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St. Louis Post-Dispatch

Lee Enterprises

Sunday, November 1, 2009 9:59 PM CST
Hunting, fishing license 2010 fees could go up

By MIKE RIOPELL, JG/T-C Springfield Bureau
mike.riopell@lee.net

SPRINGFIELD – Whether hunters and anglers soon have to pay more to indulge their hobbies is now in Gov. Pat Quinn’s hands.

The Illinois Senate Friday approved legislation to raise fees on various hunting and fishing licenses by a 41-15 vote. It now goes to Quinn for final review.

Quinn first proposed raising fees earlier this year as a way to bolster the flagging Department of Natural Resources budget.

The legislation approved Friday would raise the cost of a fishing license from $12.50 to $14.50. A deer permit would go from $15 to $25 and hunting licenses would rise from $7 to $12.

DNR director Marc Miller said meetings with hunters and fishing enthusiasts have revealed they mostly support the increases, as long as the money is used to support conservations purposes.

“They know that the agency needs funding in order to rebuild itself,” Miller said.

Republicans provided most of the “no” votes, expressing concern about raising fees.

State Sen. John Sullivan, D-Rushville, argued some of the fees haven’t been increased since the 1970s.

“Many of these fees haven’t been raised in many years,” he said.

Included in Quinn’s original proposal was a plan to charge state park visitors $5 per car to park — seen by some as an entry fee for parks.

Friday’s plan wouldn’t raise park fees, and doing so wouldn’t require a major change in law. Miller said Friday the state park fees are still possible in the future.

“We are looking at all of our fee options, including that one,” Miller said.

The fee increases, which would go into effect Jan. 1, 2010, are projected to bring DNR about $3.5 million more.

Quinn would still have to sign the legislation before it becomes law. The fee increases were his idea, but spokeswoman Marlena Jentz Friday still wouldn’t commit to final approval.

“It’s safe to say that he will fully review the bill if it arrives on his desk,” Jentz said.

The legislation is Senate Bill 1846.

Mike Riopell can be reached at mike.riopell@lee.net or 789-0865

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original townie wrote on Oct 31, 2009 8:22 AM:

" Just can't get enough. Sure do miss the 70s alot more enjoyable to be alive. "

61938 wrote on Oct 31, 2009 11:37 AM:

" "could" go up? Let's face it folks, the democrats "will" raise any and all fees and / or taxes. It's the only thing they know how to do and do very well. "

Mama says wrote on Oct 31, 2009 8:28 PM:

" All these politicians are like men on viagra raising all they sit around and think up ways to increase everything.
I know it takes money to maintain all the parks and lakes. I remember however when things were FREE, no fancy buildings in parks, and park benches under shade trees, no air conditioned buildings. lol. I remember when New Salem State Park was busy with busses and people and when went was like DEAD.
No people manning the cabins either.
No oxen to pet and see. At least open and could see all the furniture and fireplaces and how lived. A lot of places became ghost towns. SAD.
I still like to see the STATE Museum in Springfield and visit the Capitol, and
Lincolns home and Tomb. Every so many years we go again. "

laramie wrote on Nov 1, 2009 2:24 PM:

" O horrors of horrors, it's going to cost $2 more to fish. "

NeoCon Academician wrote on Nov 1, 2009 6:22 PM:

" A few bucks increase to fees might not seem much to the folks from the northern part of the state. They make more money. But to the downstate sportsmen it's an insult. And we know why it's done. It's done to run off the downstate sportmen from Rend Lake, Lake Ramsay, and Lake Shelbyville so the Chicago folks can rape OUR HUNTING and FISHING AREA of it's wildlife. Every summer it's more and more Lake Michigan boats on our lakes. Every fall I cringe more and more as I see more trailer loads of hunted deer being pulled back north by Chicago city stickers and Chicago license plates. "

The Question wrote on Nov 2, 2009 5:20 AM:

" An excellent way for the state to make money. "

Harry Potter wrote on Nov 2, 2009 7:40 AM:

" After eight years of Republican leadership in Washington, 48 of 50 states are in a financial mess. Illinois is among those states in deep trouble, and incredibly there are those wanting to return power to the party that put us in this shape. "

laramie wrote on Nov 2, 2009 9:24 AM:

" Correct me if I'm wrong NeoCon, but,

Rend Lake was built as a joint project by the Illinois Department of Conservation, the Rend Lake Conservancy District, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. This 18,000 acre reservoir was built to provide a dependable domestic water supply to a two-county area beginning in 1965.

Lake Shelbyville is a man-made lake built as part of a general comprehensive plan for the development of the Kaskaskia Basin for flood control, recreation, water supply, and fish and wildlife conservation, and managed by the U.S. Army Corp. of Engineers.

Ramsey Lake State Recreation Area is the perfect place for people who want to relax or for those energetic outdoor types who want to hike, hunt, fish or camp. The park is located one mile northwest of Ramsey in Fayette County and managed by the State of Illinois, NOT downstate Illinois.

NeoCon, the lake are for all, not just downstate people.

As far as your statement

It's done to run off the downstate sportmen from Rend Lake, Lake Ramsay, and Lake Shelbyville.

You mean that a person who spends thousands on gear, boats and trucks to get to the lake can't afford $14 as opposed to $12 to fish? "

idontknowwhattoput wrote on Nov 2, 2009 11:06 AM:

" HP, you are wildly wrong, do not blame, this mess in Illinois on Edgar or Ryan or Bush. Blame it on Blago, he messed this state up more than anyone ever could. He had plenty of time to fix it, just made it worse. Quinn is about 50x better than Blago, albeit he is a democrat, he atleast knew how not to run the state in the ground. "

Harry Potter wrote on Nov 2, 2009 12:05 PM:

" HP, you are wildly wrong, do not blame, this mess in Illinois on Edgar or Ryan or Bush.

Perhaps you missed my point. I will agree that Blago, like Ryan was a self serving crook, however my point was that 48 out of 50 states are in deep trouble financially. Did Blago put those other 47 states under too? I was talking about the Republican bureaucrats in Washington. The policies of George W Bush tanked this economy, and with it took down most state economies, regardless of whether the governor was a Democrat or a Republican. "

Harry Potter wrote on Nov 2, 2009 12:35 PM:

" Correct me if I'm wrong NeoCon, but,

Don't confuse Neo, he thinks those entities only built those lakes for down starters.

In his haste to bash anything relating to Chicago, old Neo puts his foot in his mouth once again. "

Texas T wrote on Nov 2, 2009 2:24 PM:

" How is a Chicago license plate different from a Mattoon license plate? "

Becky wrote on Nov 2, 2009 3:59 PM:

" I can see why hunting licenses are going up since deer have gotten so intelligent that the US sees it needs 3 levels of barbed wire on top of a 12 foot fence to keep those pesky, fence climbing deer away from all that traffic at the airport. Nothing about that fence makes any sense. It looks more like a prison fence than a "deer" fence. "

medic57 wrote on Nov 2, 2009 4:49 PM:

" Texas T

:} "

Harry Potter wrote on Nov 2, 2009 6:15 PM:

" Texas T wrote on Nov 2, 2009 2:24 PM:

" How is a Chicago license plate different from a Mattoon license plate? "

Maybe he has X-ray vision and is really looking at their drivers license. "

NeoCon Academician wrote on Nov 2, 2009 7:48 PM:

" NeoCon, the lake are for all, not just downstate people.

You mean that a person who spends thousands on gear, boats and trucks to get to the lake can't afford $14 as opposed to $12 to fish? "

How is a Chicago license plate different from a Mattoon license plate

--------------

OHHHHH I SEEE it's for all the people to use...just like with the roads, public buildings, airports, and everything the public uses right?

Hey I know then...let's use the federal income rates as a model for hunting and fishing fees for the state of Illinois.

Doesn't that sound like a good idea?

I mean hey...you gotta help the little guy, right?

That's only fair, right?

Since the greedy, rich liberal, folks up north earn MUCH MORE MONEY than the po' folks downstate, we'll let the rich folks from up north pay substantially more for the hunting and fishing fees, okay?

RICHEST ILL COUNTIES by MEDIAN HOUSEHOLD INCOME:

1) COOK ($74K)
2) DuPAGE ($68K)
3) LAKE ($67K)
4) KENDALL ($65K)
5) MCHENRY ($65K)
6) WILL ($62K)
7) KENDALL ($59K)
GRUNDY ($52K)

compared to:

(COLES $32K)
(SHELBY $32K)
(FAYETTE $32)

I mean that's only fair, right?

Just like the top 50% of the wealthiest folks in this country pay 97% of all the federal taxes I think it's only fair that people from the wealthiest counties pay substantial more for the hunting and fishing fees.

I mean hey...you gotta help the little people right?

That's only fair, right?

When I show up at Lake Shelbyville with my 8' long flat bottom, 5 hp motor fishing boat and some rich Chicago folk with his 30' long, twin-300 hp Evinrude engines that sucks down a gallon of gas a minute, Lake Michigan boat, it would only be fair that the rich Chicago folk pay much higher fees at the boat launch than I do right?

RIGHT, YOU 'BRILLIANT' CORNFIELD LIBERALS, RIGHT!!!!???

And for all you 'brilliant' cornfield liberals that never get out of CENTRAL ILLIN-NOISE, you can tell the Chicago folks are from up north by, 1) the Chicago Car dealer license plate guards on their plates, and 2) the City of Chicago and suburban city stickers found on the passager side of their windshields. "

NeoCon Academician wrote on Nov 3, 2009 7:26 AM:

" I hope Chapin and Dale take note of the election races going on around the nation where the CONSERVATIVE candidate is knocking the republican candidates out of the race.

No conservative plateform means the conservatives aren't going to show up to the polls in 2010. "

Texas T wrote on Nov 3, 2009 2:38 PM:

" I know a guy that lives right there in good old Spittoon who owns one of those 30' long, twin-300 hp Evinrude engines that sucks down a gallon of gas a minute, Lake Michigan boats. Of course he takes it down to the Lake of the Ozarks to use.

Technically Chicago plates are just the same as Downstate plates. LOL "

medic57 wrote on Nov 3, 2009 7:45 PM:

" NeoCon

You forgot to mention how much it costs to live in those counties as opposed to Coles County. And don't forget the 9% sales tax in Cook County.

Do you think those City Stickers are look pretty's? I think not. "