(The Center Square) – A plan to help the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency overcome an $18 million budget shortfall has the backing of two famous Tennessee sportsmen but has stalled in committee.
The agency does not receive an allocation from the state but relies on user fees and federal grant dollars.
The shortfall is not a deficit, as the agency is not accumulating any debt, Emily Buck, the agency’s director of public relations, told The Center Square in an email on Monday.
“This is largely due to an increase in inflation and the cost of operating expenses as well as the state market adjustment for salaries which took place a couple of years ago,” Buck said.
Gov. Bill Lee added a one-time $10 million in the fiscal year 2027 state budget for deferred maintenance, but it’s not a long-term solution.
House Bill 2138/Senate Bill 2183 would allocate 10% of the revenues the state receives from the Tennessee Valley Authority to the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency, infusing $16 million into the agency.
Former Nashville Predator Mike Fisher and former University of Tennessee head football coach and Athletic Director Phil Fulmer told the House Finance, Ways and Means subcommittee they supported the bill during Wednesday’s hearing.
“You can’t plan long-term success with short-term resources,” Fulmer told the committee. “This is about stewardship. It’s about accountability and its about fairness. Every Tennessean benefits from strong wildlife resources, from economic growth to the simple joy of taking our kids fishing on Sunday morning.”
Fisher, married to singer Carrie Underwood, said the bill is very important to him as hunting and fishing are part of his family’s lifestyle.
“This bill, it doesn’t affect taxes,” Fisher said. “The portion of TVA goes to help their fund so they can do projects so we can get more kids, more people outside.”
The subcommittee has placed the bill “behind the budget,” which means it will be considered after lawmakers pass the fiscal year 2027 budget.
The agency and lawmakers have discussed the shortfall for more than a year. The Tennessee Wildlife Resource Agency reduced its fiscal year 2026 budget by $800,000 and has 20 vacant positions, the agency told The Center Square in October 2024.
The agency has not raised license fees since 2015, according to Buck. Since that time, the Consumer Price Index has increased by 35%.
The Tennessee Fish and Wildlife Commission approved an increase in license fees, but the proposal was rejected last year by the General Assembly’s Joint Operating Committee. Members said they were concerned about passing the cost of the license on to Tennesseans.
The agency agrees with that sentiment, but if the bill doesn’t pass, the agency will be back to the drawing board and will likely need to make a significant cut to services, Buck said.
“If the shortfall is not addressed, we will run out of reserve funding within the next few years,” Buck said.
