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JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) is proposing price increases for some nonresident hunting and fishing permits. According to MDC, permit prices have not been raised in over a decade and adjustments are needed to help keep up with increasing costs of providing conservation work and services around the state.
MDC is also proposing offering discounted deer and turkey permits for nonresident landowners with 75 acres or more to show appreciation for wildlife habitat work completed on their Missouri properties. The discount for nonresident landowners is similar to a past regulation that was in effect until 2009. MDC eliminated the offering during its last round of permit changes in 2008.
“We commonly hear from many Missourians that our nonresident permit prices are too low compared to other states,” said MDC Director Sara Parker Pauley. “Increasing prices for nonresident hunting and fishing permits will address this. It will also add needed revenue to help with our ever-rising costs of managing the fish, forests, and wildlife of Missouri.”
While some MDC permit prices have remained the same since 1999 and others for about a decade, MDC’s costs for goods and services have increased. According to the Federal Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Consumer Price Index, consumers are paying 37% more today for goods and services compared to 2003.
MDC is proposing price increases for the nonresident permits listed below. The listing shows current MDC prices for the permits, proposed increased permit prices, and the average prices of similar permits from surrounding states. MDC based its permit price increases on information from the Federal Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Consumer Price Index related to cost-of-living increases from 2008 to 2018.
NONRESIDENT (NR) PERMIT CURRENT $ PROPOSED $ AVG $ NEIGHBOR STATES
Daily Fishing (1 Day) $7 $8 $15
Daily Fishing (3 Days) $21 $24 $27
NR Annual Fishing $42 $49 $49
NR Furbearer Hunting/Trapping $130 $192 $257
NR Annual Small Game Hunting $80 $94 $111
Daily Small Game (1 Day) $11 $14 $59
Daily Small Game (3 Days) $33 $42 $74
NR Conservation Order $40 $47 Not Applicable
NR Spring Turkey Hunting $190 $224 $206
NR Fall Turkey Hunting $110 $130 $177
NR Firearm Deer Hunting $225 $265 $361
NR Archery Hunting $225 $265 $398
NR Managed Deer Hunting $225 $265 Not Applicable
Nonresidents account for nearly 100% of daily fishing permit purchases and daily small-game hunting permit purchases. As part of the changes, MDC will also limit daily fishing permits and daily hunting permits to 1 and 3 days and eliminate daily fishing permits and daily hunting permits for other numbers of days (2, 4, 5, 6, and 7 days).
MDC is proposing increasing prices for the following nonresident (NR) permits and proposing permit discounts for nonresident (NR) landowners with a minimum of 75 acres:
NR PERMIT CURRENT NR PRICE PROPOSED NR PRICE PROPOSED NR LANDOWNER PRICE
Spring Turkey $190 $224 $165
Fall Turkey $110 $130 $96
Archery $225 $265 $195
Firearm Deer $225 265 $195
The proposed changes were given initial approval by the Missouri Conservation Commission at its May 23 meeting. As part of the rulemaking process, MDC is asking for public comment on the changes during July and early August at short.mdc.mo.gov/Z49. The Commission will consider input received and make a final decision to move forward, modify, or withdraw the changes during its Aug. 23 meeting. If approved, the anticipated effective date of the changes would be Feb. 29, 2020.
MDC permit sales account for about 17 percent of the agency’s annual revenue and help fund numerous conservation efforts around the state. Other significant revenue sources include the Conservation Sales Tax at about 61 percent and federal reimbursements at about 16 percent. Sales and rentals, interest, and other sources make up the remaining 6 percent of MDC revenue.
According to MDC, the average Missourian pays about $19 annually for conservation efforts through the Department’s dedicated sales tax revenue. MDC receives no funding from property taxes, tickets or citations (which go to local school districts), or the state’s general revenue budget. For more information on MDC revenue, expenses, and key conservation efforts, read the MDC Annual Review in the January 2019 issue of the Missouri Conservationist, or online at mdc.mo.gov/conmag.
