Pa. wants to rack up more bucks from hunters: licenses could go up $10

The Pennsylvania Game Commission has unveiled a plan to increase the cost of hunting licenses for the first time in 16 years.

Tuesday's proposal, which will require legislative approval, would boost an adult resident hunting license by $20 over five years. The current $19 fee would increase by $10 in the first year and then by $5 in the third and fifth years, pushing the total cost to $39.

Fees for most other resident and nonresident licenses also would increase over the same timetable. The price of an adult nonresident license would double to $200, but the cost of junior resident and nonresident licenses and senior resident licenses would not change.

The commission relies on license fee revenue for nearly 40 percent of its operating budget. Personnel expenses, including salaries, health care, and pension benefits, have more than doubled since the last fee increase in 1999 to a projected $82 million in the 2015-16 fiscal year, said spokesman Travis Lau. - AP