Topeka ? The cost of getting a hunting or fishing license in Kansas, as well as the cost of permits for big game such as deer and elk, is likely to go up substantially this year, and some Kansas lawmakers are bracing themselves for push-back from their constituents.

Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks Secretary Robin Jennison told a legislative panel Monday that Kansas needs to modernize its fee structure. The basic rate plan, he said, has not changed much since the 1980s.

But some members of the Joint Committee on Administrative Rules and Regulations said they had fresh memories of one recent change, and it was one that generated a lot of criticism in their home districts.

In 2012, at the agency’s request, lawmakers amended a law which had said people age 65 and over were exempt from having to buy a license. The age to qualify for a “seniors” exemption was raised to age 75, causing much consternation among hunters and fishermen.

“I took a lot of heat over that vote,” said Sen. Ralph Ostmeyer, R-Grinnell, whose huge district includes all or part of 14 counties in northwest Kansas, where many people are passionate about deer, elk and pheasant hunting.

Ostmeyer said he understood at the time that the change was needed to stabilize the agency’s budget, much of which comes in the form of federal aid from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. That aid, however, is based on a formula that includes, among other things, the number of hunting and fishing licenses sold in the state.

That money comes from a federal excise tax on hunting and fishing equipment. For the current federal fiscal year, which ends Sept. 30, Kansas will receive almost $20 million in federal wildlife and fish funding, or roughly 29 percent of the entire $69 million budget for the Department of Wildlife Parks and Tourism.

Ostmeyer said he was upset to learn that only three years after passing that controversial measure, the department was already gearing up for another major fee hike.

But Jennison said that change was about more than just the agency’s short-term budget needs.

When the exemption for people age 65 and over was first enacted, he said, the average life expectancy was shorter than it is now, so there weren’t as many people benefiting from it. Now, with life expectancy longer – about 78.6 years – and a large number of baby boomers now reaching retirement age, raising the age for the seniors exemption was a matter of long-term planning.

He said it also had an impact on the state’s allocation of federal fish and wildlife funding.

“We were one of only 14 states that did not charge people age 65 and over in some form,” he said. “So we were not getting our fair share of that excise tax on hunting and fishing equipment.”

At the same time, he noted, the department also began offering discount lifetime licenses to people age 65-74, which are currently $42.50.

Agency officials told lawmakers Monday that the fee increases are relatively minor, and for many people they are the smallest part of the overall cost of hunting and fishing. That’s especially true for the avid sportsmen who spend upwards of $2,000 for a high-quality rifle. And avid fishermen often spend hundreds of dollars on poles and equipment, not to mention the cost of their boats.

But Ostmeyer and others said they were more concerned about the impact on average families who just like to go out on weekends and fish in a local lake, or go deer hunting in the fall.

Under the current proposal, the cost of a basic one-year hunting or fishing license for a Kansas resident would go to $25, a $7 increase. A combination license would go to $45, a $9 increase.

For hunters, though, there are other costs because in addition to an annual license, hunters also are required to buy specific permits for deer, elk, antelope and turkey. Those permits regulate how many of those animals the hunter can take during a season.

Under the proposal, a basic deer permit for an adult Kansas resident using a firearm would cost $40, which is a $10 increase.

Like most states, Kansas has a long list of licenses, permits and fees, the prices of which vary depending on whether the person is a resident or nonresident; adult or youth; and the type of animal being hunted.

All told, the agency estimates the proposed fee plan would generate about $31.5 million a year in license fees, or $8.2 million more than it collects now.

But Jennison said those figures are based on the number of licenses the state currently sells, and he doubts the actual impact would be that large. He noted that part of the plan includes “value” options such as multiple-year licenses and combination hunting and fishing licenses, and it’s hard to predict how many people will opt to take those.

Jennison said the final decision on fees will be up to the Wildlife, Parks and Tourism Commission, an appointed group that serves as the agency’s governing body. He said that commission may decide to reduce some of the requested fee increases.

The Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism is currently taking public comment on the proposed fee increases.

A public hearing on the proposal is scheduled for Oct. 22 in Burlington. Final action by the Wildlife, Parks and Tourism Commission is expected a few weeks after that.