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Conservation group supports bill to reimburse MassWildlife for free licensing revenue losses
Summary
The Nature Conservancy urged the committee to favor S.67, which would codify reimbursement to Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife for lost license revenue tied to free or discounted hunting and fishing licenses and preserve federal funding formulas.
Zachary Sheldon of The Nature Conservancy testified in support of S.67, which would codify reimbursement to the Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife (MassWildlife) for lost revenue when licenses are issued free or at a discount.
Sheldon told the committee MassWildlife is primarily funded through license sales and federal formula grants linked to those sales. He said that in FY2023 MassWildlife lost more than $1,400,000 in licensing revenue, representing more than 20% of expected license revenue, and that reimbursement language would maintain consistent funding and preserve Massachusetts' share of federal Pittman‑Robertson and Dingell‑Johnson funds.
The Nature Conservancy asked the committee to report S.67 favorably so the reimbursement mechanism would be codified rather than handled only through the annual budget process. The committee did not record a formal vote on S.67 during the hearing.
