TWRA proposes license fee increases including off highway vehicles on North Cumberland WMA

By Charlotte Underwood

NASHVILLE, TN (WLAF)- The Tennessee Wildlife Agency is proposing changes to multiple licensing fees in the state including fishing, hunting, boating registration and more for both residents and non-residents. Among these proposed changes is an increase to off highway vehicles (HVO) permits.

See all of TWRA’s proposed licensing fee changes HERE. If approved, proposed fees would take effect on July 1, 2025.

“To better fund trail maintenance and law enforcement on the North Cumberland Wildlife Management Area”, the Tennessee Wildlife Resource Agency (TWRA) is proposing an increase in permit fees. The proposal is part of the “license rule vote” set for the December TWRA Commission meeting, and the agency is taking public input from now through November 30th.

According to TWRA data, 68-percent of OHV users in North Cumberland WMA are non-residents.

Last year, the agency proposed fee permit changes for the Wildlife Management Area, but due to public input and concern, that vote was postponed until this year for additional research and study.

According to TWRA Director of Communication & Marketing Emily Buck, the agency’s proposal for this year “is not the same proposal as we previously presented.”

“To set these fees, the North Cumberland managers determined the full cost of running the OHV program including law enforcement and trail maintenance. They then used new survey results from the University of Tennessee to arrive at a price point that would cover the cost of maintaining trails for riders and keep the area safe,” Buck said.

The survey showed an “estimated 96,801 vehicles and 183,247 people use the trails annually for OHV riding. They also found that 68 percent or 65,824 of riders are non-residents.”

Here is a list of the OHV fees proposed.

“Only one person in the vehicle is required to have the permit,” according to Buck.

Resident North Cumberland and OHV Riding Permit 1 Day $ 20.00

Resident North Cumberland OHV Riding Permit Annual $ 200.00

Resident North Cumberland OHV Riding Permit Guide $ 700.00

Non-Resident North Cumberland OHV Riding Permit 1 Day $ 50.00

Non-Resident North Cumberland OHV Riding Permit Annual $ 500.00

Non-Resident North Cumberland OHV Riding Permit Guide $ 1,000.00

North Cumberland OHV Sportsman Supplemental Riding Permit Annual $ 40.00

Public comment for all license changes can be made online. (WLAF NEWS PUBLISHED-10/17/2024-6AMGRAPHICS COURTESY OF THE TWRA)

12 Replies to “TWRA proposes license fee increases including OHV”

  1. I think that residence license holder should be able to use the trails without paying extra to do so… license are high enough now that most people I know can’t even afford to hunt anymore.

  2. I think the prices should be increased for non-residents, and no increase for residents. I also think our hunting licenses are expensive enough. Let the money from the timber cutting off of Catoosa pay for the trail maintenance!

  4. This substantial increase will drive away a huge amount of the off-road community. Many local businesses rely on people coming from out of state for lodging, food, gas. Raising the permit to $500 is a ridicules increase. Maybe consider a $50 increase and see how it impacted the local economy. I personally spend very close to $8000 annually in your area and this is just me. I ride with a group that is usually 3-4 SxS’s, we all come together so we spend about the same, We stay at hotels and rental houses, we eat every meal in your towns. Buy all our fuel from the local establishments. We come to your area 15-20 times annually. Please consider what this will mean to your communities. My small group accounts for approximately $30K to you annually. With this increase, West Virginia will get our money. Please follow Tackett Creak Mafia on Facebook, you will find that the offroad community will move on at this price.

    Jeff Robinson
    Indiana

  5. As a family man, riding these trails are some of the few that we can still afford. Other private ride parks are just not in our budget and I want my kids to get to experience these trails like I did growing up. Please don’t price our family out of riding.

  6. I think that residence license holder should be able to use the trails without paying extra to do so… license are high enough now that most people I know can’t even afford to hunt anymore.

  7. I don’t think residents should have to pay for a permit but I do understand the license up charge but with that I wanna see stuff actually done to all the fields we have that are just growed up let’s plant stuff and make it into something. Not just a growed up field

  8. Lifetime residents shouldn’t have to pay anything extra to ride. We have used these mountains all our lives without a fee. All the non residents is taking our peace and quiet away from us by going up and down our roads at all times of the night with their loud side by sides. Give us something for all we have to put up with.

  9. If outsiders dont like it fine but why should people thats lived here all ther lives ha e to pay we pay enought for these small pleasures its ridiculous already

  10. I have lived in the Royal Blue area for 40 years . What I have seen happening to our Mts is as damaging to the water and wildlife as surface mining,or perhaps worse the area is void of game and fish. When you camp or ,as I do live in the area it’s unnerving at the rumble and roar of convoys of OHV’s . Most roads are impossible to travel for hunters and local people. Stinking creek stays brown most of the year from the runoff of the erosion occurring. Local highways stay congested from all the OHV’s . I say raise it higher than what’s proposed,I would love to see our Mts filled with sounds of nature and clear water again

    1. Well said Barry Ray. Generations of our family have enjoyed the beauty and peace of our mountain heritage. The destruction of natural habitat, stream quality, and quiet areas of wildness is heartbreaking.

  11. A few years ago when they passed the ok to ride these in this area. You might of known there was an agenda behind it all. There is no fun anymore but what a person has to pay to play. Ridiculous!!

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