CHATTANOOGA, Tenn — In June 2025, in a surprising turn of events, the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA) withdrew its requested license increase package – what would have been an average 28 percent increase in the cost of hunting & fishing licenses expected to go into effect on the first of July.
But from the very beginning of the discussion at the June Legislative committee meeting, it became very clear that legislators were likely to vote “No” on the increase. Following more than one hour of discussion, and rather than suffer the indignity of a “No” vote, TWRA opted to withdraw their request completely.
Most importantly, rather than placing the funding burden solely on the shoulders of hunters & fishermen, almost unanimously legislators expressed great interest in finding a better, more sustainable funding alternative for TWRA as other states have done…