SummitsCalling
WKR
Before this turns into another Wyoming hate thread--It's a very simple answer why:
"The Commission receives no State General Funds." Essentially, WGFD has to generate its own budget. Tag numbers are dropping and agency costs are increasing. All other WY state agencies are primarily supported by State General Funds. I can speak with certainty, an $88.5M annual budget is barely enough to run anything let alone a state agency with the amount of responsibility WGFD has.
Same agency that spent ~$10 Million on a new HQ for a couple of employees, does not add up. Why would the budget increase? Less hunters based on tags. Sounds like mismanagement.
CO has more animals and less of a budget, + is required to take on the state parks under misguided lawmakers decisions as another example
States refuse to fund their fish and game, then throw it on the backs of NR. AKs budget is ~$175 million, is 6x larger geographically, not even funded enough and doesn't force NR to build them a new overpriced HQ. States have choices, some are just under the thumb of outfitters too much.