Senator Asking For Washington Hunter, Angler Input On Fee Increases

[Special T]

Pman as usual  you write a great letter with clear valid points. This is the kind of quality letter I will be formulating.

[pianoman9701]

I pay well over $700 a year for my wife and I to fish and hunt each year and I don't want to see another increase.  But I feel that a lot of the things that people are complaining about are out of WDFW's control.  WDFW didn't pass the law saying no dogs for cougars or bears, the people of washington did.  WDFW didn't want to shut down steelhead hatcheries they got sued and had to.  WDFW doesn't make our halibut or salmon seasons they get told what the quota will be and have to manage the people to the quota.  We have a unique state that has a lot to offer but we also have a huge amount of people that partake in those activities.  We need to stop attacking WDFW and start attacking our senators and get our voice heard.  WDFW hands are tied for most of the issues that are being brought up.  They have a budge and are trying to find money to pay for it cause they know that the voter passed school levy is gonna take money away from them.

All due respects, but if you think they're doing the best they can with what they have, you're not paying attention.

Those words were not typed by me.  They are a governement agengy there is always going to be waste.  At no time did I say we shouldn't fight the increase.  But alot of the hatred towards WDFW is mislead.  People think the WDFW has a lot more power then they really do.

No, it's not misled. Yes, there are many things outside of their influence and ability to control. We're not talking about those. The department continues to be mismanaged. WDFWLE administration is a shambles and that is directly attributable to continued poor WDFW leadership. WDFW dragged their feet on hoof disease for two decades. That wasn't because they asked for funding for two decades and were refused. It's because they were inactive towards a huge problem with our wildlife. Part of their job is to work with major landowners ongoingly to build and maintain opportunity on those lands for our hunters. When WEYCO went pay-to-play 4 years ago, the WDFW was quoted as having been completely blind-sided by their decision. Not much of a relationship then, really.

[Buzz2401]

People feel it is mismanaged but when asked to come up with real solutions they come up with ideas that are unfeasible in our Liberal state.  Why should WDFW spend more money on LE when the majority of the infractions that are written are just thrown own by the courts anyways.?  So since the the department got sued over hatcheries we should just shut them all down?  WDFW had no say either way in the timber companies going to trespass fees?  Government agencies are bloated but alot of that bloat is becuae they have to hire a committee for every damn thing out there because we live in a sue happy nation. 

[Buzz2401]

This States' departments, all of them not just WDFW, are a bloated mess of taxes and red tape.  State employees have a piss pour attitude and find any way possible to screw the taxpayer and pass the buck to someone else.  All of this when we have to pay more and more for their pensions, bloated benefits, and feel good seminars they attend on MY and YOUR dime.  I am sure some state employee will have a poor me story, and that I just don't understand.  Olympia needs to burned to the ground.

Wow I don't even know what to say to this.  Your first sentence is the only thing even remotely accurate.

[bigtex]

3. The refusal of the department to pressure large private timber companies to stop charging outrageous fees to access their land for hunting while these companies pay a fraction in real estate taxes based on tax law passed in the 70's (which assumed they would continue to allow unfettered public access), is a slap in the face to families who've hunted those woods for generations and can ill-afford to pay many hundreds of dollars extra to hunt. Many subsistence hunters are unable to feed their families on wild game because of these fees.

I agree with all of your statements except this one.

Realistically WDFW can do nothing regards to the timberland fees. All WDFW can do is call up Weyerhauser, Hancock, etc. and say "please, please, please!" WDFW has nothing to do with the real estate taxes on timberlands.

Who can change this??? The legislature, but it seems like there isn't much support for this outside of a couple legislators.

Realistically, WDFW is trying to do something on this matter. In the 2017-19 budget request submitted in September WDFW asked for $2.6 million to work on establishing and maintaining public access on private timberlands. Part of WDFW's plan is to approach timber companies and say they will provide for increased WDFW LE coverage in exchange for public access. It will now be up to the legislature to fund this package.....

[huntnphool]

People feel it is mismanaged but when asked to come up with real solutions they come up with ideas that are unfeasible in our Liberal state.

 What solutions would you suggest?

[Miles]

3. The refusal of the department to pressure large private timber companies to stop charging outrageous fees to access their land for hunting while these companies pay a fraction in real estate taxes based on tax law passed in the 70's (which assumed they would continue to allow unfettered public access), is a slap in the face to families who've hunted those woods for generations and can ill-afford to pay many hundreds of dollars extra to hunt. Many subsistence hunters are unable to feed their families on wild game because of these fees.

I agree with all of your statements except this one.

Realistically WDFW can do nothing regards to the timberland fees. All WDFW can do is call up Weyerhauser, Hancock, etc. and say "please, please, please!" WDFW has nothing to do with the real estate taxes on timberlands.

Who can change this??? The legislature, but it seems like there isn't much support for this outside of a couple legislators.

Realistically, WDFW is trying to do something on this matter. In the 2017-19 budget request submitted in September WDFW asked for $2.6 million to work on establishing and maintaining public access on private timberlands. Part of WDFW's plan is to approach timber companies and say they will provide for increased WDFW LE coverage in exchange for public access. It will now be up to the legislature to fund this package.....

2.6 million to ask for access, and in return offer additional le patrol?

This is the problem...

[Buzz2401]

People feel it is mismanaged but when asked to come up with real solutions they come up with ideas that are unfeasible in our Liberal state.

 What solutions would you suggest?

I don't feel the WDFW is mismanaged.  I would like to see better predator control but until we change the law and allow baiting and dogs that isn't gonna happen.  For fishing I would like to see our senators fight the IPHC so that we could get more halibut quota.  Get sportsman to come together to try and overturn the Boldt decision. As far as funding their budget I would ultimately like to see the state tighten up the free hand-outs to welfare but that isn't gonna happen in our lifetime.  Until we as sportsman come together and fight to remove the handcuffs that are placed on WDFW by the laws that are in place then there will be no change.

[huntnphool]

People feel it is mismanaged but when asked to come up with real solutions they come up with ideas that are unfeasible in our Liberal state.

 What solutions would you suggest?

I don't feel the WDFW is mismanaged.  I would like to see better predator control but until we change the law and allow baiting and dogs that isn't gonna happen.  For fishing I would like to see our senators fight the IPHC so that we could get more halibut quota.  Get sportsman to come together to try and overturn the Boldt decision. As far as funding their budget I would ultimately like to see the state tighten up the free hand-outs to welfare but that isn't gonna happen in our lifetime.  Until we as sportsman come together and fight to remove the handcuffs that are placed on WDFW by the laws that are in place then there will be no change.

 Hounds and baiting are the only solutions for predator control? Does WDFW have authority to change the seasons and quota's?

 What does the Boldt decision have to do with current wolf plan, or our current cougar plan, or hoof rot, or increased late tags, or increased doe tags?

 Curious what "handcuffs" you are referring to?

[Oh Mah]

Why don't they make the WDFW chief and down to warden a voted position like a sheriff is?Then the sportsman that flip the majority of the bill can have some say in it. 

[Oh Mah]

What we have now is basically taxation without representation. 

[huntnphool]

Why don't they make the WDFW chief and down to warden a voted position like a sheriff is?Then the sportsman that flip the majority of the bill can have some say in it. 

 What's the difference between that or having the elected governor appoint him? Either way liberal King and Snohomish counties will be deciding who is elected.

[Oh Mah]

Maybe maybe not.The way i see it it is separation of power from the Gov.

[Oh Mah]

There may be more people that would listen to the truth(operation cody)if there was an election

[pianoman9701]

3. The refusal of the department to pressure large private timber companies to stop charging outrageous fees to access their land for hunting while these companies pay a fraction in real estate taxes based on tax law passed in the 70's (which assumed they would continue to allow unfettered public access), is a slap in the face to families who've hunted those woods for generations and can ill-afford to pay many hundreds of dollars extra to hunt. Many subsistence hunters are unable to feed their families on wild game because of these fees.

I agree with all of your statements except this one.

Realistically WDFW can do nothing regards to the timberland fees. All WDFW can do is call up Weyerhauser, Hancock, etc. and say "please, please, please!" WDFW has nothing to do with the real estate taxes on timberlands.

Who can change this??? The legislature, but it seems like there isn't much support for this outside of a couple legislators.

Realistically, WDFW is trying to do something on this matter. In the 2017-19 budget request submitted in September WDFW asked for $2.6 million to work on establishing and maintaining public access on private timberlands. Part of WDFW's plan is to approach timber companies and say they will provide for increased WDFW LE coverage in exchange for public access. It will now be up to the legislature to fund this package.....

The WDFW is far from impotent regarding our state's relationship with private landowners. We're talking about the difference between a relationship with important partners and legislation. Because the WDFW had no relationship with an important partner in wildlife management and hunting, that partner made substantial changes to how they did business without the WDFW ever knowing what was coming down. This is extremely poor relationships.  Had they had better communications, they might have caught wind of the changes and been able to propose alternatives, including volunteerism from MHs or other hunters, to help maintain gates, property, etc. If that proved unfruitful, they could've gone to the legislators to apply pressure on that end. As it is, the hunters of the state lost a valuable resource and the end result is a sum loss for hunter numbers and satisfaction in this state.