The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources says the state’s fish and wildlife account is approaching a $16 million deficit by 2026, which funds 20 percent of its workforce or roughly 500 positions.
The DNR’s budget staff outlined the pending shortfall to the Natural Resources Board on Wednesday. Paul Neumann, the DNR’s Management and Budget Section chief, said hunting, fishing, trapping and other license fees make up the most significant source of revenue for the account.
Over the years, Neumann said more people are aging out of those activities than younger people who are buying licenses. Prior to last summer, he said the budget hadn’t included a significant increase in license fees since 2005.
“The account is not generating enough revenue to support our authorized spending levels,” Neumann said.
License sales are lagging
In 2018, the Wisconsin Policy Forum found deer license sales dropped 5.8 percent from 1999 to 2017. Fishing licenses grew 3.6 percent during that same timeframe. However, the nonpartisan research group said the state’s population grew faster than fishing license purchases, indicating that anglers now make up a smaller share of the state population.