Vermont Fish & Wildlife cites license revenue decline, new mandates as pressure on roughly $31 million FY26 budget

Andrea Short sleeve, commissioner of the Department of Fish and Wildlife, told the House Appropriations Committee the department’s fiscal 2026 budget is just under $31.3 million and that revenue declines and added responsibilities are straining operations.

Commissioner Short sleeve said federal funding makes up about one‑third of the department’s budget and that approximately 91% of those federal funds come from the Pittman‑Robertson (excise taxes on firearms and ammunition) and Dingell‑Johnson (fishing equipment) programs. She warned that reductions in license and motor‑fuel receipts, and lower timber‑sale income, are eroding the department’s discretionary spending.

To bridge near‑term shortfalls the department plans to use interest from its Fish and Wildlife Trust—established from lifetime license sales—to cover an estimated $225,000 shortfall tied to lifetime licenses, and it noted a $1 million increase in general fund support in the current fiscal cycle plus one‑time transfers that partially offset pressures.

Why it matters: The department funds…