The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency asked the Senate Energy, Natural Resources and Agriculture Committee on Oct. 12 for a one-time $30 million general fund appropriation to address deferred maintenance, capital projects and shooting-range upgrades, and to continue staffing for invasive carp and chronic wasting disease (CWD) response.

Why it matters: TWRA officials said the agency's traditional funding mix ' hunting and fishing license sales, boat registrations, and federal apportionment ' is no longer keeping pace with costs and that the agency faced a roughly $15 million deficit after statewide salary adjustments were funded with general funds for other agencies. The agency said the one-time appropriation would address maintenance backlogs and several facility projects.

Director (Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency) and top staff briefed senators on the agency's footprint, funding streams and priorities. The agency manages roughly 1.6 million acres in partnership with federal agencies, including about 550,000 acres in state ownership, more than 1,200 boat ramps and about 37 wildlife management areas. The presentation laid out continued requests to fund four positions for an Asian carp coordinator and sample/harvest teams and 10 positions tied to CWD sampling and response.

Deputy Frank Fiske described the agency's carp harvest incentive program (ACHIP) and told the committee commercial harvesters had removed "north of 32,000,000 pounds" of carp since the program began. The agency said its strategy includes working with commercial fishermen, exploring feasibility of barriers (bubble curtains and other nonlethal measures) and supporting coordinated planning with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and TVA.

On CWD, the agency said the disease has been confirmed in 18 Tennessee counties, concentrated mainly west of the Tennessee River; prevalence in core counties has exceeded 22 percent in places and the agency is using targeted removal with USDA APHIS where landowners permit. "We're trying to slow the spread," a deputy said.

TWRA staff also explained fund restrictions: federal apportioned funds require state match and may be spent only on certain activities; the Wetlands Acquisition Fund (real-estate transfer tax revenue) currently may be used only for wetland purchases and associated management and thus has a reserve balance that the agency would like to use more flexibly if statutory restrictions are changed.

Senators asked about wildlife disease, fish stocking and access priorities. The committee discussed vacancies and said TWRA has held roughly 22 officer posts vacant as a cost-saving measure during the budget shortfall; staff said most long-term vacancies were deliberate choices tied to the agency's fiscal response.

The committee voted 9-0 to move the TWRA budget to Finance.

Ending detail: TWRA staff said the agency intends to pursue long-term sustainable funding options, including exploring an earmarked outdoor-products tax used in other states; Director said the current plan of fees and licenses makes Tennessee among the highest-cost license states in the Southeast and that an alternative funding stream could allow fee reductions for customers.