Feds propose hunting fees for Green River Refuge in Henderson

Chuck Stinnett
·4 min read
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A map of the Green River National Wildlife Refuge Conservation Partnership Area
A map of the Green River National Wildlife Refuge Conservation Partnership Area

The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service is inviting public comment on its plans to charge fees for two kinds of activities — hunting and commercial activities — at the Green River National Wildlife Refuge in eastern Henderson County, starting July 1, 2025.

The proposed fees are:

  • No more than $20 for an adult annual hunting permit (including permit, application and processing fees).

  • No more than $10 for an annual hunting permit for youth younger than 16 and seniors 65 and older (including permit, application and processing fees).

  • A minimum of $50 for an annual recreational special use permit for commercial recreational activities. This could include requests to gather firewood or pick berries for profit as well as charging customers for birding or refuge interpretation tours, according to Michael Johnson, who manages the Green River Refuge as well as the Clark’s River National Wildlife Refuge near Benton, Kentucky.

The agency said the proposed fees will help fund visitor amenities such as road and parking lot maintenance, brochures and public education programs. The fees could also provide the opportunity to award preference points on quota hunt applications if quota hunts are ever established on the refuge.

It said the proposed fees are based on an analysis of rates at nearby public lands and other national wildlife refuges.

Hunting isn’t permitted at Green River currently, but the agency proposes to permit hunting starting with the 2024-2025 seasons, which means hunting might be permitted before the proposed fees go into effect.

The agency said a public comment period on permitting hunting at the refuge will be announced this spring. Johnson said bow-hunting for deer and turkey as well as limited waterfowl gun hunting on 794 mostly wooded acres are under consideration.

All other refuge activities — such as hiking, bird-watching or wildlife observation and photography, which are allowed on the majority of the refuge — will continue without fees at this time. Other activities such as horseback riding (except on roads) and ATV riding aren’t permitted on the refuge.

The Green River Refuge doesn’t charge an entrance fee and hasn’t proposed implementing one.

Established in 2019, the Green River National Wildlife Refuge consists of 2,197 acres, primarily on ground south of the Green River and east of Henderson that’s referred to as the Bluff Unit, with the remainder being in the Horseshoe Bend Unit northwest of Henderson.

The refuge could someday total as much as 24,000 acres as willing property owners agree to sell or donate more ground surrounding the confluence of the Green and Ohio rivers. Including conservation partnerships with property owners, the refuge could encompass as much as 52,000 acres.

While the agency is concentrating its efforts on growing the Bluff and Horseshoe Bend units, the refuge could eventually include:

  • Acreage across the Ohio River that is part of Kentucky, both east and west of Ellis Park racetrack.

  • The vast Scuffletown bottomland area north of the Green River in eastern Henderson County.

  • And land south of the Green River stretching from Spottsville to the Daviess County line.

According to an FAQ at the Green River Refuge’s website, federal law allows refuges like Green River to retain more than 80 percent of the fees collected for use on projects that directly enhance the experience of refuge visitors; the remaining 20% benefits the visitor facilities throughout the National Wildlife Refuge System.

Citizens can comment on the proposed fees through Feb. 5 by the following methods:

  • Email Michael_johnson@fws.gov with the subject line: Proposed Recreation Fee

  • Mail a hard copy to: Green River National Wildlife Refuge, Refuge Manager, P.O. Box 89, Benton, KY 42025

The Fish & Wildlife Service said comments such be as specific as possible and include a basis for them. Sufficient information should be included to allow the agency to authenticate any scientific or commercial data that is referenced or provided. Such information may lead to a final decision that differs from the proposed fee.

It said all relevant comments and additional information will be reviewed and considered before a final decision is made on the implementation of the fees. All comments and recommendations, including names and addresses, will become part of the public administrative record.

For more information, including an FAQ, visit the refuge website: fws.gov/refuge/green-river.

This article originally appeared on Evansville Courier & Press: Feds propose hunting fees for Green River Refuge in Henderson