COLUMBUS — A bill to significantly change the licensing framework for hunting, fishing, and trapping in Ohio is quickly moving through the halls of state government, with support from a pair of legislators/sportsmen and the leadership of the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, but not everyone in the outdoors community.

State Sen. Joe Uecker (R., Miami Township) and Rep. Jonathan Dever (R., Madeira) are two of the sponsors of the bill, which they contend will improve “access and affordability of Ohio's fishing and hunting licenses.”

WATCH: Improving Access to Ohio's Fishing and Hunting Licenses

The legislation, pushed by Ohio Department of Natural Resources director James Zehringer, calls for fishing licenses to be valid for one year from the date of purchase, instead of the current March 1-Feb. 28 or 29 period, and proposes offering multi-year, lifetime, or combination licenses at a discounted cost over individual purchases. The bill appears to be on the fast track, with Senate committee hearings and a vote scheduled for Tuesday.

Sen. Uecker, who represents Clermont, Brown, Adams, Scioto, and a portion of Lawrence County, said the bill is all about providing better customer service and convenience for the sportsmen and women of Ohio.

“One of the issues that we’ve seen in Ohio is that we’ve gotten a little bit behind in the order of recruitment, retention, and re-activation of Ohio sportsmen,” Uecker said. "By providing better customer services and more convenient licensing options to these Ohioans, our sportsmen and women will continue to enjoy the activities they love for generations to come."

The state sold more than 900,000 annual fishing licenses and over 385,000 hunting licenses in 2016, said Uecker, who is co-chairman of the Ohio Legislative Sportsmen’s Caucus.

The bill also includes language to permit handicapped hunters to use gas-powered ATVs, it removes the three-year limit on the purchase of apprentice hunting licenses, it establishes a Lake Erie “Sport Fishing District” (all of the lake, its bays and adjacent waters) for the purpose of creating a $10 nonresident Lake Erie sportfishing permit, and gives the ODNR chief authority to create combination licenses at discounted rates.

Gary Obermiller, assistant director of the ODNR, said many states have a closed season for walleye during the first few months of the year when spawning takes place, so anglers from surrounding states come to Ohio to take advantage of the abundant walleye and harvest opportunity.

“We have a very strong walleye population, so we allow the harvest and fishing for walleye in the spring of the year and that draws a large crowd of non-residents who come into Ohio and participate,” Obermiller said.

He added that funds raised by the special Lake Erie permit “will go directly towards projects that benefit Lake Erie.” The ODNR reported that in 2017, some 12,180 nonresident license holders are assumed to have fished Lake Erie based on where their license was purchased, which would have generated $121,800 in revenue if the permit structure had been in place.

Obermiller said the legislation reflects one the “bold moves” the ODNR is taking with the Division of Wildlife to address declining numbers of sportsmen participating in hunting, fishing, and trapping.

“We knew it was time to take an aggressive move, but there is no one silver bullet,” he said. “It’s a lot of little things that we can do to increase our participation, increase the numbers of people buying those licenses, and making it easier for them and creating opportunities. Access and opportunities are extremely important.”

But not everyone is enthralled with the proposed changes.

The Sportsmen’s Alliance, whose efforts in 2017 to have the ODNR raise license fees for the first time in more than a decade to help a financially troubled Division of Wildlife were rebuffed by the ODNR brass, expressed some reservations about the plan.

“While we are in favor of the Division doing new licenses including multi-year and combo licenses, we remain seriously concerned about the level of discount,” Sportsmen’s Alliance spokesman Rob Sexton said.

The group cited research by the nation’s top economist in the outdoor industry which indicates that any discount in Ohio of more than five percent runs the risk of revenue loss. The Sportsmen’s Alliance said that as currently constituted, the proposed changes to the Ohio licensing system would result in discounts of 12-14 percent. They expressed fear that despite the stated intentions of the legislation, it could further imperil the wildlife branch.

“The Division of Wildlife cannot afford a financial hit, which would result in declining services to Ohio hunters, anglers and trappers,” Sexton said on behalf of the Sportsmen’s Alliance. “We request that this legislation be amended to include discounts of no more than five percent as recommended in the economic research funded by ODNR.”

During the news conference to announce the proposed changes, Obermiller said other states that have gone to multi-year and lifetime licenses have seen an “uptick” in revenue.

“We believe revenue will increase,” he said.

Jim Abrams, who had a career spanning 36 years with the ODNR before retiring in 2010, said that while the concept of more licensing options is a good thing, he thinks the plan to reduce the cost of licenses by as much as 14 percent for longer term purchases creates a formula for trouble.

“The negative part is the aggressive discounts they are giving, which go contrary to the studies that have been done on this topic,” he said. “In an already cash-strapped agency, and a strapped market, it is very dangerous to offer steep discounts.”

Abrams said if the plan is instituted as currently laid out, the extra large can containing the Division of Wildlife’s financial woes will be kicked down the road.

“If we go with that 14 percent discount, you can’t walk it back in the future. It will end up right in the lap of the next administration, and they’ll be facing an even worse financial situation,” he said.

“I don’t have a dog in this fight, but I’m not the enemy or a disgruntled former employee just because I’m concerned and I ask questions. I love the outdoors and I don’t think this is the best thing for sportsmen in Ohio, or for our wildlife. It’s not bad legislation — it just needs to be changed.”

Contact Blade outdoors editor Matt Markey at: mmarkey@theblade.com or 419-724-6068.

First Published April 9, 2018, 6:00 p.m.