Here we go.
WDFW is sucking the taxpayers tut while they do less!!!!
WDFW Seeks Additional Funding Through Increased License Fees
Disgruntled: Opposition to Agency’s Proposed Cost Increases Voiced at Public Meeting Held at Centralia College
Posted: Thursday, August 25, 2016 9:57 am
By Jordan Nailon / jnailon@chronline.com
More than 40 citizens piled into a cramped public meeting hosted by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife at Centralia College on Tuesday in order to discuss proposed increases to hunting and fishing license costs.
The topic of rising license costs generates strong feelings in outdoors enthusiasts, and the meeting was attended by established and aspiring politicians alike, including state Sen. John Braun, of Centralia, state Rep. Ed Orcutt, R-Kalama, and Lewis County Commission candidate Bob Bozarth. Further signifying the importance of the meeting, Director of the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, Jim Unsworth was also in attendance.
The WDFW is asking for the increase in license fees in order to curtail a deficit of funds for its programs. The agency implied that without the fee increases, hatcheries and fisheries would likely be shut down, regulation enforcement efforts would shrink and hunters would continue to see access to traditional hunting areas dwindle.
“We’d really like to maintain our current level of service and even expand on that if we can. In order to do that we’re going to need more money,” said WDFW representative John Long in a presentation at the beginning of the two-hour meeting.
Long’s presentation noted that anglers and hunters have always footed the majority of the WDFW operating bill. However, trends over the last three decades have led to fewer anglers and hunters in comparison to the state’s population. That means that each license holder has assumed an increasing financial burden in order to keep pace with the department’s needs. Long noted that while the increased burden on recreational hunters and fishers is not necessarily fair, the WDFW and state Legislature have so far not been able to come up with a better solution.
While the proposed license fee changes are numerous and vary greatly across the board, some of the most popular licenses are set to increase substantially. For instance, a saltwater, freshwater and shellfish combination license would increase from $55.35 to $64.92. That license would also require anglers to purchase a separate catch record card for salmon and steelhead at $17 each. Any angler targeting salmon on the Columbia River or its tributaries would also be required to purchase a Columbia River endorsement for $9.75.
For clam diggers, annual razor clam licenses would increase from $14.10 to $24, while a three-day pass would increase from $9.70 to $18.50.
Hunters would also see an increase of about 10 percent across the board for licenses if the proposals were to be passed as they are currently drafted. A big game license for deer, elk, bear and cougar would increase from $95.50 to $104.85, while a big game/small game combination
license would increase from $117.50 to $129.05. Turkey and migratory bird hunting would cost $87.29, compared to its current price tag of $73.30, while a deer and turkey tag would increase from $82.80 to $90.83.
The WDFW noted that all of those prices are tabulated to be “out the door,” costs that include dealer and transaction fees.
The public meeting in Centralia was set up on short notice at the request of Braun. He said the issue came to his attention when he saw an email noting that the Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission had already voted to approve the proposals.
“They’d already had a few meetings, but I said, ‘Wait a minute. None of my constituents live within 100 miles of any of those places,’ ” said Braun. “I was curious about what the WDFW had in mind.”
Braun said he had a good idea of how many local residents would feel about the proposed increases, and he wanted to make sure they were given an opportunity to have their voices heard.
“I don’t think anybody’s going to be happy with fee increases, whether they be fishing or hunting,” said Braun, who noted that he does not believe the current proposals will pass the Legislature without an increase in public support. “On the positive side, we’re all intent on protecting Washington’s assets, so I think this is a nice start, but it’s only a start.”
LeeRoy Wisner, of Adna, agreed with Braun’s take on the issue.
“I think this is a wish list. I don’t think they’ll get it. Maybe half of it, but not all of it,” said Wisner.
Asked if he believes there may be a risk of pricing people out of outdoors recreation, Wisner said, “Sure there is. They’re gonna go to Alaska. Or they’re gonna poach.”
Jon Vigre, of Silver Creek, was most upset by the dramatic difference in cost increases between recreational licenses and commercial licenses. He estimated that the recreational anglers would take on an increase of “20 fold” over the commercial contingent.
“We help raise the fish and then they net them. It’s very frustrating,” said Vigre.
He added that, “With this big of an increase they’re going to lose anglers even faster than they have been.”
Vigre blames the diminishing number of anglers on an increasingly convoluted set of regulations, elevating costs and a dearth of fish to be caught.
Those same concerns were captured by WDFW Wildlife Director Eric Gardner during the meeting, but in regard to hunting.
“There's concern about the overall cost of being able to maintain a hunting lifestyle and being able to recruit youth,” said Gardner, who was reciting gripes voiced to him by members of the public during a breakout brainstorming session.
Near the end of the meeting, WDFW Director Jim Unsworth said that he thought the meeting went “pretty good.”
“Whenever you talk to sportsmen about increasing fees, you know nobody likes paying more money,” noted Unsworth.
However, Unsworth was steadfast in his claim that without an immediate increase in funding for his department there would be an inevitable loss of services.
“We just don’t have enough funds to continue our programs,” said Unsworth.
Unsworth admitted that, “There’s always a fear of pricing ourselves out of recreation,” and noted a few concessions that the WDFW made in their proposal to help soften the financial blow to hunters and anglers.
Specifically, Unsworth noted that the age for seniors, who receive a discount on their licenses, would be lowered to 65 years old. Additionally, many of the fees for children 15 years old and younger would be lowered or eliminated. Unsworth said those concessions will help families continue their traditions in the outdoors.
“Whenever you see a fee increase, you usually see a dropoff in participation, but it usually comes back,” said Unsworth.
The WDFW director went on to call the proposals a “first cut,” adding that, “There’s lots of places where this package can be shaped between now and June, or whenever we get this through.”
Hitting on a topic touched on by Long earlier in the meeting, Unsworth acknowledged that all WDFW activities improve the economic station and quality of life for all Washingtonians, not just outdoors enthusiasts. For that reason, he said, his department is hoping to find a way forward in the future where non-hunters and non-anglers will be asked to foot more of the WDFW operation bill.
“That’s a conversation that we would like to have with the general population,” said Unsworth. He noted that currently a portion of the WDFW operating budget already comes from the state general fund, which is a pool of general taxpayer dollars. He admitted, though, that under that system, “Sportsmen get double hit, but of course they are the ones interested in what we’re offering.”
Unsworth added, “The people in Washington really value their hunting and fishing and wildlife in general. These are the people who've been supporting us forever.”
Additional information on the Washington’s Wild Future proposals can be found online at
http://wdfw.wa.gov/wildfuture/