HB 1647 Hearing - Includes License Fee Increases

A public hearing on HB 1647 Increasing Revenue to the State Wildlife Account by Adjusting Recreational Fishing and Hunting Fees
is scheduled to occur on Thursday, 9 February at 1:30 P.M. in the House Hearing Room B of the John L. O'Brien Building on the Capitol grounds. As I understand it this will include an opportunity for public input. Here is the Legislative link:

http://app.leg.wa.gov/mobile/meetingschedules/Agenda?CommitteeId=8221&Date=02%2F09%2F2017%2013%3A30

While this proposed legislation includes fee increases it makes some other changes of interest/concern. One of those is allowing the Commission to enact license fee surcharges to cover shortfalls in the Wildlife Account for maintenance.

If you are interested and have opinions I strongly encourage your attendance. If you cannot make it there please comment via the Legislative website.

Edit: I can't get the link to paste as a Hotlink but it works if you highlight then right click and then hit the "go to" option. I am still in the techno tarpit, sorry.

Thank you for the link! I just filled out the on-line form requested Senator Ericksen, Representative Van Werven and Buys to oppose this increase. I would think it would be smart if as many of us as possible would do the same.

I used a different format but got same result:

Email went to Rep. Blake, cc to Sen Takko and cc to Rep Walsh....vote against HB 1647

I requested an answer....got 1 positive response from Senator Takko, the
2 Representatives have not answered, tells me something.

Well attended hearing this afternoon. A mix of pro, con, and in between support and opposition to the bill, but more opposition I think. Or support contingent on some substantive changes. At least it didn't look like the committee had already made up their minds and informally and secretly voted on it ahead of time.

Thanks for the report; would have been there but jury duty called (or demanded) my attendance. Done until next time.

1.) Offer meaningful and year-round local fishing opportunities in my backyard (Within 1 hour drive from King County).

2.) Fund an increase in hatchery production at hatcheries that are not currently running at close to capacity.

3.) Transparent accounting on exactly where new funds will spent.

4.) Provide a study that proves that increasing license fees will grow, not shrink angler participation (directly correlated with 1 & 2).

5.) Increase license fees equally across the board for all non-tribal user groups based on harvest (Increase license fees for non-tribal commercial permit holders).

Hit all these points and I will be 100% for a license fee increase.

I like all but No. 5. Why? Because No. 5 allows the continuation of recreational fishers paying disproportionally more than NT commercial harvesters. Any increases need to significantly close the gap between what the NT commercials pay versus recreational harvesters.

A perfect example is Puget Sound Dungeness crab where NT commercials pay literally a few pennies to WDFW for each pound of crab harvested versus dollars per pound from recreational crabbers.

Fact: A WDFW report from 2009 (when the resident adult endorsement was $3.00 versus current $8.75) had commercial licensees paying $.02 per pound versus recreational at $1.46. Again, since 2009 they almost tripled the P.S. endorsement on recs and want to double it again (and I will give only passing notice of their desire to increase the prerequisite shellfish license) while imposing a very modest increase in commercial license costs.

Note that your No. 3 should be imposed on the P.S. crab endorsement monies to include Recreational Crab Advisory Group oversight on expenditures.

I focused my comments on the proportional disparity paid by the commercial and recreational sectors for what each receives in harvest. If they want commercial fishing, let them pay their own freight, and don't use my money. I said my more expensive Montana non-resident license is a better value than my WA resident license because Montana doesn't use my money to subsidize commercial fishing. And if the Department and the Legislature fix this disparity I'd happily pay more for my license if I get more opportunity.

We are on the same page: commercial license holders should pay the same dollar figure per pound for their catch compared to rec fishers.

Allocation was my main point, too.

I'd argue that if anyone needs to pay more to play, it ought to be the people who don't get off the couch (the non-fishers).

Salmon has become a scarce resource. As such, the people who choose to get them the easy way should have to pay more for them.

Adjust the commercial fish market by pricing people out; not the people willing to put in the time and effort to catch their own.

We are on the same page: commercial license holders should pay the same dollar figure per pound for their catch compared to rec fishers. [/quote]

Why is it that we, the Recreationals, are always made to carry the largest burden of fee increases, yet lose the most in allocations and opportunities?

Why is the State draining it's fisheries budget (which we put the most into) subsidizing and raising fish for a commercial enterprise?

Does the commercial fishery industry in this State employ and bring into the State as much revenue as a healthy Sport Fishing program would (does)?

Does the State raise Elk on the Rec. Hunters dollar for a commercial Elk harvest? Hell NO!

The State already has a Commercial Fishery in the Tribes, why are we support another?

The plain and simple truth is MONEY! The Commercials have lobbyists and put money into getting what they want!

The Tribes have MONDO money and have the Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission, lobbyists, lawyers and put lots of MONEY into getting what they want.

We have a few organizations and clubs, some advocacy groups and a whole bunch of individuals...all with separate agendas and (sorry) lack of solidarity.

Even something as maddening as a huge fee increase or the fact that the State and the Tribes can choose to shut doors in our face to their secret meetings, does not stir many.

I wish I had a Dollar for every complaint I've heard from recreational fishermen on how bad the "system" is, or from someone saying "what we need is..., I would have enough money to sue the hell out of the State!

We are the last consideration. We are disregarded, and ignored. And for all the pretense of "listening to the public" this State puts forth, the reality is, they know they can continue to ignore us and push us aside because in the end, they know we will continue to swallow the BS and buy our license and subsidize the commercials and let the Tribes do whatever they want because we are, after all, just individuals.

Unless...

Bay Wolf raises at least one more good point. The state does raise pheasants. Used to be, it was "free" with license. Now, the fee is pretty high but the actual users (release are hunters) are willing to pay for it.

I think we need to remember that if we look at it as simply "I pay you, you grow fish, I catch them" we will lose a lot. Our fish and game depend on having habitat and we, as users if the fish and game, need to ensure it is protected and enhanced.

Does anyone know how this bill is faring?

Can't tell you how HB 1647 is doing, but I went to Cabela's on Sunday to renew my license before any increase. To nobody's surprise, the system for issuing licenses was down. I inquired about a Discover Pass and got the same story. What a waste...

If you remember Raiders of the Lost Ark "We have our best people working on it. Our best people."

I haven’t heard anything new since the hearing on this bill a couple of weeks ago.

The issue is that the proposed large license price increase has the potential to exacerbate the gap problem due to the possibility of decreased license sales.

The director said that he was going to meet with various stakeholders on how to fund the $25 million gap.

Still sitting in Committee: http://app.leg.wa.gov/billsummary?BillNumber=1647&Year=2017.

I think he should meet with the NT netters and the tribes themselves. Tribes have all the $$$$$$$, $25 million, just a drop in the bucket!!!

IMO----time to take a look at the amount of WDFW personnel that have salaries over $100,000, can these people justify their positions????

Just a bump but I got a call that informed me that it appears at this minute they will not get the license increase. Limited also on the rest of things but not being sure I am posting in the hope someone knows as there is more to it.