Following is my understanding of the coming changes:
The changes in the Senior Citizen licenses are related to how the US Fish and Wildlife Service allows licenses to be counted as it relates to their reallocation of federal funding dollars from the Pittman-Robertson and Wallop-Breaux Acts. These are the federal taxes on hunting and fishing equipment that the sportsman asked to be put on them to better fund hunting and fishing management in the country. Two years ago, after decades of allowing them to be counted, the USFWS disallowed the permanent Senior Citizen license in TN. Their ruling has cost TWRA around 4 million dollars in federal funds over the last two years.
TWRA has been in lengthy negotiations with the feds concerning this issue. It is my understanding that they will allow us to count them this year, but there will be no compensation for the lost federal funds. In order for them to be counted in the future the price had to be raised so it was more proprtionate to an annual license. Thus, the annual Senior Citizen Sportsman license was created.
My understanding of the licenses is that the type 166 Permanent Senior Citizen license will continue to cover all licenses, but no permits, as it does now. The Type 167 Senior Citizen Sportsman License will cover licenses and permits. I do not know if it covers the magazine, or not.
The price increases, etc., were not what TWRA wanted to do with that license, but losing two plus million dollars a year was a very big hit and something had to be done.By adjusting the prices TWRA should be allowed to count them in the reappropriation formula.
