§ 80.4 - Diversion of license fees.

Revenues from license fees paid by hunters and fishermen shall not be diverted to purposes other than administration of the State fish and wildlife agency.

(a) Revenues from license fees paid by hunters and fishermen are any revenues the State receives from the sale of licenses issued by the State conveying to a person the privilege to pursue or take wildlife or fish. For the purpose of this rule, revenue with respect to license sales by vendors, is considered to be the net income to the State after deducting reasonable vendor fees or similar amounts retained by sales agents. License revenues include income from:

(1) General or special licenses, permits, stamps, tags, access and recreation fees or other charges imposed by the State to hunt or fish for sport or recreation.

(2) Sale, lease, rental, or other granting of rights of real or personal property acquired or produced with license revenues. Real property includes, but is not limited to, lands, building, minerals, energy resources, timber, grazing, and animal products. Personal property includes, but is not limited to, equipment, vehicles, machine, tools, and annual crops.

(3) Interest, dividends, or other income earned on license revenues.

(4) Project reimbursements to the States to the extent that license revenues originally funded the project for which the reimbursement is being made.

(b) For purposes of this rule, administration of the State fish and wildlife agency include only those functions required to manage the fish and wildlife-oriented resources of the State for which the agency has authority under State law.

(c) A diversion of license fee revenues occurs when any portion of license revenues is used for any purpose other than the administration of the State fish and wildlife agency.

(d) If a diversion of license revenues occurs, the State becomes ineligible to participate under the pertinent Act from the date the diversion is declared by the Director until:

(1) Adequate legislative prohibitions are in place to prevent diversion of license revenue, and

(2) All license revenues or assets acquired with license revenues are restored, or an amount equal to license revenue diverted or current market value of assets diverted (whichever is greater) is returned and properly available for use for the administration of the State fish and wildlife agency.

(e) Federal funds obligated for projects approved prior to the date a diversion is declared remain available for expenditure on such projects without regard to the intervening period of the State's ineligibility.