Mechanicaldawg
Roosevelt Ranger
February 13, 2008
«Title» «First_Name» «Last_Name»
«Location»
«Address»
«City», «State» «Zip»
Dear Senator «Last_Name»,
The undersigned conservation organizations are writing to express our concerns to all members of the House and Senate Appropriations Committees about the funding of the Wildlife Resources Division of the Department of Natural Resources, and to ask for your help to ensure that hunters, fishermen and boaters be treated fairly in the 2009 state budget and in the future as well.
The Board of Natural Resources was made aware of these significant funding needs on July 16, 2007, and a list of specific funding needs was sent to the Governor’s office on December 3, 2007. The Governor’s FY 2009 budget reflects more favorable funding in some high-need areas, and that is much appreciated by Georgia sportsmen and conservationists. However, there still are significant funding deficits that we ask you to address as the FY 2009 budget moves through the House and Senate Appropriations Committees.
Hunting and Fishing license fees now generate approximately $17.7 million dollars each year in state monies, and boat registration fees provide another $ 3.0 million. The last two license fee increases (1987 and 1992) were used to repay bonds that purchased conservation lands across the state. Those programs were very successful: the state now owns 318,000 acres of conservation lands compared to only 72,000 acres in 1987. That was a worthy use of sportsmen’s dollars, but the land acquisition bonds of 1988 and 1989 have now been repaid, and the $4.5 million in annual bond payments is now available for other needs in the Wildlife Resources Division. We respectfully ask you to apply those sportsmen’s dollars to help the Wildlife Resources Division return to a normal staffing level, and to provide operational funds needed to meet the challenges of higher fuel costs, more land to manage, and a greater human population to serve.
The upgrading of the state’s hunting and fishing license and boat registration systems is another significant budget need that is on the immediate horizon. The current licensing and boat registration systems are dependent on obsolete technology that cannot continue to be operated as is, so a major upgrade is necessary. However, without a budget addition, Georgia’s 971,000 fishermen, 344,000 hunters and 350,000 boaters are about to be hit with the largest fee increase in history to pay for this new system. As you may know, with the Governor’s leadership, the state is now attempting to out-source to private companies many of the computer-related functions of various departments. The hunting, fishing and boating licensing processes are the latest to be out-sourced to a private vendor. Most (up to 80%) of the 1,100 private businesses that now sell licenses will not be needed under the new system. This has the potential to create a negative impact to small bait and tackle stores in your districts, and may create a major obstacle for sportsmen in our rural communities who cannot find a walk-in license agent nearby.
However, the contract has been let and the costs to citizens are now coming to light. Hunters and fishermen will have to pay an additional fee of $2.75- $4.00 for each license transaction while boaters will have to pay an additional charge of $8.00-10.00 to register their boat, or transfer a registration to a new owner. For example, a $9.00 fishing license will cost $11.75, and a $15.00 boat registration transfer will cost a minimum of $23.00. The private contractor will charge a total of approximately $3.3 million each year to equip and operate the new systems. All of this cost will be borne by Georgia hunters, anglers and boaters, yet no new monies will come to the state or to WRD for improving conservation programs. In other words, hunters, fishermen and boaters are about to pay $3.3 million in new fees to an out-of-state private contractor and gain nothing of tangible benefit to them. Moreover, this could be a hardship for some hunters, anglers and boaters. That’s a “tax increase” that hardly seems reasonable to the average citizen, regardless of his/her political persuasion.
To summarize, hunters, anglers and boaters are continuing to pay a license fee increase passed 20 years ago for land that has now been bought and paid for. $4.5 million each year in sportsmen license fees will enter the state treasury without a specific obligation attached. We believe it is only fair that these monies be used to offset the impacts of the license system changes, and to fund other needs of the Wildlife Resources Division. To that end, we have attached a list of needs we ask you to fund in FY 2009 that will benefit the interests of conservationists around the state.
The leadership of the undersigned conservation organizations stands ready to explain more fully the attached list of needs, and to rally our membership to support your decision to place these funds in the FY 2009 budget. We look forward to discussing these matters before the appropriate budget subcommittees.
Respectfully,
American River Fishing.com
Atlanta Audubon
Atlanta Chapter of Quail Unlimited
Atlanta Chapter Safari Club International
Bear Creek Hounds
Camouflage Coalition
Coastal Conservation Association of Georgia
Farmers & Hunters Feeding the Hungry
Georgia Bass Chapter Federation
Georgia Canine Coalition, Inc.
Georgia Chapter of the National Wild Turkey Federation
Georgia Chapter of the Wildlife Society
Georgia Conservation Voters
Georgia Council of Trout Unlimited
Georgia Hunting and Fishing Federation
Georgia River Fishing.org
Georgia Chapter Safari Club International
Georgia Turn In Poachers.
Georgia Trappers Association
Georgia Wildlife Federation
Heritage and Wildlife Conservation Council
Izaak Walton League of America – Greater Atlanta Chapter
National Muzzleloader Rifle Association
National Wildlife Federation
North Georgia Chapter Safari Club International
O’Neill Williams, ONTELCOM, INC: O’Neill Outside Radio & Television
National Quail Unlimited
Quality Deer Management Association
Ruffed Grouse Society
Satilla Riverkeeper
The Nature Conservancy
cc: Governor Sonny Perdue
Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle
Speaker of the House Glenn Richardson
DNR Board Members
Commissioner Noel Holcomb, DNR
Dan Forster, Director, DNR/WRD
DNR-WRD FUNDING NEEDS
1- Vehicle Requirements:
The Wildlife Resources Division (WRD) vehicle fleet has aged to the point of diminished efficiency and excessive maintenance cost. Almost half of these vehicles are 6 years old or older and have over 135,000 miles on their odometers. Many of these miles are with loads over rough roads. It is not good business to continue to operate high mileage, overworked vehicles because maintenance costs are soaring. We are requesting a 5 year transition to a fleet in which one out of six vehicles is replaced every 6 years, which requires replacing 90 vehicles at a cost of $1,800,000.
2-Operational Costs:
Operational costs have continued to climb in WRD but no new funds have been appropriated. Fuel costs have increased significantly along with increased maintenance on vehicles; as a result, the conservation work of field staff has been reduced because they don’t have funding to operate vehicles and boats. General operating costs in all areas have increased. We are requesting $1,750,000 in operation funds so the staff can provide the services that sportsmen and the general public expect.
3-Recruitment and Retention:
Recruiting and retaining highly qualified professionals is critical to the sportsmen of Georgia. WRD is experiencing high turnover of conservation rangers and biologists. Recruitment of key positions such as regional supervisors is poor with minimal candidate pools that sometimes come from out of state. Many of our state biologists are leaving before they move into 3- Recruitment and Retention:
leadership positions. We request pay raises for these job classes to include a career ladder for those professionals who are drawn to a career in the field as opposed to administration. We are requesting an addition to the WRD budget of $1,300,000 to improve recruitment and retention.
4-Hunting-Fishing-Boating License and Registration System:
The existing obsolete license system needs to be upgraded to meet access needs by hunters, anglers and boaters. In order to provide sportsmen traditional, affordable purchase points without an additional “tax” burden, we request either $8 million to upgrade the state-owned system, keeping sportsmen’s dollars in Georgia, or $3.3 million annually to offset the “surcharge-tax” on sportsmen.
«Title» «First_Name» «Last_Name»
«Location»
«Address»
«City», «State» «Zip»
Dear Senator «Last_Name»,
The undersigned conservation organizations are writing to express our concerns to all members of the House and Senate Appropriations Committees about the funding of the Wildlife Resources Division of the Department of Natural Resources, and to ask for your help to ensure that hunters, fishermen and boaters be treated fairly in the 2009 state budget and in the future as well.
The Board of Natural Resources was made aware of these significant funding needs on July 16, 2007, and a list of specific funding needs was sent to the Governor’s office on December 3, 2007. The Governor’s FY 2009 budget reflects more favorable funding in some high-need areas, and that is much appreciated by Georgia sportsmen and conservationists. However, there still are significant funding deficits that we ask you to address as the FY 2009 budget moves through the House and Senate Appropriations Committees.
Hunting and Fishing license fees now generate approximately $17.7 million dollars each year in state monies, and boat registration fees provide another $ 3.0 million. The last two license fee increases (1987 and 1992) were used to repay bonds that purchased conservation lands across the state. Those programs were very successful: the state now owns 318,000 acres of conservation lands compared to only 72,000 acres in 1987. That was a worthy use of sportsmen’s dollars, but the land acquisition bonds of 1988 and 1989 have now been repaid, and the $4.5 million in annual bond payments is now available for other needs in the Wildlife Resources Division. We respectfully ask you to apply those sportsmen’s dollars to help the Wildlife Resources Division return to a normal staffing level, and to provide operational funds needed to meet the challenges of higher fuel costs, more land to manage, and a greater human population to serve.
The upgrading of the state’s hunting and fishing license and boat registration systems is another significant budget need that is on the immediate horizon. The current licensing and boat registration systems are dependent on obsolete technology that cannot continue to be operated as is, so a major upgrade is necessary. However, without a budget addition, Georgia’s 971,000 fishermen, 344,000 hunters and 350,000 boaters are about to be hit with the largest fee increase in history to pay for this new system. As you may know, with the Governor’s leadership, the state is now attempting to out-source to private companies many of the computer-related functions of various departments. The hunting, fishing and boating licensing processes are the latest to be out-sourced to a private vendor. Most (up to 80%) of the 1,100 private businesses that now sell licenses will not be needed under the new system. This has the potential to create a negative impact to small bait and tackle stores in your districts, and may create a major obstacle for sportsmen in our rural communities who cannot find a walk-in license agent nearby.
However, the contract has been let and the costs to citizens are now coming to light. Hunters and fishermen will have to pay an additional fee of $2.75- $4.00 for each license transaction while boaters will have to pay an additional charge of $8.00-10.00 to register their boat, or transfer a registration to a new owner. For example, a $9.00 fishing license will cost $11.75, and a $15.00 boat registration transfer will cost a minimum of $23.00. The private contractor will charge a total of approximately $3.3 million each year to equip and operate the new systems. All of this cost will be borne by Georgia hunters, anglers and boaters, yet no new monies will come to the state or to WRD for improving conservation programs. In other words, hunters, fishermen and boaters are about to pay $3.3 million in new fees to an out-of-state private contractor and gain nothing of tangible benefit to them. Moreover, this could be a hardship for some hunters, anglers and boaters. That’s a “tax increase” that hardly seems reasonable to the average citizen, regardless of his/her political persuasion.
To summarize, hunters, anglers and boaters are continuing to pay a license fee increase passed 20 years ago for land that has now been bought and paid for. $4.5 million each year in sportsmen license fees will enter the state treasury without a specific obligation attached. We believe it is only fair that these monies be used to offset the impacts of the license system changes, and to fund other needs of the Wildlife Resources Division. To that end, we have attached a list of needs we ask you to fund in FY 2009 that will benefit the interests of conservationists around the state.
The leadership of the undersigned conservation organizations stands ready to explain more fully the attached list of needs, and to rally our membership to support your decision to place these funds in the FY 2009 budget. We look forward to discussing these matters before the appropriate budget subcommittees.
Respectfully,
American River Fishing.com
Atlanta Audubon
Atlanta Chapter of Quail Unlimited
Atlanta Chapter Safari Club International
Bear Creek Hounds
Camouflage Coalition
Coastal Conservation Association of Georgia
Farmers & Hunters Feeding the Hungry
Georgia Bass Chapter Federation
Georgia Canine Coalition, Inc.
Georgia Chapter of the National Wild Turkey Federation
Georgia Chapter of the Wildlife Society
Georgia Conservation Voters
Georgia Council of Trout Unlimited
Georgia Hunting and Fishing Federation
Georgia River Fishing.org
Georgia Chapter Safari Club International
Georgia Turn In Poachers.
Georgia Trappers Association
Georgia Wildlife Federation
Heritage and Wildlife Conservation Council
Izaak Walton League of America – Greater Atlanta Chapter
National Muzzleloader Rifle Association
National Wildlife Federation
North Georgia Chapter Safari Club International
O’Neill Williams, ONTELCOM, INC: O’Neill Outside Radio & Television
National Quail Unlimited
Quality Deer Management Association
Ruffed Grouse Society
Satilla Riverkeeper
The Nature Conservancy
cc: Governor Sonny Perdue
Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle
Speaker of the House Glenn Richardson
DNR Board Members
Commissioner Noel Holcomb, DNR
Dan Forster, Director, DNR/WRD
DNR-WRD FUNDING NEEDS
1- Vehicle Requirements:
The Wildlife Resources Division (WRD) vehicle fleet has aged to the point of diminished efficiency and excessive maintenance cost. Almost half of these vehicles are 6 years old or older and have over 135,000 miles on their odometers. Many of these miles are with loads over rough roads. It is not good business to continue to operate high mileage, overworked vehicles because maintenance costs are soaring. We are requesting a 5 year transition to a fleet in which one out of six vehicles is replaced every 6 years, which requires replacing 90 vehicles at a cost of $1,800,000.
2-Operational Costs:
Operational costs have continued to climb in WRD but no new funds have been appropriated. Fuel costs have increased significantly along with increased maintenance on vehicles; as a result, the conservation work of field staff has been reduced because they don’t have funding to operate vehicles and boats. General operating costs in all areas have increased. We are requesting $1,750,000 in operation funds so the staff can provide the services that sportsmen and the general public expect.
3-Recruitment and Retention:
Recruiting and retaining highly qualified professionals is critical to the sportsmen of Georgia. WRD is experiencing high turnover of conservation rangers and biologists. Recruitment of key positions such as regional supervisors is poor with minimal candidate pools that sometimes come from out of state. Many of our state biologists are leaving before they move into 3- Recruitment and Retention:
leadership positions. We request pay raises for these job classes to include a career ladder for those professionals who are drawn to a career in the field as opposed to administration. We are requesting an addition to the WRD budget of $1,300,000 to improve recruitment and retention.
4-Hunting-Fishing-Boating License and Registration System:
The existing obsolete license system needs to be upgraded to meet access needs by hunters, anglers and boaters. In order to provide sportsmen traditional, affordable purchase points without an additional “tax” burden, we request either $8 million to upgrade the state-owned system, keeping sportsmen’s dollars in Georgia, or $3.3 million annually to offset the “surcharge-tax” on sportsmen.
