I attended the meeting representing the IDHA, and was interested in two topics during the meeting.

1. License fee increase; IDNR said they have talked to the Governors office who is not interested in increasing license fees as they see them as a "tax". At least not this early in his term, now that is funny.....no political! IDNR has a budget shortfall of 3+ million and is already 40 people short from needed staff. Law enforcement is also short of their allowed 221 officers and the gas prices and vehicle replacement is killing them. They are driving cars now over 150,000 miles as policy. I know so are we as citizens....

We proposed that IDNR needs to create a landowner license. They said if they could get one it would bring in $22.00 from PR monies for each livcense sold. But the license would need to be created in the legislature, and they wont be warm and fuzzy about another "tax". If we could get a $5.00 all inclusive yearly land owner license and plus the PR monie IDNR would be healthy again. Question is what do you all think? And Non resident land owners are already paying non resident fees at least those who are not reciprocal, this would end the reciprocal agreement.

2. PR monies; IDNR stated that we are now receiving $9 million dollars a year! double previous years prior to our present gun and ammo sales. I asked where that money was going and was told they are buying more land than ever before, all of the land touches F&W properties or stat forrests. All of this is more public hunting land ZERO goes to park land or Resivour properties.

We would like some feed back as it will take a grass roots effort to get legislative action on a landowner license. Remember over 1/2 of the deer taken each year are by non license buying hunters. Again an annual fee of less than $10.00 for all hunting for land owners.

Thanks in advance