SUBJECT: A MESSAGE FROM N.H. FISH AND GAME DIRECTOR LEE E. PERRY


Dear Conservation Partners and Interested Citizens:

During the past couple of weeks, you may have heard that the N.H. Fish 
and Game Department may soon be asking the Legislature to increase 
recreational fees in order to avoid a fiscal crisis. Some readers have 
assumed that decisions have been made and that a formal proposal has been 
prepared. This is not the case.

The purpose of this message is to provide you with some background 
relating to this issue and a status report on our efforts to find a way to 
fund continued protection and enjoyment of New Hampshire's outdoors and 
its diverse wildlife populations.

A SELF-FUNDED AGENCY...

...the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department gets more than half of 
its budget from sales of hunting and fishing licenses and permits. About 
a third of Fish and Game's operating funds come from the U.S. Fish and 
Wildlife Service by way of the Sport Fish and Wildlife Restoration 
Program - an excise tax on hunting and fishing equipment and motorboat 
fuels. , Except for a $50,000 matching grant for conserving nongame 
wildlife species, out of a budget of $25 million, the agency does not receive 
General Fund money.

AS GUARDIAN OF...

...the state's fish, wildlife, and marine resources, the New Hampshire 
Fish and Game Department works in partnership with the public to: 
     * Conserve, manage and protect these resources and their habitats; 
     * Inform and educate the public about these resources; and
     * Provide the public with opportunities to use and appreciate 
these resources.

While the historical focus of Department programs has been restoring 
and maintaining game species and commercial and sport fisheries, the 
Department provides many secondary benefits, such as: 

     * addressing all fish and wildlife issues; 
     * enforcing all fish and wildlife laws; 
     * providing aquatic, marine and upland habitat for fish and 
wildlife; 
     * providing conservation information and education programs to 
people;
     * administering the OHRV program; and 
     * searching for and rescuing injured or lost people.

Our work affects more than New Hampshire's natural resources and the 
many people who engage in outdoor related activities; it also affects 
people who operate businesses, which depend on hunting, fishing, other 
fish and wildlife related activities and off highway vehicle use. In turn, 
local, state and national economies benefit. It also touches everyone 
who values the natural beauty and wild places of our state. 

FISH AND GAME STAFF...

...are currently finishing New Hampshire's Wildlife Action Plan, to be 
submitted to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service at the end of this 
month, which details the needs of more than 100 N.H. wildlife "species of 
concern" and more than 20 rare habitats. The Plan has been developed in 
partnership with hundreds of individuals and organizations, using the 
best science available. It provides comprehensive strategies, including 
multi-level approaches to air and water quality improvement, to ensure 
that our fish and wildlife continue to thrive in New Hampshire.

Implementing the Wildlife Action Plan, which may be the most important 
thing we and our fellow wildlife agencies can do in the decades to 
come, is going to cost money. The alternative to implementing the Plan is 
to continue to lose thousands of acres of important wildlife habitat 
every year, and to risk losing species that are vital to New Hampshire's 
"web of life." No one wants to see that happen, but it is a possibility 
if Fish and Game's staff and programs are cut to balance our shrinking 
budget.

FISH AND GAME IS CURRENTLY LOOKING AT A BUDGET SHORTFALL...

...starting in July of 2007. There are many reasons. The cost of doing 
business -- from raising fish, to keeping common species common, to 
investigating wildlife crimes, to providing access to woods and waters, to 
training teachers to teach their students about New Hampshire's 
wildlife and ecosystems -- goes up with inflation. A growing population, 
putting more pressure on the state's natural resources each year, challenges 
our ability to sustain existing services and to meet new needs for 
wildlife and their habitats. 

Simple math shows that something needs to change in order to ensure 
reliable funding to continue our good work for the wildlife and people of 
New Hampshire in the future.

In the past, the solution has been to raise license fees. That's not a 
viable option now. Participation rates for both hunters and anglers are 
on the decline in New Hampshire and nationally. For the first time, our 
surveys of people who no longer hunt or fish indicate that the "price 
of the license" is a major reason they no longer participate in hunting 
or fishing. 

To avoid any increase in fees or requests for supplemental funding 
during the past two fiscal years, we have taken steps to both save money 
and increase revenue. While we have realized some savings and raised some 
additional revenue through marketing and improved investment 
strategies, we have been unable to offset shortages resulting from fewer licenses 
sold, lower interest earnings and the increased cost of doing business. 
In FY 2008, we will have reached the point that, even with savings and 
conservative spending, the budget will no longer cover the Department's 
daily operating expenses. 

In the future, it is unlikely that we will be able to rely on hunters 
and anglers to provide the revenue necessary to sustain existing 
programs or meet the challenges posed by a growing population and increased 
human development.

Although many people donate to fish and wildlife conservation through 
the conservation license plate program and annual donations, we cannot 
expect these funding strategies to fill the void.
There's no easy solution...

...to the challenges at hand. That's why, in addition to working as 
hard as ever to make sure that hunters, anglers and wildlife watchers can 
continue to enjoy all that wild New Hampshire has to offer, we're also 
seeking creative solutions to the budget shortfalls that we know are 
coming. We're having conversations with the Governor's office, New 
Hampshire State Legislators and the Fish and Game Commission, as well as 
caring individuals and other conservation leaders in the state, about 
identifying multiple workable strategies to ensure our future success. 

THERE ARE NO SPECIFIC PROPOSALS YET...

We are collecting and evaluating ideas for shoring up and expanding 
Fish and Game's financial support. In the meantime, people who care about 
New Hampshire's wildlife and wildlife habitats can help by buying a 
fishing license each year, even if they don't plan to fish; purchasing a 
conservation license plate; or donating directly to the Nongame Program.

Thank you for supporting your New Hampshire Fish and Game Department. 
Improving Fish and Game's funding situation is the only way to ensure 
that everyone will continue to have access to wild places and wild things 
over the long haul. After all, it's not just anglers and hunters who 
benefit from the work that Fish and Game does -- it's all of us.

If you have a funding idea you'd like to share, please send it to: 
director@wildlife.state.nh.us

Sincerely,

Lee E. Perry
Executive Director
N.H. Fish and Game







-- 
Copyright 2005 New Hampshire Fish and Game Department, 11 Hazen Drive, 
Concord, NH 03301.  Comments or questions concerning this list should 
be directed to lpoinier@wildlife.state.nh.us.