"It has been 10 years since the General Assembly approved the last license fee increase in 1998," Roe stated in a news release. "During that time, the agency's cost of doing business -- from gasoline to utility bills, from lime, seed and fertilizer costs to personnel costs -- have increased significantly. All of these increasing costs are outside of our control, and leave us with the choice of cutting or eliminating programs and services.

"If approved, this license fee increase will enable the agency to restore pheasant production and stocking to 200,000 birds for small game hunting, move forward with planned habitat improvement projects stalled due to sky-rocketing fuel and fertilizer costs, and fill vacancies throughout the agency so that we can fulfill our wildlife protection, research and habitat improvement mission."

The proposed bill would reduce nonresident junior license fees while increasing nonresident adult license fees.