CCA Meeting this Thursday 2-12

[Mike Carey]

This Thursday, February 12 at 1:30 PM in Olympia, the Senate Natural Resources & Parks Committee will hold a public hearing on several bills, including WDFW's license fee increase proposal: SB 5632. According to WDFW, the increased fees are necessary to offset reductions in federal funding and increased costs, primarily affecting salmon and steelhead fisheries.

This is an important opportunity for recreational anglers to support the need for WDFW fishery policy reforms to accompany any additional license fee increases. We all support continued funding for our fisheries and hatcheries, but we also know that WDFW can't simply continue to raise license fees without growing sport fishing opportunity. Whether it is our Puget Sound fisheries or those in the Columbia River, we know recreational fisheries need enhanced, predictable fishing seasons and opportunity!

With pro-recreational fishing legislation introduced in both the House and Senate (HB 1660 / SB 5844), our legislators are beginning to hear about the opportunities to enhance sport fishing and its many benefits. This hearing is our opportunity to show how the economic, revenue, and conservation contributions of sports anglers must be better recognized by state policies as they consider another license fee increase. Here are the details:

What: Senate Natural Resources Committee Hearing on WDFW License Fee Increase
When: Thursday, February 12, 1:30 PM
Where: Olympia - J.A. Cherberg Building, Senate Hearing Room 1
Sign in: Please sign in at the Committee hearing as "support with amendment."

If You Choose to Testify
Please remember to be courteous and respectful of everyone in attendance, especially the committee members. Here are some key points to include in your testimony:
Remind the Committee of the recent fee increases and how support for additional fee increases is contingent upon the inclusion of policy reforms in WDFW's budget to ensure that the state considers and prioritizes the economic and revenue benefits of fisheries in its management decisions.
Talk about the efforts being made by the Commission and WDFW to increase recreational fishing opportunity throughout the state, including the Columbia River, on the coast, in Puget Sound through the "North of Falcon" process, and how support for any additional license fee increases is contingent on enhancing recreational fishing opportunity.
Please share why recreational fishing is important to you, to the state as a whole, and why you believe state policy should better reflect this. Talk about the conservation efforts of recreational anglers, including selective fishing.

If you are interested in more, additional detailed information is provided below.

Fiscal Equity and Subsidies
SB 5632 would increase most recreational licenses by $1-$2 for state residents and $5 or more for non-residents. The cost of most senior licenses would increase by 50-90%. The legislation also increases fees and taxes on commercial salmon fisheries. 78% of the revenue generated by the legislation would come from recreational fisheries and only 22% from commercial fisheries.

SB 5632 only continues the inequity that exists in who is funding WDFW. Recreational anglers already represent the largest source of revenue to WDFW (19%), providing over $71 million per biennium following recent fee increases. Columbia River basin salmon and steelhead fisheries alone generate about $15 million in fee revenue for WDFW.

In contrast, non-tribal commercial salmon fisheries provide about $2.5 million in biennial fee and excise tax revenue, far less than it costs the state to manage these fisheries. When the revenue from commercial fisheries is limited to Chinook and Coho, this number falls to little more than $1 million in biennial revenue. These fisheries cost far more to manage than they generate in revenue for the state and often more than their net economic value.

SB 5632 includes a provision requiring that the commercial fee increase be spent to benefit commercial salmon fisheries, but includes no similar protection for recreational license revenue. Recreational license fee revenue must be protected to ensure it is benefiting recreational fisheries and not subsidizing other user groups.

Economics and Social Equity
800,000 sports anglers make recreational fishing a $1 billion annual industry responsible for about 16,000 jobs in Washington. Studies have shown that about half of this value is attributable to salmon and steelhead fisheries. Recreational fisheries require adequate opportunity and predictability to flourish.

On the other hand, the economic value of non-tribal commercial salmon fisheries is estimated at about $9.5 million, but only $2.5 of this comes from Chinook and Coho harvests (most of the remaining is Chum). It is the Chinook and Coho fisheries that often unnecessarily constrain recreational fishing opportunity and predictability.

The economic benefits of recreational fishing are spread throughout the state, from aluminum boat builders in Colville, to fishing lure manufacturing companies in Wenatchee, to sporting good stores, hotels and restaurants in both rural and urban communities.

Conservation
Recreational anglers provide the lion's share of funding for fisheries conservation in Washington, including over 88% of the license revenue provided to the state's Regional Fisheries Enhancement Groups (RFEGs).

Recreational anglers have been strong supporters of mark-selective fisheries, thereby limiting mortality to released, unmarked wild salmon and selectively harvesting marked hatchery salmon. Selective fishing is a critical tool for protecting endangered, wild salmon populations and maintaining hatchery production. Most non-tribal commercial fisheries are non-selective.

Recreational anglers also volunteer countless hours to conservation activities and represent a key constituency for sustaining the health of Washington's rivers, bays, and Puget Sound.

[Idstud]

If they pass hb 1660 2015-16 and keep all the money collected in WDFW fun instead of going to a general fund wouldnt that stop the need to increase the fees?

[MarkFromSea]

There is some really important legislation in the works right now concerning sports fishing. I'm not worried about a $1-$2 increase in license fees if it's passed. "Recreational anglers already represent the largest source of revenue to WDFW (19%)" so, WDFW still needs the other 81% from other sources, hunting licences, access pass sales, some lease money, general fund.

IMO HB 1660 and it's companion senate bill needs some additional language and then should be passed. HB 1660 includes changes to 4 separate RCWs.

5551 is important to prevent organizations that sue WDFW are not paid to operate with WA State tax dollars. ie:WFC

Sounds like 5632 is a bad deal, I haven't even gotten to that one yet!

[JAYDOG]

So I'm surprised that I haven't seen an uproar on here yet of the proposed license fee increases of up to or in some cases more than doubling . Check out the latest email from CCA Washington