For years, the Tennessee Wildlife Resource Agency has warned they aren’t receiving enough funding. Now, state lawmakers are considering a plan to give the agency a dedicated funding stream to keep it financially stable.
The need
Unlike some departments, TWRA does not receive state tax funding to operate. The agency relies mostly on fees from hunting and fishing licenses, but officials say rising costs have made that revenue insufficient.
An effort to raise license fees failed in 2025. “If we don’t pass this, it’s going to put us in a $12 million deficit,” said Jason Maxedon, Executive Director of TWRA last year during debate.
Chris Devaney, chair of the Tennessee Fish and Wildlife Commission, also acknowledged the instability of the agency’s current revenue model. “The hunting and fishing fees, it ebbs and flows who buys those,” Devaney said.
The ask
With license fee increases off the table, State Rep. Pat Marsh (R-Shelbyville) has introduced a bill that would give TWRA dedicated funding every year in the state budget. “The rates not going up and they’re spending down their reserves. And we’ve got to have them to be a viable partner with all our hunting and fishing and outdoors and canoeing and everything. It’s very important,” Marsh said…