Cowlitz,

The issue needs to be separated out a little.

Could the department have made cuts in other areas to eliminate the need for the fee? Obviously yes

Would it have been better to make cuts in other areas rather than jepordizing hatchery funding? For us, yes. But remember that the Govenors budget at the time called for hatchery closures, directing the department where to make cuts.

You stated
Quote:
the issue that WDFW kept their real reasons for increasing the fees pretty much in secret, except to that of only a few groups that they knew that they would count on for support.
I just want to make clear that the process used for implimenting the fee was in no way secretive, or even instigated by the department. It was supported by the department, but I think you would be hard pressed to find any fee increase that was not supported by the benifiting agency. The legislation got through both houses and the govenor.
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Mike Gilchrist