ASUI will no longer be lobbying for reduced hunting and fishing fees for out-of-state students at the 2017 Idaho legislature session.
ASUI President Cruz Botello said the fee reduction would have acted as a hopeful recruitment strategy by allowing out-of-state students the opportunity to enjoy everything Idaho has to offer in terms of outdoor recreation at a cheaper rate.
“There are avid sportsmen in Washington, California, Oregon and Wyoming — those are all bordering states — and we felt like it would increase enrollment and diversity by drawing in students from these neighboring places,” Botello said. “We only saw benefits.”
According to the Idaho Department of Fish and Game, adult, nonresidential license fees for hunting and fishing start at $240 in comparison to the residential cost of $33.50 for the same license.
Botello said former ASUI Lobbyist Rachael Miller was initially approached during the previous fall about lobbying for reduced fees by a few out-of-state students enrolled at the University of Idaho.
“Once it was brought to our attention, we realized it was really something that we could hit the ground running with and see if our state legislature would be interested in moving forward with,” Botello said. “We thought it would improve … the state of Idaho as a whole.”
Botello said after Miller’s resignation, the current ASUI lobbyist, Michael Ryan, began to spearhead the initiative at the start of the current session, and it wasn’t until recently that the legislation was tabled by lawmakers, as well as ASUI.
Ryan said the decision for tabling came after it was discovered that Fish and Game asked legislators to increase fees for both residents and nonresidents.
“We kind of got caught up in this weird situation. (Fish and Game) is asking for an increase, but yet, we’re asking for a decrease,” Ryan said. “We entered into weird waters.”
Ryan said the House committee behind resources and conservation were also dealing with other Fish and Game issues, like agriculture degradation, so it was not an opportune time for ASUI to introduce their bill.
Ryan said Chairperson Marc Gibbs said he would not hear the legislation this year and he wanted ASUI to have the full support of Fish and Game before the bill is reintroduced, leading ASUI to hold off on the legislation for the time being.
Botello said ASUI is reevaluating its strategy and altering the bill so they can better approach legislators next year if the new ASUI officials choose to move forward with it.
“It’s all up to the next administration. There’s going to be a new lobbyist, president and vice-president — it’s all in their initiative. If they want this, they can chase after it,” Botello said. “The groundwork is there. It’s just waiting to fruit.”
Olivia Heersink can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter @heersinkolivia