Bill Would Eliminate DNR Law Enforcement

[bigtex]

House Bill 1849 would eliminate the Law Enforcement function of DNR and move that role/responsibility of law enforcement on DNR Lands to WDFW. Current DNR Officers would become WDFW Officers.

http://dlr.leg.wa.gov/billsummary/default.aspx?bill=1849&year=2013

Just some background knowledge:
DNR Officers have full law enforcement authority on DNR lands, off DNR lands their authority comes from the sheriff. Obviously, the main role/responsibility for DNR LE is enforcing laws on DNR lands. Compared to WDFW where they essentially enforce all laws everywhere. Prior to the Discover Pass WDFW Officers could only enforce DNR criminal laws such as shooting in a prohibited area or discharging fireworks. After the Discover Pass WDFW Officers were given the authority to also enforce DNR civil laws such as camping regs and ORV regs.

Also, there are about 80 or so DNR employees with limited enforcement authority for only DNR land use violations. Under this bill these individuals would only be able to enforce ORV and some serious/rare fire laws. The authority to enforce all other DNR rules would be eliminated.

[bigtex]

Thoughts?

[pendoreilleadventures]

I say it's a good bill. We need to consolidate as much as we can to save dollars.

[hughjorgan]

Yep, don't have a problem with this bill at all.

[mfswallace]

I see the consolidation point but this will only be the case at the lowest level-LEO's
The bureacrats and higher levels will be much more inundated with blustering and infighting thus waisting the same amount of time and money

[bigtex]

I'll play the devil's advocate on this one.

For those that think WDFW Officers should just do fish and wildlife enforcement (seems like there are fewer people thinking this way every year) this gets even further away from this. While WDFW Officers already do patrol DNR lands, they will now have to be the only state officers patrolling those lands. Means a lot more WDFW time spent doing ORV and snowmobile enforcement, more enforcement in DNR campgrounds, more time spent dealing with forest product regulations, more time dealing with littering on DNR lands. Which may mean less time doing fish and wildlife enforcement. The Beverly Dunes ORV area in Grant County is DNR owned and DNR LE spends quite a bit of time there, that will now be WDFW. Means more WDFW time spent enforcing Discover Pass regs at DNR trailheads, lands, etc.

This would move the 10 or so DNR Officers to WDFW.

[pianoman9701]

Bigtex, you say that the WDFW officers would be doing more DNR work instead of doing just WDFW work, but there will be more WDFW enforcement, isn't that correct? Are they eliminating any positions or just moving the personnel?

[HUNTINCOUPLE]

Its all a mess! 

[Special T]

There are only 10 DNR officers in the state?

You mentioned some thing in the spotlighting thread that caught my attention. There seems to be little cross over training about laws to be enforced. Game laws for sherrifs etc.

Isn't cross training officers that work a given area the best use of resorces?
So if you have 2 WDFW agents and 1 DNR agent working the same area,  if they were all cross trained in both sets of rules and regs doesn't that give us/the state better coverage?

Here is the only down side that i can come up with... WDFW will become the "woods police" that deals with all the catch all issues that are non game realted. This seems to be the trend to move the WDFW away from thier core misson. the state often comes up with some new "enforcement" action and just thows it out there for some agency to "take care of"

I am all for effeciency, but i HATE how we can go out for a good time anywhere with no illintent or really bad behavior and still break multipal laws....

[bigtex]

Bigtex, you say that the WDFW officers would be doing more DNR work instead of doing just WDFW work, but there will be more WDFW enforcement, isn't that correct? Are they eliminating any positions or just moving the personnel?

Yes there would be more WDFW Officers with the addition of the 10 or DNR Officers. Basically the guys who wear a DNR uniform today would be wearing WDFW uniforms.

Look at it this way. There are numerous events at the Beverly Dunes every year, DNR typically brings in officers from all over the state to work it considering there are only 2 DNR Officers in E WA. Sometimes WDFW may send an officer there to help, but they aren't required to do so. But if this bill were to happen it would be WDFW that would have to man/work the event, and they would probably most likely use the local officers instead of relying on officers from other areas, which could mean less officers working fish and wildlife duties in that area. This type of situation could be seen at other DNR areas that have "events" throughout the state.

[pianoman9701]

Bigtex, you say that the WDFW officers would be doing more DNR work instead of doing just WDFW work, but there will be more WDFW enforcement, isn't that correct? Are they eliminating any positions or just moving the personnel?

Yes there would be more WDFW Officers with the addition of the 10 or DNR Officers. Basically the guys who wear a DNR uniform today would be wearing WDFW uniforms.

Look at it this way. There are numerous events at the Beverly Dunes every year, DNR typically brings in officers from all over the state to work it considering there are only 2 DNR Officers in E WA. Sometimes WDFW may send an officer there to help, but they aren't required to do so. But if this bill were to happen it would be WDFW that would have to man/work the event, and they would probably most likely use the local officers instead of relying on officers from other areas, which could mean less officers working fish and wildlife duties in that area. This type of situation could be seen at other DNR areas that have "events" throughout the state.

Wouldn't this also require the re-categorization of DNR lands to now be WDFW lands? How does that work?

[Special T]

I think it would work like it does now where it is WDFW managed lands...

This bill fits in nicely to the DP, and the past failed attempt to merge DNR, Parks, and WDFW... Why not make them all Park rangers? Don't park rangers know all the fishing laws?   I kinda see this a one bite at atime ot make the 3 merge but couldnt get it done the first time because they wanted to do it too quick.

[Jingles]

If all they are going to do is change the name of the LEO"S from DNR to WDFW where is the cost savings. Just taking the money from one empty checkbook to put it in another empty check book.  Now if they were going to eliminate the positions all together I'd be in favor of it

[bigtex]

There are only 10 DNR officers in the state?

You mentioned some thing in the spotlighting thread that caught my attention. There seems to be little cross over training about laws to be enforced. Game laws for sherrifs etc.

Isn't cross training officers that work a given area the best use of resorces?
So if you have 2 WDFW agents and 1 DNR agent working the same area,  if they were all cross trained in both sets of rules and regs doesn't that give us/the state better coverage?

I am all for effeciency, but i HATE how we can go out for a good time anywhere with no illintent or really bad behavior and still break multipal laws....

Yes only about 10 DNR Officers in WA.

DNR Officers know fish and wildlife laws, and they enforce them because hunting/fishing is a popular activity on their lands. In fact I have heard people receiving tickets from a WDFW Officer when it was actually DNR. A lot of people just think if it’s a fishing/hunting ticket then it must be from WDFW, not true.

Outside of the state and federal natural resource law enforcement agencies you are correct there is very little training regarding fish and wildlife laws. Your “typical” deputy may not know a single fish/wildlife law, or he may actually write fish and wildlife tickets. It just really depends on the deputy/trooper/officer and the agency. You need to remember it is not the sheriff’s dept or city PD’s job to actively enforce fish and wildlife laws, in some depts the policy is actually to call WDFW, don’t even try to handle the case themselves.

[bigtex]

Bigtex, you say that the WDFW officers would be doing more DNR work instead of doing just WDFW work, but there will be more WDFW enforcement, isn't that correct? Are they eliminating any positions or just moving the personnel?

Yes there would be more WDFW Officers with the addition of the 10 or DNR Officers. Basically the guys who wear a DNR uniform today would be wearing WDFW uniforms.

Look at it this way. There are numerous events at the Beverly Dunes every year, DNR typically brings in officers from all over the state to work it considering there are only 2 DNR Officers in E WA. Sometimes WDFW may send an officer there to help, but they aren't required to do so. But if this bill were to happen it would be WDFW that would have to man/work the event, and they would probably most likely use the local officers instead of relying on officers from other areas, which could mean less officers working fish and wildlife duties in that area. This type of situation could be seen at other DNR areas that have "events" throughout the state.

Wouldn't this also require the re-categorization of DNR lands to now be WDFW lands? How does that work?

No. DNR lands would still be DNR. All this does is move the DNR law enforcement function to WDFW. WDFW Officers can already enforce all DNR laws on DNR lands.