Bill would require watercraft used outside of WA to be inspected 4/17 Update

[ICEMAN]

So I am trout fishing in Idaho on a Sunday and want to drive home. How do I get written documentation before I can go home? Washington state officials to decide what type of documentation is required, inspection and documentation to occur in Idaho, prior to crossing into Washington?

Under the bill WDFW has to determine what type of documentation is required. The documentation is not set right now. It will be up to WDFW if they will accept another state's inspection and how recently it must have happened.

Exactly my point. Washington to set the standard for what is expected of another state to perform. And who honestly thinks that this inspection can be done in a timely fashion at any hour of the day. Stupid unrealistic law IMHO. Can we make it any more inconvenient for Washington sportsmen?

[Special T]

I hate bills like this that throw something out there and just say, we'll let ____ agency write the actual law for it.    I think the idea is OK to try and stop invasive species, however its BS the way the are writing law. 

[bigtex]

Would drivng with a trailered boat in the general vicinity(+/- fifty miles?) of the states borders be sufficient probable cause to pull you over and ask to see the papers?  What if you hadn't left the state?  How do you prove you hadn't left the state?

No.

As of right now you can be pulled over if any officer sees AIS on your watercraft.

If you are pulled over for a violation (anything from a speeding or registration violation to actually seeing AIS) you can be cited if you either a) admit or b) it is obvious you just came from another state and didn't follow the requirements of an inspection. By saying "obvious you just came from another state" I mean you just entered WA and the officer knows that. Such as within one mile of entering the state and you didn't pass an exit from the road.

You asked how do you prove you didn't leave the state, well the officer would have to prove that you did...

[lokidog]

An unusually good idea from our WDFW, however as mentioned in several posts, it has issues as most of what they propose does.  In the end, it will cost the recreational boater time and MONEY.  There are a huge number of logistical problems as well as funding problems with this. 

It's too bad sportspeople can't just take responsibility for themselves as hsown by the random checks that do find idiots with zebra mussels and other things stuck on their boats.

Would this include boats that used an Oregon launch on the Columbia?  Idaho launch on the Snakie?  How about boats only launched in saltwater while out of state?   And the list goes on......

And, again, that WDFW gets to decide on as yet undetermined documentation should alarm everyone with a boat.....     

[Knocker of rocks]

I hate bills like this that throw something out there and just say, we'll let ____ agency write the actual law for it.    I think the idea is OK to try and stop invasive species, however its BS the way the are writing law. 

Agreed, give the authority prior to knowing what the law is?  No way.

[bigtex]

So I am trout fishing in Idaho on a Sunday and want to drive home. How do I get written documentation before I can go home? Washington state officials to decide what type of documentation is required, inspection and documentation to occur in Idaho, prior to crossing into Washington?

Under the bill WDFW has to determine what type of documentation is required. The documentation is not set right now. It will be up to WDFW if they will accept another state's inspection and how recently it must have happened.

And who honestly thinks that this inspection can be done in a timely fashion at any hour of the day. Stupid unrealistic law IMHO. Can we make it any more inconvenient for Washington sportsmen?

Well actually WDFW have been conducting these inspections for about 5 years now. There are certain times where it will say along the highway "all vehicles trailering watercraft must exit". If you don't you are stopped and cited.

http://wdfw.wa.gov/news/jul0111a/

http://66.45.170.162/blogs/outdoors/2011/jun/24/boaters-must-stop-washingtons-pop-invasive-species-check-stations/

[ICEMAN]

So I am trout fishing in Idaho on a Sunday and want to drive home. How do I get written documentation before I can go home? Washington state officials to decide what type of documentation is required, inspection and documentation to occur in Idaho, prior to crossing into Washington?

Under the bill WDFW has to determine what type of documentation is required. The documentation is not set right now. It will be up to WDFW if they will accept another state's inspection and how recently it must have happened.

And who honestly thinks that this inspection can be done in a timely fashion at any hour of the day. Stupid unrealistic law IMHO. Can we make it any more inconvenient for Washington sportsmen?

Well actually WDFW have been conducting these inspections for about 5 years now. There are certain times where it will say along the highway "all vehicles trailering boats must exit". If you don't you are stopped and cited.

http://wdfw.wa.gov/news/jul0111a/

So Idaho is OK with this, to keep their inspection sites open to all returning Washington users 24/7/365 and all ready to inspect and certify a clean boat and trailer? All for Washinton.

[bigtex]

So I am trout fishing in Idaho on a Sunday and want to drive home. How do I get written documentation before I can go home? Washington state officials to decide what type of documentation is required, inspection and documentation to occur in Idaho, prior to crossing into Washington?

Under the bill WDFW has to determine what type of documentation is required. The documentation is not set right now. It will be up to WDFW if they will accept another state's inspection and how recently it must have happened.

And who honestly thinks that this inspection can be done in a timely fashion at any hour of the day. Stupid unrealistic law IMHO. Can we make it any more inconvenient for Washington sportsmen?

Well actually WDFW have been conducting these inspections for about 5 years now. There are certain times where it will say along the highway "all vehicles trailering boats must exit". If you don't you are stopped and cited.

http://wdfw.wa.gov/news/jul0111a/

So Idaho is OK with this, to keep their inspection sites open to all users 24/7/365 and all ready to inspect and certify a clean boat and trailer?

I never said Idaho is going to be the only source to get inspected. WSP is trained and already does inspections at their Ports of Entry. If this bill passes WDFW has to set up a lot of the program.

[JimmyHoffa]

lokidog, I think the way it is written you could launch in OR and pick it up in WA and get around the paperwork.  I looked and it only said vessels transported by land.  So the guys fishing OR for mahi/tuna can still get to Westport and such.

BT, do government/research vessels fall into this?  under commercial?

[bigtex]

I hate bills like this that throw something out there and just say, we'll let ____ agency write the actual law for it.    I think the idea is OK to try and stop invasive species, however its BS the way the are writing law. 

That is actually how a lot of laws, especially natural resource laws are written. By allowing agencies to write the actual regs it also allows for them to be easier to change or adopt.

An example is chronic wasting disease and bringing species from those states into WA. Right now WDFW can simply add a state/providence to the list. If it had to go through the state legislature it may take years, which could impact the resource.

[lokidog]

lokidog, I think the way it is written you could launch in OR and pick it up in WA and get around the paperwork.  I looked and it only said vessels transported by land.  So the guys fishing OR for mahi/tuna can still get to Westport and such.

BT, do government/research vessels fall into this?  under commercial?

I was actually talking about driving to Newport or someplace like that, fishing, then returning home by hwy.  Also, when I used to fish for sturgeon, I would launch at Johns River (I think) on the OR side and then return from there with the boat on the trailer.

And, that would be ahi (although technically I think that is yellowfin tuna not albacore) as mahi mahi would be way too far away from WA to travel by boat.   

[JimmyHoffa]

You can get mahi off central Oregon.  Only a couple hours out.  Sorry for thread drift.......

But the 3.b. part of the bill makes it seem to me that only trailered boats are affected.    The rest seems to be about training inspectors.

[ICEMAN]

So I am trout fishing in Idaho on a Sunday and want to drive home. How do I get written documentation before I can go home? Washington state officials to decide what type of documentation is required, inspection and documentation to occur in Idaho, prior to crossing into Washington?

Under the bill WDFW has to determine what type of documentation is required. The documentation is not set right now. It will be up to WDFW if they will accept another state's inspection and how recently it must have happened.

And who honestly thinks that this inspection can be done in a timely fashion at any hour of the day. Stupid unrealistic law IMHO. Can we make it any more inconvenient for Washington sportsmen?

Well actually WDFW have been conducting these inspections for about 5 years now. There are certain times where it will say along the highway "all vehicles trailering boats must exit". If you don't you are stopped and cited.

http://wdfw.wa.gov/news/jul0111a/

So Idaho is OK with this, to keep their inspection sites open to all users 24/7/365 and all ready to inspect and certify a clean boat and trailer?

I never said Idaho is going to be the only source to get inspected. WSP is trained and already does inspections at their Ports of Entry. If this bill passes WDFW has to set up a lot of the program.

It was stated that the bill would require inspection prior to entry to Washington.

[washelkhunter]

Invasive mussells are an economic disaster. Can you imagine all the intake tubes of all the power turbines being clogged with them? We dont have enough problems now we need that too. Good on them, glad my tax dollars are actually being used for a positive end for all  Sorry you're inconvenienced.

[Mfowl]

Invasive zebra mussels are also filter feeders that would directly compete with salmon and steelhead fry, eventually decimating our fisheries. We need to protect our waters. Whether this law provides that is unclear. I often launch out of Rainier Ore. to fish the Columbia as many other Wa. anglers do. Might have to use Kalama launch exclusively to avoid hassles.