Vermont Fish and Wildlife seeks $31.3M for FY26, says funding model needs overhaul

Andrea Shorpsley, Commissioner of the Vermont Department of Fish and Wildlife, told the Senate Appropriations Committee on Feb. 21 that the department’s fiscal year 2026 request is just under $31.3 million, a net increase of about $1 million from FY25. She said the department will use a mix of general fund, federal, and special funds to cover salary and operating costs and will take $225,000 from the Fish and Wildlife Trust Fund this year to help close a budget gap.

Shorpsley said the department employs about 140 full‑time staff, including 42 in the warden service, and is organized into five divisions: administration, wildlife, fish, wardens, and outreach. She told the committee that salaries and benefits make up nearly 70% of the department’s budget, with internal service funds (insurance, workers’ comp, HR, agency digital services) at roughly 8%, leaving only about 14% of the budget as discretionary operating funds.

The budget details Shorpsley presented show federal funds of roughly $10 million; she said about 91% of that comes from federal excise programs identified in testimony as Pittman‑Robertson and Dingell‑Johnson funds (federal excise taxes on firearms, ammunition and fishing…