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TWRA warns of 'fiscal cliff' by 2030; agency pitches revenue options to address $18.5M deficit
Summary
The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency told the committee its wildlife fund faces an $18.5 million structural deficit and could be depleted by FY2030 without changes; TWRA pointed to two bills and proposed modest new funding mechanisms including a capital infusion and licensing adjustments.
The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency presented its budget and warned members that, without corrective action, the wildlife fund could be exhausted by fiscal year 2030. "Without additional corrective action, the wildlife fund will be completely depleted by f y 30," the agency's presentation said, citing rising operational costs and the absence of fee adjustments since 2015.
TWRA requested recurring and capital funding items including a $3.4 million salary step for wildlife-class employees, $10 million in capital projects and a newly proposed $2.5 million recurring allocation to provide sportsman's licenses to Tennessee National Guard members. Agency leadership identified two bills — SB2183 and SB2609 — as possible revenue sources to address the estimated $18.5 million shortfall; members questioned the use of fund balances and compared Tennessee's license packages to neighboring states. The committee referred the TWRA budget to finance for further review.
