NYS License Increases for 09-10

A copy of a press release sent to me by a friend...........


It’s official! With the passing of the state budget, a new license fee structure was approved and will go into effect on October 1, 2009. There were a few changes from the original proposal that was circulating earlier this year, some of which you can see how much influence downstate politicians had on the final outcome.

For residents, the Conservation Legacy and Super Sportsman licenses both went up $20 each, to $96 and $88 respectively. A Sportsman license will now be $47, up $10.

Other $10 jumps went to the Small/Big Game and Fishing tags, both to $29. Five dollar increases were approved for Bow Hunting, Muzzleloading, and Trapping, checking in at $21. Turkey permits were also increased by $5 for residents, now at $10.

Senior licenses, which were $5 and available at age 65, will now be $10 and you must be 70 years of age. There will be no grandfathering. In other words, if you’re 67 and you received a reduced-rate license this past year, you’ll be paying the full shot again for another couple of years.

Deer Management Permits will now cost you $10, unless you purchase a Resident Super Sportsman, Lifetime Sportsman, Junior Bow or Junior Hunt licenses. That was one thing that at least had some insight into the future – all Junior Hunting and Trapping tags remained the same with no increases. We need to pass these traditions on to the next generation of sportspeople and let’s not hurt those efforts by charging more. However, the state should have had the same insight in dealing with the whole tourism aspect of the outdoors.

Non-resident anglers, for instance, will continue to pay $15 for a one-day license. That really isn’t an increase. However, the state lowered the one-day resident license to $5. A non-resident seven day fishing license will now be $35 – up $10; and a seasonal tag will be $70, up $30.

At a time when money is tight all around the country, offering a reduced one day tag or similarly-priced short term and seasonal tag could have been enough incentive to get people to visit New York and spend money – which should be the big picture.

Tourism is one of this state’s biggest industries and we should try and help that “business” along whenever we can. Non-resident hunting tags also went up, with the Super Sportsman, Big Game, Bow Hunting and Muzzleloading all going up $30 to $280, $140, $140 and $140 respectively.

In that context, a $30 increase for a seasons non-resident fishing license doesn’t seem fair. Small game licenses20will be going up to $85 from $55; a turkey tag will vault from $30 to $50; a Bear License will increase by $20, ending up at $50; and a Trapping tag for out-of-staters will increase by $55, now at a cost of $310.

The influence of down state politics could be seen by what we ended up with for recreational marine fishing licenses. To fish in the ocean (or places like the Hudson River) from New York points, there will be a $10 charge for residents; $15 for non-residents. A seven day resident license will be $8; $10 for non-residents. A one day license is $4 for residents; $5 for non-residents. There’s not much difference between resident and non-resident anglers for marine fishing, yet for freshwater fishing in the state it’s more than double what theresident tags are. This is not to say that they shouldn’t pay more. They are enjoying an outstanding resource. But a little incentive to “lure” anglers into the Empire State could go a long way to helping those areas that rely upon fishing as a main tourist draw.