MONTGOMERY — Barnett Lawley worked hard the past four years to improve and promote Alabama’s natural resources, now his main focus is funding.“Funding is the biggest challenge,” said the 61-year-old commissioner of the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. “It takes funding to have game wardens out there policing.”
Lawley was appointed to the position in 2003 by Gov. Bob Riley.
“I sold my business in January 2001,” Barnett said. “I was at a point in my life where I had time to do something else.”
Lawley, who was born and raised in Pell City, is an avid outdoorsman. He was anxious to lead the conservation department forward with his business expertise, coupled with his love of the outdoors.
“This is a larger job than I thought it was, much larger,” he said, adding that the conservation department has five different divisions, which do not overlap.
Lawley said this week he plans to remain at the helm of the department for the next four years, and will seek funding for a department in dire need.
“We have vacancies we can’t fill because of budgetary constraints,” he said.
Lawley said the cost of hunting licenses has not increased since 1989, and it’s past time for increases in hunting and fishing licenses.
He said the conservation department takes advantage of U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service grants for habitat projects. The state’s share of the matching federal grant money is only 25 percent to get 75 percent of funding for habitat projects.
It’s something the department can’t pass up, and the more revenue the department brings in, the more revenue it has for matching federal funds and personnel, he said.
Lawley said in the past three to four years, 16 people have retired from the conservation department, and those positions have not been filled.
“Right now, we have enough money to hire people for those positions for one year, but then we would have to let them go,” he said. “We need permanent funding so we can make long-term plans.”
Generally, there are two game wardens in each county, but because of budgetary constraints, some counties have only one warden working law enforcement.
Lawley said he will actively seek support from legislators this spring for hunting and fishing license fee increases.
Currently, a hunting license in Alabama costs $16.
Lawley suggests an increase to $24.
“That still puts us way below the average for Southeastern states,” he said.
Tennessee charges its residents $112, Florida hunting licenses cost $32.50, Georgia licenses cost $32 and Mississippi hunting licenses cost $44.
“We’re asking $24, which is the least amount of the surrounding states,” Lawley said, adding the department is in the introduction stage of the proposed license increases.
He suggests an increase in fishing licenses from $9.50 to $12.
“To me, it’s pretty cheap entertainment,” Lawley said, adding he has not talked to anyone who opposes increases in license fees, which basically helps Alabama’s conservation efforts.
Lawley would like to see legislation passed allowing increases in license fees based on the cost of living index, about a 2 to 2.5 percent increase each year, so people who hunt and fish won’t ever see a big jump in fees again.
He said the Conservation Advisory Board would have to recommend the increase each year to the Legislative Council.
“It (the license fee increase) would be no greater than the cost of living index,” Lawley said.
He also is an advocate for a new Wildlife Heritage License. The $10 license would allow people to hunt with a .22 caliber rifle or .410-gauge shotgun and fish with a cane pole.
The license, he explained, is basically for those who don’t hunt or fish, but enjoy the other aspects of what Alabama has to offer, like birding, hiking and boating.
“It would qualify us to call it hunting and fishing licenses,” Lawley said.
He said because they would qualify as hunting and fishing licenses, the revenue generated could be used with federal grant money for things like habitat improvement projects.
“There are people who may not hunt or fish, but they want to help clean the water,” Lawley said, and this license would give people who enjoy the outdoors the opportunity to help support conservation efforts in the state. “Everybody enjoys seeing wildlife. This license would help improve the quality of life for everyone in the state, and help protect our natural resources. …
“We’re here to improve the quality of life,” Lawley said. “It’s all about being good stewards.”
