Jenny Gilbert

This administrative regulation establishes fees and terms for licenses, permits, and tags sold by the Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources.

This administrative regulation is necessary for the department to establish reasonable license fees, permit terms, and the expiration dates of licenses and permits.

KRS 150.175 authorizes the types of licenses, permits, and tags that the department can issue. KRS 150.195(4)(f) requires the department to promulgate an administrative regulation establishing the license and permit terms and the expiration date of licenses and permits. KRS 150.225 requires the Department to prescribe reasonable fees for licenses, permits, and registrations authorized by Chapter 150. KRS 150.620 authorizes the department to charge reasonable fees for the use of lands and waters it has acquired for wildlife management and public recreation.

This administrative regulation fulfills the requirements and purposes of the statutes identified in (1)(c) by establishing reasonable fees and terms for licenses, permits, and tags issued by the Department.

This amendment will alight this regulation with 301 KAR 2:300 as to mirror the creation of a resident combination bear permit, a nonresident bear chase permit, a nonresident youth bear chase permit and a nonresident youth bear permit. The expiration date for commercial guide licenses changed from calendar year to license year to match hunting license expiration dates. Creates new and establishes price of new senior lifetime combination hunting and fishing license.

This amendment is necessary to create the license and permits mentioned above and establish pricing for each.

See (1)(c) above.

See (1)(d) above.

Nonresident bear hunters will be positively influenced by the regulation in that it will allow them to purchase the necessary permits to chase bears with the use of hounds. Additionally, resident hunters will be able to save ten (10) dollars with the creation of the resident combination bear permit, which includes both a bear permit and a bear chase permit. For the 2022 bear season the following number of permits were sold: 1509 resident bear permits, 150 resident bear chase permits, 57 nonresident bear permits, 4 youth bear chase permits and 56 youth bear permits. Commercial guides are affected by adjusting the expiration date of guide permits. Senior residents sixty-five (65) years or older are eligible for an additional voluntary senior license option.

This will open up the bear chase season to nonresident hunters for a nominal fee. Additionally, resident bear hunters who both chase and harvest bears will save ten (10) dollars by purchasing the combination bear permit. Commercial guides will now need to renew licenses two months later.

The creation of three new nonresident permits will allow nonresident hunters to chase bears for the following fees: nonresident bear chase permit: fifty (50) dollars, nonresident youth bear chase permit: fifteen (15) dollars, nonresident youth bear permit: $100. Resident hunters will save ten (10) dollars with the creation of the combination bear permit. There is no change in price for commercial guides. There is no added cost to seniors. Senior residents are simply provided another voluntary licensing option for a lifetime rather than an annual permit.

Nonresident hunters will be given the opportunity to chase bears with hounds and resident hunters will save money with the newly created combination bear permit. Senior residents are simply provided another voluntary licensing option. Commercial guides will be able to renew their guide and hunting licenses simultaneously.

There will be no cost to the department to implement this administrative regulation.

There will be no additional cost to the department on a continuing basis.

The source of funding is the State Game and Fish Fund.

There will be no need for fee increases at the state level.

See (4)(b)

No. Tiering is not applied because every eligible person will have to pay the same price for each particular license issued.

The Department’s Division of Administrative Services will be impacted by this amendment.

KRS 150.175, 150.195, 150.225, and 150.620.

This is unknown at this point as it will depend on the number of permits purchased by nonresident hunters for the 2023 bear hunting season, and the number of senior lifetime licenses sold.

This is unknown at this point as it will depend on the number of permits purchased by nonresident hunters for the 2023 bear hunting season, and the number of senior lifetime licenses sold.

There will be a minimal cost to administer this program for the first year.

There should be no additional costs incurred for subsequent years.

Resident hunters have the ability to save ten (10) dollars with the purchase of the combination bear permit. Senior residents may opt to purchase lifetime licenses which over time could result in annual savings of twelve (12) dollars per year.

Resident hunters have the ability to save ten (10) dollars with the purchase of the combination bear permit.

No additional costs will be incurred by resident bear hunters. This amendment will establish permits and associated fees for nonresident bear hunters. Senior residents that opt to purchase the lifetime license will pay $180 instead of twelve (12) dollars for the annual version of the license.

No additional costs will be incurred by resident bear hunters. This amendment will establish permits and associated fees for nonresident bear hunters. Seniors that opt to purchase the lifetime license will have no cost in subsequent years.

"Major economic impact" means an overall negative or adverse economic impact from an administrative regulation of five hundred thousand dollars ($500,000) or more on state or local government or regulated entities, in aggregate, as determined by the promulgating administrative bodies. [KRS 13A.010(13)]