservation by taking to the woods and waterways of the Great Lakes State.”

The release states that overall, 2022 data reflects some decades-long concerns in both hunting and fishing license sales: Sales numbers have continued to gradually decline by about 1% to 3% a year since 1996 — with some exceptions such as 2020, when there was an upsurge generally attributed to extra time people had on their hands during the pandemic, said Dustin Isenhoff, acting manager of the DNR’s Public Outreach and Engagement Unit.

The most consistent exception to the overall decline has been nonresident hunting sales, which have increased steadily over the last five years.

“We’re holding the line with the overall trend being a slight decline or flat across the board in both hunting and fishing licenses,” said Isenhoff. “We are continuing to study the trends to find opportunities for growth.”

The Game and Fish Protection Fund also receives money from the Game and Fish Protection Trust Fund, which collects royalties from oil, gas, and mineral extraction or timber sales on Game and Fish-acquired lands. The Game and Fish Protection Fund receives $6 million annually, plus whatever interest and earnings the Game and Fish Protection Trust Fund generates in a year.

The Wildlife Council states that hunting and fishing in Michigan also adds $11.2 billion annually, through fishing tackle supplies, hunting supplies, lodging accommodations, and food shopping. The council states that additionally, 171,000 jobs are supported by hunting and fishing.

Revenue from license fees contributes to wildlife habitat improvements, disease prevention and species restoration efforts, done by dedicated professionals and volunteers, are all funded primarily by hunting and fishing license revenue.

But while the DNR does receive general fund appropriations for a variety of purposes, including law enforcement, invasive species prevention and control, wildfire protection and wildlife disease, revenue from the general fund accounts for just 11% of the DNR’s funding.

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