SALEM — A task force charged with finding sustainable funding for the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife is considering holding off on scheduled license fee increases if the Legislature approves either an income tax surcharge or a surcharge on beverage containers to fund the department.

The task force met Tuesday at the Capitol.

The department’s biennial budget is about $370 million. One-third comes from the federal government, another third from hunting and fishing licenses, and the remainder from state funding sources.

In 2015, the Oregon Secretary of State’s Office found that ODFW had persistent cash flow problems, noting that fee increases had not in the past been able to address the underlying causes of the department’s budget shortfalls.

Either the proposed beverage container or income tax surcharge would be calculated to bring in what the task force has estimated is an additional $86 million in needed revenue for the department — an increase the task force recommended Tuesday from an earlier $79.9 million estimate. The higher number takes into account the proposed rollback of fee increases.

There are two scheduled license fee increases — one in 2018 and another in 2020. In future years, the task force has proposed, the license fees would be indexed to inflation.

Part of the task force’s work was to recognize the contributions of hunters and anglers make to the department’s conservation work. An exemption to the income tax surcharge for licenseholders was previously floated as a way to meet that goal.

Holding the line on fees was determined to be more feasible.

The next meeting of the task force is scheduled for Nov. 28, when members will review a final draft of the report they will present to the Legislature during an interim session in mid-December.

The group also wants to get input from the beverage industry.

Either surcharge proposal has to incorporated into legislation or approved by voters via a ballot measure in order to go into effect.