CFM - I will do my best to answer your questions.

Am I serious? Yes.

Did WDFW promote the idea for a vehicle use permit? Likely. But so what? They don't pass laws. The legislature does. Get it? I'm sure the legislature considers WDFW's opinions but WDFW has no more rights to express their views than you or I.

The excise taxes on hunting and fishing are completely seperate. The hunting taxes are on rifles, bullets, and other hunting gear as authorized by the Pittman-Robertson Act. The fishing taxes are authorized by the Wallop-Breaux Act (formerly Dingle-Johnson Act). The formula and the dispersment are completely different. So if a hunter wants to use a fishing/boating access site (e.g., for duck hunting), they need a permit like everyone else.

Should non-resident have to read the regs before they fish a river just once? Yes! Absolutely yes! They need to know the general regs plus the specific regs for the river they plan to fish. I would agree that if they're planning on fishing the Cowlitz for one day they probably don't need to know the specific regs for the Skagit, or any other river in Washington. But they darn well better know the State-wide rules and the Cowlitz regs before they drop a line in your favorite river. Is there anyone out there who disagrees?

Lastly, you can disagree with WDFW's enforcement priorities. That's a legitimate concern. But you can't disagree that parking without a permit is illegal. Besides, prosecutorial discretion is always within the jurisdiction of the enforcement authorities.