New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife

For more information contact:
Natalie Baratta-Verdi at (609) 777-4194

Effective immediately, the sale of all remaining deer permits available through "over-the-counter" sales will be sold at the new fee rate of $28. Children under the age of 16 may also purchase permits at the new rate of only $12 per permit. Additionally, all 2000 hunting and fishing licenses will be sold according to the new rate changes announced as follows.

On December 20, Governor Christine Todd Whitman signed into immediate effect Bill #S1378, the long awaited funding initiative proposed through cooperative efforts of the New Jersey (NJ) Fish and Game Council and several statewide sportsmen/conservation groups including the NJ State Federation of Sportsmen's Clubs, United Bowhunters of NJ, NJ Chapters of Trout Unlimited, Ducks Unlimited, the National Wild Turkey Federation, the Nature Conservancy, Sierra Club, New Jersey Audubon Society, Jersey Coast Anglers Association and the Recreational Fishing Alliance.

This funding initiative is the financial solution to help the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection's Division of Fish, Game and Wildlife maintain healthy operating levels. Due to the effects of normal inflation and cost of living increases, with no fee hikes in over five years, operating budgets of many bureaus in the Division have been reduced to levels so low programs and services were impacted. Some of the losses felt by the hunting and angling public included the loss of a fall trout stocking program and decreases in the pheasant and quail-stocking program. With fee hikes now in effect for the new millennium, the Division will be able to re-establish these and other services that may have been cut or impacted.

In addition to reestablishing programs and services, these funds will allow the Division to fill several critical positions left vacant due to funding deficits and will assist in the development, management and access of new lands acquired through the state's Open Space Initiative. Additional funds will also enable the Division to continue cooperative efforts with the agricultural community to alleviate deer damage to crops and maintain deer densities at tolerable levels.

The Division of Fish, Game and Wildlife will also change its name to the Division of Fish and Wildlife to better clarify its mission of managing ALL the wildlife of New Jersey. The phase-in process will begin January 1, 2000 and will appear gradually over time as signs, stationary and other materials are replaced and developed.

The license increase is expected to generate approximately $2.6 million in revenues for the newly renamed Division of Fish and Wildlife. Monies generated will assist the Division with the continued development of new and innovative programs increasing productivity, management and services to the public and wildlife of the state. In addition, New Jersey's economy will benefit tremendously from the license increase. Currently, residents and non-residents spend more than $1.9 billion on wildlife-related activities in New Jersey, generating $3.8 billion to the state's economy.

Some of the many benefits gained from increased fees include:

• FREE hunting and fishing licenses for youths under age 16, with deer and turkey permits only costing $12 each, or less than half the cost for an adult. These licenses will be issued through the Division to all youngsters under 16 years of age that have completed a hunter education course according to the agency's records. Until the new FREE license is received in the mail, youth hunters may hunt while in possession of a previous year's license or their Division-issued hunter education course completion card. Youth hunters under the age of 14 always need to be accompanied by an adult.
• FREE hunting and fishing licenses, a pheasant and quail stamp, a state duck stamp and a trout stamp will be issued to all qualified disabled veterans. Disabled veterans will also receive one archery deer, one firearm (muzzleloader or shotgun) and one free turkey permit during the accompanying hunting season. A qualified disabled veteran is described as: any resident of New Jersey that has honorably been discharged, or released under honorable circumstances, from active service in any branch of the Armed Forces of the United States and who has been declared by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, or its successor, to have a service-connected disability of any degree. Appropriate documentation can be brought to the following offices to obtain a FREE license: the main office in Trenton; the Pequest Trout Hatchery in Oxford; the Northern Region Office in Hampton; the Central Region Office in Robbinsville; the Southern Region Office in Sicklerville; and the Nacote Creek Research Station in Port Republic.
• The State's Treasury will reimburse the Division of Fish and Wildlife for the cost of these licenses.
• Families benefit as the new license fees enhance the opportunities for them to fish or hunt together since children under the age of 16 will be able to hunt and fish for free.
• The Fall Trout Stocking Program will be reinstated beginning next fall and the Quail Stocking Program will be restored to its former capacity.
• Residents that firearm hunt, bow and arrow hunt and freshwater fish benefit with the special all-around license by saving over the cost of purchasing each license separately.
• Boaters & Anglers will benefit. The Division will develop approximately 12 new boat ramps and fishing access sites in addition to six urban fishing access sites.
• Pheasant & Quail Hunters with families benefit as the funding plan also reduces the cost for adults and youngsters to hunt for pheasant and quail together since youths under the age of 16 are not required to purchase a stamp. The number of birds raised would be increased to traditional levels so that more areas could be stocked.
• Woodcock Hunters would no longer need to purchase a woodcock stamp.
• Warmwater Anglers benefit as the Division will now be able to implement its warmwater fisheries plan to provide increased production of stocked fish such as bass, walleye, tiger musky and many other species.
• All Outdoor Enthusiasts benefit as the state continues to acquire more lands for public use and the Division continues to manage them for the benefit of both wildlife and people.
• Urban Anglers benefit. Last year alone, the Division stocked more than 10,000 bluegill sunfish and channel catfish at 50 youth fishing derbies. This extremely popular program will be expanded with additional resources.