(AP) -- South Carolina's Department of Natural Resources wants to raise fees to generate more revenue as the agency struggles with budget cuts, but the State newspaper reported Tuesday the agency may wait to propose the increases until 2013, because of worries lawmakers won't raise fees next year, an election year.
The Department of Natural Resources has seen its state funding reduced from about $32 million to $14 million in the past few years.
The plan under consideration could raise nearly $5 million if all the proposed changes are approved by lawmakers.
DNR board chairwoman Caroline Rhodes says she doesn't like waiting until 2013 to request the higher fees, but she doesn't want to see the request rejected either.
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