Why It Matters: Introduced as a way to honor certain groups of people, often veterans, legislative efforts to provide free or discounted hunting or fishing licenses continue to crop up around the Midwest, and across the country. While seemingly a harmless way to thank those who served our country, discounted licenses are a double-edged sword in that, without a replacement for the license dollars forgone, can cause conservation funding within a to state suffer. As legislators and members of the sporting-conservation community weigh in on these efforts, we encourage everyone to consider conservation funding and opportunities to mitigate the detrimental impact that such discounted or free licenses could pose.
Highlights:
- While discounted license legislation can provide a show of gratitude for deserving user groups, these actions carry consequences for conservation funding that are often poorly understood.
- With legislative sessions starting across the Midwest, states like Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, and Nebraska have already seen legislation introduced that would provide such discounts.
- As sportsmen and women, we have a duty to advocate on behalf of our self-imposed contributions to conservation while educating the public about their benefits.
You get a free license! You get a free license!! EVERYBODY GETS A FREE LICENSE!!!
If you’re an avid reader of The Sportsmen’s Voice newsletter, or a sportsman or sportswoman who takes pride in how your contributions benefit on-the-ground conservation, you’re likely very familiar with the American System of Conservation Funding (ASCF). For many, however, this System is often misunderstood. No legislative efforts better represent this misunderstanding than the multitude of legislative efforts to provide certain user groups with free or heavily discounted hunting or fishing licenses. Introduced as a sign of gratitude, such discounts are often viewed as a consequence-free option designed to provide these users with additional, low-cost (or no-cost) opportunities to participate in our time-honored outdoor traditions.
Unfortunately, as defenders of the ASCF know well, these actions are not truly free of consequence. Not only do free or heavily discounted licenses result in decreased license revenue for the state agency (remember the key pillars of the ASCF), but they can impede an agency’s ability to fully access their federal apportionments available through the Pittman-Robertson and Dingell-Johnson Acts which are calculated based on, among other factors, license “sales” that result in at least a minimum amount of revenue collected by the agency. Free licenses do not count toward this tally and, therefore, result in lower apportionments.
With states returning to session in 2024, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, and others have already seen a variety of efforts to provide well-intended discounted or free hunting and fishing licenses through legislation. Although it is plain to recognize the merit behind these discounts, particularly as it relates to efforts dedicated to our nation’s veterans and first responders, we must also acknowledge the consequences. This is why the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation (CSF) is leading the effort to educate legislators on the merits of the ASCF as well as options, such as state license reimbursement legislation, that can help mitigate these consequences while still offering the intended discounted licenses. While Oprah might have the resources to give everyone a brand-new car (or hunting and fishing license), states need to find a way to strike a balance and safeguard critical conservation funding for the benefit of current and future generations.
