outdoors

A proposal to increase Minnesota's fishing license fee by $4 in 2011 and $4 in 2015 received the support of several fishing groups last week, and it advanced in the Minnesota Senate.

The bill also would allow youths under age 18 to fish for free. Currently those under 16 don't need a license.

The fee increase "has near universal support" from anglers, said Sen. Satveer Chaudhary, DFL-Fridley, sponsor of the bill. He said he introduced it at the urging of anglers. "The most important aspect is allowing all kids to fish for free," he said. Allowing all youths to fish for free removes one more barrier to fishing, he said.

The bill also would increase the license-issuing fee charged by vendors from $1 to $2. That means the total cost of a fishing license would increase from $18 today to $23 in 2011 and $27 in 2015. Fishing license fees haven't been increased since 2001.

Representatives of Anglers for Habitat, the Minnesota Bass Federation, the Minnesota Darkhouse and Angling Association, Muskies Inc., and Trout Unlimited all testified in support of the bill.

"Now is the time for an increase," said Jim Lilienthal of Anglers for Habitat, a former DNR fisheries employee. The $4 increase "is about the cost of a box of night crawlers," he said.

Peter Perovich of the Minnesota Bass Federation said he, too, supports the increase, with a caveat: "We believe this money shouldn't be open-ended. We don't want it to go to salaries and administration costs; we want it to go to fisheries directly."

Tim Spreck, president of the Minnesota Darkhouse and Angling Association, said his group didn't have a problem with the license fee increase, but he noted that spearers already pay double what a regular angler pays to fish. A spearer needs a regular fishing license and an $18 license to spear. "We call it the spearing penalty," he said.

He suggested that the $18 spearing fee be reduced to $10 -- the same that trout anglers pay for a trout stamp -- and the Senate Environment and Natural Resources Committee amended the bill to do that.

DNR officials said they are neutral on the bill. "We felt this year wasn't the time for a fee increase," said Bob Meier, assistant DNR commissioner. He questioned boosting the fee charged by vendors to $2. "Every transaction would be another $1," he said. He said the DNR regularly hears from businesses who would be willing to sell licenses for free, because it brings traffic to their stores.

And there's a problem with giving free fishing licenses for 16- and 17-year-olds, said Dave Schad, DNR fish and wildlife director. The federal government returns dollars generated by the sale of fishing equipment to states based on the number of hunting and angling licenses they sell. So the state would lose about $700,000 by giving free licenses to 16- and 17-year-olds. Combined with the spearing fee reduction, the bill would reduce revenues by about $1 million, while the fee increase would generate about $2.5 million, officials said.

Nick Torborg of Champlin was one of about 50 hunters who turned out Thursday night at DNR headquarters in St. Paul to comment on several DNR proposals, including a four-day statewide youth deer hunt in October; allowing deer hunters age 55 and older to use a crossbow; and changing the 9 a.m. duck opener to a half-hour before sunrise.

"I hunt public lands, and it [youth deer hunt] definitely will have a negative effect on the quality of hunt for everyone," said Torborg. "People will give up the sport and there will be fewer licenses sold."

DNR officials said there is no evidence from states that hold youth deer hunts to support that fear. Seventy-five percent of Minnesota hunters hunt on private land, and the small number who would participate in a youth hunt wouldn't be enough to significantly affect the deer population.

There was mixed response to the cross-bow change, which would require legislative approval. DNR officials said allowing those 55 and older to use a crossbow would retain 8,000 to 10,000 hunters who quit bow hunting when it becomes too difficult to pull a bow. And a dozen hunters at the meeting offered input on possible duck season changes.

You can comment on these and other DNR hunting proposals at www.dnr.state.mn.us/hunting/pubin.html.

The bonding bill passed by the Legislature contained $25 million for the Reinvest in Minnesota Reserve program, which pays landowners for easements that require them to restore and maintain wetlands and wildlife habi-tat.

Another $7 million was recommend by the Lessard-Sams Outdoor Heritage Council. That $32 million will leverage $45 million in federal money from the Wetland Reserve Program. That will restore up to 24,000 acres throughout the state -- with permanent easements, meaning those lands would forever remain wildlife habitat. The only question is whether Gov. Tim Pawlenty leaves the $25 million in the bill.

• Another hot debate at the Capitol is a bill that would allow spearing on Cass Lake.

• Minnesota turkey hunters who were unsuccessful in this year's spring hunting season lottery can apply for surplus permits starting at 5 p.m. Monday.

Doug Smith • dsmith@startribune.com