NH Fish & Game Has Run on Flat Fees for a Decade
New Hampshire Gov. Kelly Ayotte blocked her own Fish and Game Department from raising hunting and fishing license fees this spring, overruling agency officials and supporters of the increase alike. The fees haven’t changed since 2016, and the department’s director warned the state last fall that revenues were failing to keep pace with costs.
Fish and Game Executive Director Stephanie Simek spelled it out plainly in the department’s October biennial report to Ayotte and the Executive Council: license revenues “remained relatively flat over the biennium” while “the scope of our responsibilities and associated costs continued to expand.”
39.5% Cumulative inflation since 2016, according to the BLS CPI calculator. What cost $1,000 when NH last updated its fee schedule now costs $1,395.
That gap matters because New Hampshire’s Fish and Game Department receives very little state funding and depends on license fees to cover wildlife management, habitat protection, and marine resources. When fees don’t track inflation, the department quietly absorbs the loss in capacity.
Hunters and Anglers Wanted the Increase. Ayotte Said No Anyway.
Fish and Game held multiple community discussions before proposing the fee rules. Sportsmen, sportswomen, and even the national Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation came out in support. Fred Bird of that foundation told the New Hampshire Bulletin directly: “They haven’t had a substantial fee increase in 10 years. They’re overdue.”
Ayotte’s office dismissed the process anyway. Her spokesperson claimed Fish and Game “clearly didn’t adequately consult with stakeholders” and said Ayotte directed the department to pull the proposed rules.
“They haven’t had a substantial fee increase in 10 years. They’re overdue.”
Fred Bird, Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation, June 2026
The stakeholder the department apparently hadn’t consulted was Ayotte herself, running for reelection in 2026. Outdoor recreation contributed $3.9 billion to New Hampshire’s economy in 2023. The constituency she’s protecting is the same one her department’s biologists serve.
What you can do now
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Call Gov. Ayotte’s office at (603) 271-2121 and tell her to let Fish and Game proceed with the fee rulemaking. Say: “The department held public input sessions and has broad support. Blocking this for political reasons harms wildlife management in New Hampshire.”
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Contact your NH state representative. Find them at gencourt.state.nh.us/house/members/. Ask them to support a legislative appropriation for Fish and Game if the governor blocks fee increases, so the department can close the budget gap another way.
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Submit a public comment to Fish and Game if they reopen the rulemaking process. The department’s contact page is at wildlife.state.nh.us. A ten-year fee freeze is a policy choice, not a natural condition, and public pressure can move the next step.
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If you hold a NH hunting or fishing license, write a letter to the Fish and Game Commission at 11 Hazen Drive, Concord, NH 03301, stating you support the proposed increases. Commission members are appointed and more insulated from electoral pressure than the governor.
Sources
- Who’s afraid of a little fee increase? A New Hampshire Republican governor in an election year. — New Hampshire Bulletin (2026-06-22)
New Hampshire Bulletin: Ayotte Blocks Fish and Game Fee Increase During Election Year
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: CPI Inflation Calculator
NH Fish and Game Department: Agency Funding and Mission Overview
Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation: Mission to Advance Sportsmen’s Rights