LAST EDITED ON Jan-29-13 AT 04:38PM (MST)[p]>elks96---This Bill is strictly on the
>NR increase and there is
>nothing in this one to
>change from the present 60%
>reg/40% specal draw ratio for
>tag. Those percentages are
>stated in the fiorst part
>of the bill right after
>the application fee increase.
OK here is my letter...
Rob Winn
To
[email protected]
Mr. Madden,
I am very concerned about HB0236. This bill appears to be a continuation of SB136 which failed to leave committee. While I was not happy with SB0136 it was at least 2 sided and included increased fees be paid by both residents and nonresidents. HB0236 places a tremendous amount of the funding on the shoulders of NR and has no associated cost increase to resident hunters who already enjoy the some of if not the cheapest hunting cost in all the western states. I know many NR hunters who have bought into the current points system in WY. Many of them already have 7 years worth of points built up and feel truly trapped and betrayed by this move.
They are faced with a hard decision. Keep building points which they have already spent years building and several hundred dollars or cash out and get the heck out of WY hunting. Simply put a nonresident with max points in Deer, Elk, and Antelope have already spent over $400 on just points. They are stuck and are not happy about this at all. Many will stay the course, but once they cash in they may very well never return to WY.
I have many friends who have already switched from hunting WY every year or every other prior to points to not hunting in WY for 7 years now. Add to the fact that all nonresident tag fees go up with the unfair move to keep residents at the lowest cost in the western states and many will simply take their business to another state that is not screwing them over(sorry for the wording, but there is no other way to put it).
I ask that your committee treat this bill in the same manner that the senate bill was treated. There are simply many other funding options to help off set the short fall of the wildlife department. Assign a task force or a group to come up with a workable solution to funding of all wildlife programs. Do not simply keep increasing the cost on hunters, specifically Nonresident hunters. Believe it or not every year Nonresident hunters make hard decisions where to spend their limited incomes and their decision is easily influenced by fairness and quality. If you doubt this look at how MT and Idaho have struggled since increasing the prices for tags. For the first time ever MT had to pay for advertising to try and sell tags.
Please look at this closely and hold off on making any changes until a good proposal that is balanced and fair can be adopted.
Sincerely,
Robert Winn