The Michigan Department of Natural Resources' wildlife division says they're rapidly losing the resources they need to manage the state's fish and wildlife populations.
"We're trying to operate on a 2014 paycheck," Keith Kintigh, assistant chief of the MDNR's wildlife division said. Hunting and fishing licenses haven't increased in price since 2014. "Everything in the world has gotten much more expensive since 2014."
He says the division's revenue relies mostly on license fees, but they have failed to keep pace with inflation. The state legislature controls the price of licenses.
Michigan Advance previously reported a bill was passed by the Michigan Senate to increase the price for hunting and fishing licenses. The bill was referred to the committee on natural resources and tourism on Oct. 21, 2025.
"The DNR already has plenty of resources, if they believe they need additional funding," Republican State Representative Ken Borton said in a press release. "They should look within instead of pursuing fee hikes that will drive more people away from the outdoors."
Kintigh said there's a national declining trend in hunting participation. He said that since 2000, there's been a 30% loss of hunters in Michigan.
"All residents benefit from seeing wildlife and from having wild public land to recreate on," Kintigh said. "But in a lot of cases, it's mostly hunters and anglers that are paying the bill."
In a presentation to Natural Resources Commission, a seven-member public body that is responsible for recommending the state's hunting and fishing policies, by the MDNR, they say their offices and wetland infrastructure are aged over 50 years.
Kintigh said they haven't had the resources to upgrade their facilities which is impacting their operations. The presentation stated that the full-time staff has been down 20% since 2005.
"We're not able to provide the level of service or opportunity that a lot of hunters and other Michiganders expect," Kintigh said about how this loss affects people across Michigan. "Both for opportunities and facilities on public land, but also in our response time."
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