Fish and Wildlife proposes access-area 'area license' to bolster dwindling license revenue

Jason Batchelder, commissioner of the Department of Fish and Wildlife, told the House Appropriations Committee on Feb. 13 that Vermont has strong public participation in outdoor recreation even as license sales decline and that the department is proposing a new Fish and Wildlife area license to help close a revenue gap.

"Vermont is experiencing a time of mildly declining license sales," Batchelder said, and he described demographic shifts and existing lifetime licenses as drivers of the shortfall. Under the proposal, paddlers, some wildlife watchers and other authorized users of department access areas would buy either a day pass or an annual area license; motorboat users and people who already hold a hunting or fishing license would be exempt.

The department modeled the policy after programs in roughly 14 states and proposed a soft, voluntary-feel rollout using kiosks with QR codes. Batchelder said the department projects a conservative revenue gain of up to $290,000 by 2029, with an initial rollout aimed around Memorial Day 2027. "We studied approximately 14 states," he said, and emphasized a phased approach meant to favor voluntary compliance and kiosk sales over enforcement.

Committee members pressed several operational and policy points. The committee chair warned that the governor has resisted new fees for the last decade, noting, "No new taxes. No new fees." Batchelder said the administration recognizes the tension but views the area license as a narrowly targeted license that would shift some costs to users who have not previously paid for access to department-owned areas.

Members also asked who would be required to pay and how enforcement would work. Batchelder said authorized uses would be the baseline for enforcement and that wardens tend to emphasize education first: "We'd much rather sell you a license than write you a ticket," he said. He acknowledged practical enforcement limits and said that the goal is to balance reasonable access with protecting capacity at popular sites.

Batchelder and members discussed federal funding constraints on some access areas. A committee member asked whether federal matches or requirements limit the department's ability to restrict secondary uses; Batchelder said federal grants and US Fish and Wildlife Service match funds can impose conditions that must be respected, and the department must maintain control consistent with those requirements.

Beyond the area license, Batchelder summarized other FY27 priorities and pressures. He described the fisheries (fish culture) budget as the department's largest line and said recent changes in ADS billing forced the department to cut some truck and equipment spending. He said external reviews are under way: a benchmarking study (Wildlife Management Institute, BJ Case) and a fish-culture modernization review (McMillan Associates). "We are undergoing a couple of studies," he said, and told the committee the department may need to use reserve funds to react to recommendations.

Batchelder also outlined outreach and education work, including conservation camps (tuition up $50) and teacher courses, and highlighted in-house tick research focused on moose and the wildlife division's primary reliance on federal Pittman-Robertson dollars for habitat work.

On contingency planning, Batchelder told members that the FY27 budget assumes $50,000 in revenue tied to the area-license concept and that the department has a special operating reserve (the special fund) to fall back on if projected fee revenue does not materialize; the committee document showed a special fund balance of $1,170,000. "We would make adjustments on the fly," he said, describing the fund as a reactionary rainy-day reserve to respond to study results or unexpected needs.

The committee did not take votes on the proposal during this presentation. Batchelder said the area license concept will go through the relevant administrative review (ICAR/LCAR referenced in discussion) and legislative processes if pursued as rule or statutory changes. The department will follow up with members on requested metrics for event funding, tourism impact, and other operational details.

The committee recessed for lunch and scheduled its next start time at 1 p.m.