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TWRA seeks operating and capital support, cites reserves and proposes fee changes as license revenues stall
Summary
Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency director presented the agencybudget request on March 3, describing stagnant hunting/fishing license sales, reserve balances, a proposed fee increase approved by the Fish and Wildlife Commission, and agency land acquisitions and access initiatives.
The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA) briefed the House Finance, Ways and Means Committee on March 3 about a budget strain driven by stagnant license sales, rising costs and increasing demand for access, and requested general‑fund support to address personnel and operational shortfalls.
Director Max Don and TWRA deputies said the agency is funded primarily through hunting and fishing license sales, federal apportionments (Pittman‑Robertson for wildlife; Dingell‑Johnson for fish/sport fish restoration), marine fuel taxes, and a real‑estate transfer‑tax wetlands acquisition fund. The director told the committee license sales are effectively flat and that the agency is “about 32% behind on CPI” because fees have not kept pace with inflation since the last fee increase in 2015.
Why it matters: TWRA manages roughly 1.6 million acres (550,000 acres under state ownership) across 137 wildlife management areas…
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