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Senate committee advances separate turkey permit, sets nonresident fee at $100
Summary
House Bill 432, which creates a distinct Georgia turkey permit and fees collected to support turkey conservation, passed the committee; the committee discussed resident/nonresident fees and survey options to track harvest data.
The Senate Natural Resources and the Environment Committee advanced House Bill 432 to separate the turkey permit from the general big‑game license and to direct fees to turkey conservation work.
Representative sponsors said the change will allow the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) to better identify licensed turkey hunters for surveys and outreach, and to raise money earmarked for turkey habitat and conservation. DNR Director of Wildlife Resources Ted Wheel testified the proposed $100 nonresident fee would place Georgia in line with South Carolina; DNR noted that increasing the nonresident fee again could make Georgia less competitive for hunters and cited potential market effects.
Committee discussion included whether DNR would collect survey data from permit holders; DNR stated it could include survey questions at license purchase and use the license holder list for follow‑up. A motion to pass was made, seconded and the committee chair reported the bill carried. The transcript records one opposing vote was called later in the item’s discussion but does not include a full roll‑call tally in the committee record provided.
