2013 CT Anglers Guide - CT.gov

Message from the Bureau Chief
One of the things I enjoy most about my
position as Chief of the Bureau of Natural
Resources are the many opportunities I have
to meet with Connecticut sportsmen and
conservation groups. These meetings are
almost inevitably accompanied by questions
on our budget and concerns that money spent
on licenses, permits and stamps is not coming
back to support conservation programs. I am
hoping that the information presented here
will answer most of your questions and address
some of the more common misconceptions.
The Bureau of Natural Resources (BNR)
is divided into four units: Inland Fisheries
Division, Marine Fisheries Division, Forestry
Division, and Wildlife Division. The pie charts
provide a quick look at the sources of revenue
for BNR programs and how it is allocated among
different activities performed by the four units
(for simplicity, spending on Administration has
been combined and spending on freshwater
and saltwater fisheries activities have been
combined). A few things immediately stand
out. On the revenue side it’s clear that anglers
and hunters provide approximately 85% of the
funding for BNR conservation programs. A
willingness to support on-the-ground conservation
is a tradition that sportsmen should
be very proud of. Through the purchase of
licenses, permits, tags and stamps, along with
the federal excise tax paid on the purchase
of fishing and hunting equipment (Wildlife
and Sportfish Restoration Grants), sportsmen
contribute over $13 million per year, clearly
demonstrating a commitment to make longterm
investments in conservation that benefit
all Connecticut residents.
The spending side shows the array of
programs necessary to provide a comprehensive
and effective conservation effort that
cuts across the Connecticut landscape and
serves the diversity of Connecticut residents.
These activities include the conservation of
forest lands, fish & wildlife populations and
their habitats, and elements as diverse as the
management of marine commercial fisheries,
trout and pheasant stocking, control of invasive
species, providing technical assistance to the
public, and conservation of non-game wildlife.
The questions on revenue from the sale of
fishing and hunting licenses, permits, tags and
stamps coming back to support conservation
programs are easy to answer. The federal
government requires that each state pass a
law, as a precondition of accepting U.S. Fish
& Wildlife Service funds, ensuring that all
such revenues are used exclusively to support
fish & wildlife programs (see 26-15 of the
Connecticut General Statutes). Connecticut
sportsmen pay approximately $7.3 million
annually for licenses and other fees. These
revenues are equal to 49% of our BNR operating
funds as shown in the chart below. A
quick look at this chart confirms that all of
the revenue from anglers and hunters does
come back to BNR…plus some additional
monies from the General Fund necessary to
cover current expenses (~7%). In reality, all
Connecticut taxpayers contribute to conservation
via other State and Federal Funds that
are used by the Department of Energy and
Environmental Protection to support our
State Parks, purchase land, and to regulate
activities that have an impact on our natural
environment. The bottom line is that all of us
contribute, and sportsmen in particular have
gone the extra mile and should be especially
proud of what they’ve accomplished. We have
built a solid foundation upon which to meet
future conservation challenges.
William A. Hyatt
Chief, Bureau of Natural Resources
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