I read about how the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife needs more money to operate on and that they are proposing to raise license fees by 50 percent. That is probably a good way to make sure there will be a lot fewer licenses sold. It seemed that in this area last fall there were a lot fewer hunters and if the licenses went up, I would expect that would be true around the state.

I suggest that if the wardens didn’t have to chase snowmobiles and check camps and all the other jobs that are unrelated to hunting and fishing there probably would be enough.

We need laws to regulate snowmobiles such as speed and reckless operation and people to enforce these laws, but I, as a hunting license holder, shouldn’t have to provide the money to pay for this. If money that should be used to enforce the fish and game laws was used properly license fees could go down, not up.

Jack Leeman

Abbot