Why do hunters and anglers pay user fees and other users of the forest do not pay fees?
Hunters and anglers do not pay fees to the National Forest. Hunters and anglers pay a fee to the Commonwealth of Virginia and the State of West Virginia, to hunt or fish on National Forest System lands in the respective states. These fees are authorized under state laws (not federal laws) and were put in place to restore and enhance fishing and hunting opportunities on the National Forests in the respective states. In Virginia, this is referred to as the National Forest stamp and is a fee of $4 in addition to the regular hunting/fishing license fee. In West Virginia, the fee is incorporated into the standard resident hunting or fishing license (it is an additional fee of $2 for non-residents). These fees are used for stocking, habitat improvements and law enforcement on National Forest System lands. In West Virginia, these fees are used by state personnel for their work on the National Forests. In Virginia, these fees are used by the state personnel and some of the fees are sometimes t
