Nevada's hunting, fishing fees to increase

Hunting and fishing licenses for more than 100,000 Nevadans are going to be increased starting next year to keep the state Division of Wildlife from going into the hole.

And the division is going to start charging American Indians and disabled veterans for their licenses, which had been issued free of charge.

Division Director Terry Crawforth told a Senate-Assembly budget committee Thursday this would be the first across-the-board increase since 1996.

The report presented to the committee shows the number of hunting licenses issued to Nevadans decreasing but nonresident licenses rising.

The proposal calls for charging resident Indians and disabled veterans $9 next fiscal year for either a hunting or a fishing license. That would rise to $11 by fiscal 2009.

Last fiscal year, 329 licenses were issued to Indians and 159 to disabled veterans.

The division's plan would increase the resident hunting license from $24 to $29 next fiscal year and then by steps up to $34 by 2009.

Resident fishing licenses would go from the present $21 to $25 next fiscal year and eventually to $30 in 2009.

The division plans to increase nonresident hunting licenses from $111 to $138 next fiscal year and up to $158 by 2009. Nonresident fishing licenses would rise from $51 to $63 next fiscal year and eventually to $73 in 2009.