The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA) has withdrawn a planned increase in hunting and fishing license fees that was scheduled to take effect on July 1.

Although the license fee increase will no longer be assessed, a separate measure to raise boat registration fees by 22 percent will take effect as planned on July 1. Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency Director of Public Relations Emily Buck said the increase is because of a $15 million deficit due to inflation.

The decision not to increase the price of hunting and fishing licenses came after state lawmakers concerns about the financial impact. They pledged to explore alternative funding sources for wildlife conservation. The license fee increase, originally approved by the Tennessee Fish and Wildlife Commission in December, would have raised most hunting and fishing licenses by 28 percent, generating an estimated $12 million in additional revenue to address a growing budget deficit.

Since the last fee increase in 2015, inflation has created financial strain on the agency, which relies heavily on license sales for funding. To manage the budget shortfall, TWRA has already implemented operational cost reductions, including leaving over 20 staff positions vacant, cutting back on printed materials, halting some wildlife research funding, and postponing maintenance on access sites and infrastructure.