Proposed hunting, fishing fee hikes advance

A legislative committee has voted to sponsor legislation that would raise fees for dozens of hunting and fishing licenses for both residents and non-residents.

The amounts depend on the license type, with many going up about 22 percent and others more than doubling their current price.

The fee hike proposal is designed to help cover an $8 million to $10 million annual revenue shortfall that the state Game and Fish Department faces.

The Joint Travel, Recreation, Wildlife and Cultural Resources Interim Committee voted 8-6 to advance the bill during its meeting in Lander last week.

The Wyoming Tribune Eagle reports (http://bit.ly/RHeeRK) that the bill will be considered by the full Legislature when it meets in January.