The District’s 68 mostly urban square miles leave little room for hunting.
But one member of the U.S. House of Representatives hopes to change that — not by legalizing hunting in the nation’s capital, but by guaranteeing D.C. residents access to affordable hunting licenses in neighboring states.
Legislation recently introduced by U.S. Rep. Jeff Miller, R-Fla., requires that Maryland and Virginia treat District residents as in-state denizens for the purposes of a hunting license, including charging the cheaper license fee.It also requires that the District reimburse its neighbors for lost revenues as a result of the agreement, though the measure pledges federal help for that purpose.
Virginia residents pay $18 for a basic hunting license, while out-of-state residents pay $86. A Maryland resident can hunt for $24.50, while out-of-state residents will pay $130 for a regular full season license.
Miller was made aware of the issue — that D.C. residents are forced to pay big bucks to hunt — by a Washingtonian during a clay shooting tournament about a year ago, Miller spokesman Dan McFaul said. The congressman is an avid sportsman who counts the National Rifle Association as a major supporter, having contributed $2,000 during the 2005-2006 cycle.
“To him it didn’t seem fair, and no one else was doing anything about it,” McFaul said.
Julia Dixon, spokeswoman with the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries, said no more than 1,200 D.C. residents hold Virginia hunting or fishing licenses. She questioned whether a federal law was necessary.
“We could work out a reciprocal agreement without the federal government getting involved,” Dixon said.
In a similar vein, District residents enjoy in-state tuition rates at all public universities across the country. Miller, however, voted against reauthorizing the D.C. Tuition Access Grant program when it came before the House in May.
Rep. Tom Davis, R-Va., ranking member of the Oversight and Government Reform Committee, is reviewing the legislation, a spokesman said.
