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 still take the boater education exam in person and that the registration increases are intended to fund law-enforcement presence on waterways.

On a broader package of license and permit fee increases, Executive Director Jason Maxadon and Deputy Director Frank Fis told the committee the agency faced a roughly $12 million shortfall partly related to salary increases and that fees fund most TWRA operations. TWRA said its 2024 budget was roughly $130 million and described within-agency cost increases: fish food up 100 percent, gravel up 77 percent, and salaries up roughly 40 percent since 2016. TWRA said the proposed changes would bring an estimated $12 million in additional revenue.

Committee members and lawmakers — many from rural and tourism-dependent districts — raised concerns about affordability for families, impacts on small local businesses and marinas that rely on out-of-state visitors, and the long-term sustainability of repeatedly raising fees. Representative Mackenzie, Senator Bolling and others argued for exploring hybrid funding models that would dedicate portions of existing sales tax or other state revenue to TWRA rather than relying primarily on license fees. Several members also urged the agency to review whether program costs funded by license revenue were tied to core hunting and fishing services or to broader agency expenses.

Public commenters including Drew Hayes of Blue Bank Resort and other business and tourism representatives said steep increases in nonresident fees could deter visitors and harm local economies. Lawmakers from both parties said they were open to finding a long-term, hybrid solution that mixes user fees with dedicated state revenue rather than continuing incremental fee hikes.

After extended discussion, TWRA’s executive director told the committee the agency would withdraw the omnibus fee rule and meet with the Fish and Wildlife Commission and legislators to pursue a legislative solution. The agency withdrew the pending rule and agreed to provide written notice of the withdrawal and a timeline to the committee. Separately, the committee had already voted with a positive recommendation to move the $10 boater exam fee from statute to rule and to approve the boat-registration fee adjustments; those items moved forward.