Wildlife officials want

millennials to grab a rifle, or a rod, as the number of people buying hunting and fishing licenses hasn’t kept pace with population growth in the state.

TALLAHASSEE — Florida may proclaim itself the “fishing capital of the world,” but wildlife officials say they need more anglers to help cover costs of running state programs. The same goes for hunters.

The number of people buying hunting and fishing licenses hasn't kept pace with population growth in the state, and wildlife officials are concerned that could impact the future management of public lands.

Brian Yablonski, chairman of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, said the state needs more “folk outdoors and experiencing angling, as well as hunting, for resource purposes as well as to build that constituency for wildlife conservation.”

To get more Floridians, particularly Generation Xers and millennials, to embrace outdoor activities, the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission is making that a fixed part of its marketing and outreach efforts.

“Conservation has been done on the shoulders of anglers and hunters for about 100 years,” Yablonski said. “... So really, boaters, hunters, anglers, these have been shouldering conservation. If other groups want to shoulder some of that, too, I think we’re willing to hear that out.”

Commission members held a roundtable Monday with outdoor recreation industry officials to discuss ways to boost participation, but not everyone believes Floridians want more hunting.

Katrina Shadix of Oviedo, a frequent speaker at commission meetings who has objected to past bear-hunting proposals, said the state shouldn't spend public money to “kill our already dwindling wildlife.” She said human overpopulation and the need to maintain clean water should be priorities.

“Spending taxpayer money to recruit people to kill wildlife, while labeling it as conservation, seems to be misleading and in direct conflict of the voice and will of the majority of Floridians,” she said.

Over the past four years, fishing and hunting licenses have experienced modest growth, but commission members said the numbers are not sustainable for wildlife conservation efforts.

As part of a program called “3R” — recruitment, retention and reactivation — intended to bolster the ranks of hunters, anglers and boaters, the commission is committing 30 percent of its hunting funds toward recruitment and 12 percent of its federal Sport Fish Restoration funds to finding new anglers, Executive Director Nick Wiley said.

He said Florida has gotten more aggressive in marketing the state to retain and attract hunters and fishers, better than many other states, but fewer young people are picking up the outdoor activities.

The Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission has a $367.2 million budget for the fiscal year that began July 1.

Revenue from recreational license sales, along with excise taxes on equipment and boat fuel, accounted for more than $49 million for the commission in the 2015-2016 fiscal year. Those sources of money are projected to bring in just over $50 million for the fiscal year that began July 1.

The agency has targeted Feb. 1 to set new rules for finding and retaining new hunters and anglers.