Q&A on the News

Q: Do the fees for hunting and fishing licenses go into the general fund, or are they strictly for the Georgia Department of Natural Resources? —Carol Murphy, Woodstock

A: In short, yes and yes. All Georgia hunting and fishing license dollars are deposited into the state general fund, Georgia Department of Natural Resources spokeswoman Jenifer Wisniewski told Q&A on the News via email.

These funds are then appropriated, dollar for dollar, to the DNR by the General Assembly.

According to law, 100 percent of hunting and fishing license dollars must go directly to the state fish and wildlife agency.

The allocation of all of these funds to DNR makes Georgia eligible to receive federal wildlife and sport fish restoration funds, which totaled over $20 million for fiscal 2016, Wisniewski wrote.

The state’s first increase in hunting and fishing fees in 25 years goes into effect July 1.

Q: What year will the work on Flat Shoals Parkway and I-285 be finished? —Mack Shoats Jr., Decatur

A: The interchange project in DeKalb County originally had a September 2017 completion date, according to Georgia Department of Transportation information. But 11Alive recently reported that due to underground utility conflicts, the contractor has been given until July 2018 to finish the project. Fast Copy News Service wrote this column. Do you have a question? We’ll try to get the answer. Call 404-222-2002 or email q&a@ajc.com (include name, phone and city).