TITLE 312 NATURAL RESOURCES COMMISSION
Economic Impact Statement
LSA Document #11-101
IC 4-22-2.1-5 Statement Concerning Rules Affecting Small Businesses
Estimated Number of Small Businesses Subject to this Rule:
1,259 (391 deer check stations, 140 deer processors, and 728 taxidermists)
Estimated Average Annual Reporting, Record Keeping, and Other Administrative Costs Small Businesses Will Incur for Compliance:
$50 per year for an estimated time of six hours per year ($10 per hour) to complete the log sheets and records.
Estimated Total Annual Economic Impact on Small Businesses to Comply:
$50 per year to complete the records required for deer taken to be checked in at a check station, processed at a deer processor, or mounted by a licensed taxidermist.
Justification Statement of Requirement or Cost:
There are no new requirements or costs specifically for check stations, taxidermists, or deer processors that are small businesses. However, by allowing more deer to be taken by youth hunters and adding the new special antlerless only season for a week in December, these small businesses will be indirectly affected by having more customers come to their place of business to check in deer or have a deer processed or mounted. These businesses will have more deer to check in and process as a result of these rule changes due to the increase in the number of deer that can be taken during the special youth season, new antlerless only season, and urban deer season. Licensed taxidermists may also see an increase in business if more antlered deer are harvested and taken to a taxidermist to be mounted as a result of the addition of the crossbow during the entire archery season.
Regulatory Flexibility Analysis of Alternative Methods:
The only known alternative for the check stations that operate as small businesses is for the DNR to establish a harvest reporting system for deer that is done by telephone, instead of having hunters take deer to a place of business to record information by hand. Specific information is recorded by check station operators and is required by law to assist the DNR in the management of the deer population and for law enforcement purposes. However, the DNR is unable to afford this other harvest reporting system at this time. The estimated cost of the current system using check stations (and paper log sheets) is $97,000 a year, whereas a tele-check system (not using check stations and using only a telephone reporting system) could cost up to $108,000 a year (including start-up fee, maintenance fees, and cost per registration based on bids received in 2008). This cost is currently paid for out of the Department of Interior F & W Fund (61670), but it has been paid for out of the Deer Research and Management Fund in the past when federal funds were not available.
Check stations and deer processors are already open at this time of year to take in deer. They will simply have an increase in the deer brought to their place of business to be processed (which is an increase in revenue for the processor) or checked in. However, many check stations and deer processors are able to sell other items to hunters when they check in their deer, so these businesses should see an increase in revenue as a result of the rule changes. Licensed taxidermists will also be affected if the number of antlered deer that are brought in is higher than current levels.
Posted: 06/15/2011 by Legislative Services Agency
DIN: 20110615-IR-312110101EIA
Composed: Apr 19,2024 9:30:01PM EDT
A
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