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% 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 bill will be considered by the full Legislature when it meets in January.