...they don't depend on the money they get from license sales
Here was the arrangement of funding sources from a few years ago:
2007-09: $431 million
30% - Federal, this is composed mostly of excise taxes on gear we buy and is allocated based on license sales.
26% - The state general fund.
15% - License fees, fines, and forfeitures.
13% - Local sources, such as a city or county shifting funds to the department.
11% - Proceeds from borrowed funds.
5% - Other, such as joint-ventures with groups such as DU, RMEF and the wolf groupies.
I pay into all but one of these categories, and I volunteer hundreds of hours of my personal time throughout the year. You probably do too, so don't be bashful about voicing your concern.
In recent months the state has cut the general fund allocation some. With that source becoming unstable, the department is actually leaning more heavily on us as a funding source... At least 12 million was cut out of the 110 million allocation in the first budget cut. The general fund allocation may now represent as little as 20% of the department budget.