The Iowa Department of Natural Resources is looking for public input about proposed increases in hunting and fishing license fees.

The proposed increase in fees is $3, which would set the annual hunting or fishing license at $20. The fees do not include the vendor or convenience fee that pays license sales vendors and for the license sales system in the transaction. The fees are deposited into the Fish and Wildlife Trust Fund, which are used to improve and promote areas to hunt and fish in Iowa. The fund never receives any taxpayer money from the state general fund.

If the proposal is approved, it will be the first increase in fees for hunting licenses since 2002 and for fishing licenses since 2004. It would then take effect for all 2019 licenses, which would start December 15th of this year. The Iowa Legislature passed a bill, which was signed into law this year, that shifted authority from the legislature to the DNR to set hunting and fishing license fees.

Public comments will be accepted through August 21st. The fee increase will be reviewed by a bipartisan Administrative Rules Review Committee. To submit a comment, email the DNR at wildlife@dnr.iowa.gov, or by mail to Joe Larscheid, Iowa Department of Natural Resources, Wallace State Office Building, 502 East Ninth Street, Des Moines, Iowa, 50319-0034.