WDFW Looking at 15% Budget Decrease for 2015-17

[bigtex]

Well the title says it all. The state is looking at a $3 Billion deficit for the upcoming budget year. In preparation for the cuts, the Governor has ordered that agencies prepare for a 15% cut. Last weekend the WDFW commission was briefed on the projected WDFW budget request for July 1, 2015 - June 30, 2017. For WDFW the 15% equates to $11,000,000. The following is the projected cuts:

•Reduction of Enforcement Officers ($2.3 million)
•Reduction in HPA permitting ($3.0 million)
•Reduction in payments-in-lieu of taxes to counties ($700,000)
•Hatchery reductions and closures ($2.9 million)
•Close commercial salmon fisheries in Puget Sound ($570,000)
•Close commercial salmon fisheries in Grays Harbor, and Willapa Bay ($290,000)
•Reduce Puget Sound shellfish fisheries ($450,000)
•Additional program reductions to reach target under development. ($720,000)

http://wdfw.wa.gov/commission/meetings/2014/08/aug0814_13_presentation.pdf

[bigtex]

•Reduction of Enforcement Officers ($2.3 million)

WDFW LE got $13.2 million in the 2013-15 budget from the General Fund. A 2.3M decrease would mean a 17% reduction in General Fund funding for WDFW LE.

[Forks]

A welcome present for the new Director.

[JimmyHoffa]

So HPA is a big enough deal that they could cut it by $3M? 
I'm trying to decide how I would feel if they closed commercial salmon fishing in Puget Sound/Grays/Willapa...wouldn't the unharvested by state commies just go towards tribal quota?

[Bean Counter]

Oh that's too bad--that means 15% less wolves in the field

 

[bigtex]

Everytime the state faces a budget deficit agencies are told one thing; they need to be more self reliant. For WDFW this means they need to rely less on the "General Fund" and more on the "Wildlife Fund." The General Fund is largely tax money, while the wildlife fund is solely WDFW money generated by commercial and recreational licenses and fees.

My point? I wouldn't be surprised if there is a proposal for a license fee increase next year in the legislature.

According to some within WDFW there will likely be a proposal on the fishing side, with a"minor" proposal on the hunting side.

[bigtex]

So HPA is a big enough deal that they could cut it by $3M?

HPA falls under the Habitat Program which gets $13.1M from the General Fund for all of it's subprograms. However, they only get $2.9M from the Wildlife Fund. I don't know how much of that roughly $16M goes to HPA, but I think a $3M cut is a good slice of the HPA pie.

[JimmyHoffa]

So, they would likely be more dependent on hunters/fisherman and less on greeny general fund.  Then hunters/fisherman would be carrying even more of the burden....could only hope they would improve the 'product' geared towards where more revenue would be coming from.  (cough..cough..NOT WOLVES..cough...cough)

[bobcat]

They need to start selling wolf watching licenses.   

[grundy53]

Cutting $700,000 payment in lieu of taxes? So basically the state is deciding they're not going to pay the counties their property taxes... must nice to be able to just not pay your taxes...

sent from my typewriter

[bigtex]

Cutting $700,000 payment in lieu of taxes? So basically the state is deciding they're not going to pay the counties their property taxes... must nice to be able to just not pay your taxes...

As part of a legislative package WDFW is requesting legislation that will both unfreeze the current payments (which only authorizes payments to some E WA counties) but also increase the amount paid out to all counties. It sounds like the funding for PILT will move from the General Fund to the Wildlife Fund. WDFW wants to help the counties where they are acquiring lands.

[WSU]

So HPA is a big enough deal that they could cut it by $3M? 
I'm trying to decide how I would feel if they closed commercial salmon fishing in Puget Sound/Grays/Willapa...wouldn't the unharvested by state commies just go towards tribal quota?

No. There are no tribal fisheries in willapa. Just a giant welfare system for an out dated industry. Hatcheries there will probably close. Tribes and sports will get more in grays harbor. Who knows in the sound?

[idahohuntr]

I don't know...this has the makings of putting out unpopular cuts in hopes the legislature will hear from constituents and spare them.    I praise wdfw for many things...but I don't believe they are all that good at getting the best bang for the $$...I think I could cut 11 million from their budget in a way the public wouldn't even notice 

[bigtex]

In addition to a loss of revenue from taxes. The state is also expecting the shortfall because of the "McCleary Decision" which states the state must drastically increase funding for education. So basically the state must not only draft a budget on smaller tax revenues, but also divert funding from all agencies and move them to education.

[Northway]

Well the title says it all. The state is looking at a $3 Billion deficit for the upcoming budget year. In preparation for the cuts, the Governor has ordered that agencies prepare for a 15% cut. Last weekend the WDFW commission was briefed on the projected WDFW budget request for July 1, 2015 - June 30, 2017. For WDFW the 15% equates to $11,000,000. The following is the projected cuts:

•Reduction of Enforcement Officers ($2.3 million)
•Reduction in HPA permitting ($3.0 million)
•Reduction in payments-in-lieu of taxes to counties ($700,000)
•Hatchery reductions and closures ($2.9 million)
•Close commercial salmon fisheries in Puget Sound ($570,000)
•Close commercial salmon fisheries in Grays Harbor, and Willapa Bay ($290,000)
•Reduce Puget Sound shellfish fisheries ($450,000)
•Additional program reductions to reach target under development. ($720,000)

http://wdfw.wa.gov/commission/meetings/2014/08/aug0814_13_presentation.pdf

Bigtex,

Would you mind offering up any insight on how WDFW prioritizes cuts?