May 16, 2017
The Honorable Anthony Rendon, Speaker California State Assembly State Capitol, Room 219 Sacramento, CA 95814
RE: FLOOR ALERT – AB 521 (Frazier) – SUPPORT
Dear Speaker Rendon:
On behalf of the California Rifle and Pistol Association, I am writing to urge you to support Assembly Bill 521 when it is considered on the Assembly Floor. AB 521 requires the Department of Fish and Wildlife to reduce the fee required to obtain a resident elk tag making elk hunting opportunities more affordable to all California’s sportsmen and women regardless of income or class.
California has seen a steady decline of hunters over the past 20 years. Hunters are an essential component of wildlife management and hunting generates dollars vital to conservation efforts throughout California. It is critical that efforts be taken to recruit new hunters in California and retain those we already have. In 2016, California residents paid $445 for a resident elk tag compared to Wyoming $52, Arizona $148, Oregon $46, Nevada $31, Idaho $31, Utah $50 and Montana $20. This bill seeks to base California’s resident elk tag on an average of what the seven western states charge for elk hunts. California has approximately 350 resident elk tags available. Based on 2015 data, 350 tags sold at $445 a tag resulted in $155,750 revenue generated to CADFW Big Game Management Fund. Additionally, 36,068 hunters paid $8.13 each for the chance to hunt elk generating an additional $293,232.84 in app fees for the department each year. This number is expected to increase and generate funds that can be spent on the many non-funded mandates CADFW faces.
This proposal, to reduce a resident elk tag to $100.00 and $20.00 for an apprentice / youth tag, would only result in a $120,000 annual reduction to a fund that, since in 2011, has generated a current reserve balance of $9,457,472, and averages an increase of $1.5-2 million a year going into reserve that CADFW has not been able to spend. When a ‘fee’ results in an ever-growing surplus on this scale it is no longer a fee and is an unlawful tax under California law.
For the foregoing reasons, the California Rifle and Pistol Association urges you to vote yes on AB 521.
Sincerely,
Roy M. Griffith Jr.
Legislative Liaison
California Rifle and Pistol Association, Inc.
rgriffith@crpa.org