AN INCREASE OF 38-percent in hunting and fishing license fees is included in a bill that narrowly passed out of the state Senate earlier this week.
After more than a decade of license fees holding steady, Senate Democrats voted earlier this week to move forward on a 38-percent “inflationary adjustment” that would raise prices later this year if passed by the House.
With a 25-24 roll-call vote, Substitute Senate Bill 5583 now moves over to the House of Representatives for consideration. If passed there and signed by Gov. Bob Ferguson, the increases would go into effect July 1.
Chapman votes against
State Sen. Mike Chapman (D-Port Angeles) was one of five Democrats to join his Republican counterparts in voting against the bill.
The proposal also establishes reduced rates for hunting and fishing for seniors at least 70 years old.
The standard big game combination, with tags for deer, elk, bear and cougar, currently costs $85 for residents, but the bill would raise that to $117.30. Meanwhile, seniors would pay $39.88.
The combination fishing package, which includes fresh and saltwater, currently costs $45.50 for residents. If approved, the proposal would raise it to $62.79, with seniors paying $21.39.
While not requested by the state Department of Fish and Wildlife as part of the agency’s wish list to state lawmakers, the bill would be the first license increase since 2011 and would raise $19.3 million every two years. A fiscal note attached to the bill states it would probably also lead to an 11-percent decline in license sales and an estimated $350,000 decline in disbursements from the partially license-tied federal Pittman-Robertson and Dingell-Johnson Act disbursements.
Speaking in favor of the increase, Senator Marko Liaas (D-Mukilteo), pointed to tens of millions of visitors to the million acres of department-managed lands, both wildlife areas and water access sites.
“These [license] fee revenues fund things like maintaining that habitat that perpetuates our wildlife and fish and shellfish for future generations. It also helps operate hatcheries that produce healthy fish that benefit all of us. It also pays for the important enforcement activity to ensure that the tens of thousands of calls that WDFW receives for service from poaching to other public safety issue, there’s somebody on the other line to take action. These are all supported by the fees that we’re talking about.”
Unfair financial burden
Hunter/angler Sen. Ron Muzzall (R-Whidbey Island) said his license fees would increase to $400 under the bill. He said “inequity” exists between that bill and who pays for Fish and Wildlife lands and all of those visitors.
“[The] inequity of this, when we start thinking about the number of hunters and fishers who are out there buying licenses and the visitors to these same properties, as the good gentlemen referred to, I sometimes wonder about that,” he said.
“Whether it’s bird watchers on Fir Island at the Department of Fish and Wildlife, whether it’s mountain bikers in the Okanagan on the wildlife area there, they don’t pay for these properties. We do. And very little of our general funds go into support fish and wildlife,” Muzzall said.
“[This bill] … is not needed by the outdoorsmen in this state who struggle to find value in the money that they’re paying for reducing opportunities.”
Kid’s Fishing Derby
The Olympic Peninsula Fly Fishers are sponsoring the annual Kids’ Fishing Derby at the Lincoln Park ponds from 8 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. April 12.
Kids from 5 to 14 years old can fish using conventional spin gear with bait and lures.
There will be first-, second- and third-place prizes in five age divisions for the biggest fish caught, which will be awarded immediately after the derby ends at 10:30 a.m.
Prices include quality fishing outfits, rods, accessories and tackle boxes. Fishing starts at 8 a.m. and measuring begins at 8:30 a.m.
Deer, elk rules
Rules related to transporting harvested deer, elk and moose (cervids), importing meat and other cervid parts into the state and using certain scent lures will take effect in April.
The director also approved a proposal to ban feeding, including baiting while hunting. Finally, he approved new rules for mandatory Chronic Wasting Disease testing of harvested and salvaged cervids in any region where CWD has been detected.
________
Sports reporter/columnist Michael Carman can be contacted at sports@ peninsuladailynews.com.
