TWRA withdraws broad fee rule after committee pushback; smaller registration and exam changes move forward

The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA) presented a package of rule changes that included moving a $10 boater safety-exam certificate fee from statute into rule, raising boat-registration fees tied to vessel length by roughly 22 percent, and a broader fee proposal that would adjust hunting and fishing license prices across the board. The agency said some fees had not been adjusted in a decade and cited a 22–32 percent rise in the consumer price index and higher operating costs.

Blair Beatty, legislative director for TWRA, explained the $10 fee move and the registration increases, which change fees for boats by length (for example, a one-year registration for a boat over 16 feet but under 26 feet would move from $29 to $35). He said customers may…