TWRA warns wildlife fund could be exhausted by FY30 without new revenue

The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency told the House Finance, Ways and Means Committee that its primary wildlife fund would be exhausted by fiscal year 2030 without corrective action.

"Without additional corrective action, the wildlife fund will be depleted by FY30," Director Jason Maxedon said during a Feb. 24 presentation laying out TWRA's funding picture. Maxedon described a mix of license sales, federal reimbursements and taxes that historically have supported wildlife work — but he warned that fee revenue and federal reimbursements have not kept pace with rising costs.

TWRA asked the committee for a $10 million one‑time capital allocation for deferred maintenance and a recurring $2.5 million appropriation to reimburse sportsman’s licenses for Tennessee National Guard members. The agency also highlighted two legislative approaches under consideration to provide recurring stability: one bill would dedicate a portion of TVA PILT receipts to the wildlife fund; another would reallocate a share of outdoor‑product tax revenue.

Members probed whether the agency had alternatives to recurring state dollars. TWRA said it is considering fee changes, better collection of commercial paddlecraft revenue, and targeted use of wetland acquisition funds for law enforcement this year, but said some of those sources are either finite or politically constrained. TWRA officials told the panel they will continue to pursue a mix of fee policy changes and dedicated appropriations to avoid service cuts.

The committee did not finalize action on the TWRA requests; members discussed possible funding paths and asked TWRA for follow-up details on proposals and projections.