WDFW News Release

[jstone]

Oops did I say that.??

[bobcat]

How about a limited number of Orca watching permits, with a draw system similar to special hunt permits.

[bigtex]

Almost doubled their budget....and how will we as hunters/fishermen benefit from this budget increase??? Oh that’s right, a 5% increase in our license fees.

Actually they only doubled their request for additional funds. The operating cost for 2017-19 is $437,600,000
https://wdfw.wa.gov/about/budget/

 

Here is a link to the thread that was talking about the $30,000,000 shortfall that was coming up.  I think that this increase request has more to do with this shortfall and needing to come up with funding just to keep doing what they have been doing and not really providing anything new.

https://hunting-washington.com/smf/index.php/topic,229244.0.html

 So is this a case of knowing they need $30m, are asking for $60m, hoping that the $30m is the negotiated compromise?

I'm not sure.  Hopefully @bigtex  weighs in on this one.  He started the other thread that said the shortfall was coming.  This will be a fun one to follow for sure.  Really looking forward to the explanation of what it is for and what we are going to get for it.

I do think that should get more money from the general fund.  They are tasked with a bunch of extra stuff imposed by and benefiting the non hunting/non license purchasing public.  That stuff costs money and shouldn't solely be the burden of license purchasing sportsman.

So there's two issues at hand:

1) We all know WDFWs budget has been decreasing, especially the general fund (tax) money since the "great recession years
2) For 2017-19 the legislature essentially gave WDFW a one-time gift of $30 million and said to fix their problems.

The $30 million request mentioned in the press release essentially takes the place of the one-time gift from the legislature. The $28.2 million is to try and restore services/create new services that went away during the recession years.

[buglebrush]

I hope they don't get a bloody dime until they get serious about predator Management.   I smiled like crazy buying my Idaho tags this year.  Good luck reaping what you've sowed WDFW.

[huntnphool]

Almost doubled their budget....and how will we as hunters/fishermen benefit from this budget increase??? Oh that’s right, a 5% increase in our license fees.

Actually they only doubled their request for additional funds. The operating cost for 2017-19 is $437,600,000
https://wdfw.wa.gov/about/budget/

 

Here is a link to the thread that was talking about the $30,000,000 shortfall that was coming up.  I think that this increase request has more to do with this shortfall and needing to come up with funding just to keep doing what they have been doing and not really providing anything new.

https://hunting-washington.com/smf/index.php/topic,229244.0.html

 So is this a case of knowing they need $30m, are asking for $60m, hoping that the $30m is the negotiated compromise?

I'm not sure.  Hopefully @bigtex  weighs in on this one.  He started the other thread that said the shortfall was coming.  This will be a fun one to follow for sure.  Really looking forward to the explanation of what it is for and what we are going to get for it.

I do think that should get more money from the general fund.  They are tasked with a bunch of extra stuff imposed by and benefiting the non hunting/non license purchasing public.  That stuff costs money and shouldn't solely be the burden of license purchasing sportsman.

So there's two issues at hand:

1) We all know WDFWs budget has been decreasing, especially the general fund (tax) money since the "great recession years
2) For 2017-19 the legislature essentially gave WDFW a one-time gift of $30 million and said to fix their problems.

The $30 million request mentioned in the press release essentially takes the place of the one-time gift from the legislature. The $28.2 million is to try and restore services/create new services that went away during the recession years.

 Thoughts?

[Stein]

I'm super excited for the new "quality doe" tag opportunities for only $13 a chance.  Just a rumor at this point.

[pd]

I'm super excited for the new "quality doe" tag opportunities for only $13 a chance.  Just a rumor at this point.

I have to ask: How do you measure a "quality" doe from a "general" doe?  If you can't count points, then.......?

[Stein]

I'm super excited for the new "quality doe" tag opportunities for only $13 a chance.  Just a rumor at this point.

I have to ask: How do you measure a "quality" doe from a "general" doe?  If you can't count points, then.......?

It costs more.

[Skyvalhunter]

I am sure there will be some additional doe tags with all the fires going on this summer. Instead of doing the right thing they will just decrease that already hurting game animal population.

[huntnphool]

WDFW NEWS RELEASE
Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife
600 Capitol Way North, Olympia, WA 98501-1091
http://wdfw.wa.gov/

August 21, 2018
Contact: Donny Martorello, 360-902-2521
Bruce Botka, 360-902-2262

Judge issues temporary restraining order prohibiting Togo lethal removal

OLYMPIA – A Thurston County Superior Court judge issued a temporary restraining order Aug. 20 that prohibits the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) from lethally removing one or more wolves from the Togo pack in northern Ferry County.

Earlier in the day, WDFW Director Kelly Susewind had authorized the staff to take lethal action in response to multiple confirmed livestock depredations by the pack since last November, including three confirmed incidents in the last 30 days.

Judge Chris Lanese granted the restraining order sought by the Center for Biological Diversity and Cascadia Wildlands, which filed the request for injunction following Susewind's authorization. The judge said the plaintiffs' complaint met the criteria for a temporary restraining order under the state Administrative Procedures Act.

Lanese told WDFW and the plaintiffs to return to court Aug. 31 for a hearing on a preliminary injunction to determine whether to replace the restraining order with a longer-lasting court order.

In announcing his decision, Lanese specified that the ruling applied only to the Togo lethal removal decision.

Donny Martorello, WDFW wolf policy lead, said WDFW staff would continue to work with livestock producers to deploy non-lethal deterrents to help protect their cattle.

Monday's ruling came in response to a lawsuit filed by the environmental groups within the terms of a court order earlier this year. The order requires WDFW to provide a minimum of eight business hours' notice from the time of the director's authorization to the start of a lethal removal action.

Detailed information about the Togo pack and its depredation history is available online at https://wdfw.wa.gov/conservation/gray_wolf/updates.php.

[KFhunter]

Wolves can injure or kill quite a bit of livestock in 2-3 week period, they want to waffle and delay until cattle are due to come off range.  Then next year bring in higher hurdles to jump for the cattlemen.

Eventually they'll get them cows off public (and private) lands.

[huntnphool]

Yeah, and there are still those on this site that believe we need to hurry up with 15 BP's so we can hunt them.

[buglebrush]

Yeah, and there are still those on this site that believe we need to hurry up with 15 BP's so we can hunt them.

 . Especially since we already have more than 15 breeding pairs.  WDFW will probably never admit that there's 15.

[huntnphool]

*censored*s!

NEWS RELEASE
Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission
600 Capitol Way North, Olympia, WA 98501-1091
http://wdfw.wa.gov/commission/

Aug. 28, 2018
Contact: Commission office, 360-902-2267

Fish and Wildlife Commission revises proposed license fee increase

OLYMPIA – The Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission is proposing a 15-percent boost in recreational hunting and fishing license fees for 2019, with caps on the increase for people who buy multiple licenses in "bundled" packages.

The commission, a citizen board appointed by the governor to set policy for the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW), will include the recommendation with other proposals designed to eliminate a $31 million gap between projected revenue and expenses during the two-year state budget cycle that begins next July.

The commissioners voted on Monday (Aug. 27) to replace an earlier 5-percent proposed increase with the 15-percent proposal.  To cushion the impact on people who buy multiple hunting and fishing licenses, the commission would limit the maximum increase for bundled packages to $7 for fishing and $15 for hunting. For example, WDFW sells multiple fishing licenses in the "Fish Washington" package and plans to create additional value packages to hold down license costs for avid recreationists.

The commission's action came after 15 conservationists and outdoor recreation advocates who serve on a WDFW budget and policy advisory group expressed concern that the 5-percent increase approved by commissioners on Aug. 10 would not have contributed enough revenue to close the funding shortfall.

The revenue generated by a 5-percent boost "is far less than just the effect of inflation since the last (2011) fee increase and we fear will be frowned upon by legislators and force the department into cuts that will harm our interests and the state's natural resources," they wrote.

"The commission never likes to propose fee increases, but WDFW needs better funding to meet public expectations and ongoing legal requirements," Chairman Brad Smith said after Monday's decision. "Knowing we have the support of key recreation and conservation leaders enabled us to improve the balance of our funding request between general tax dollars and revenue from license sales."

With Monday's revision, the commission directed WDFW to propose to Governor Inslee that the state close the $31 million funding gap and make another $28 million of spending increases with a mix of roughly 75 percent in general funds and 25 percent in increased license revenue.  Earlier in August, the commission also approved making the Columbia River Salmon and Steelhead Endorsement permanent, which would otherwise expire June 30, 2019.

The commission approved the license-fee revision on a voice vote, with only Commissioner Don McIsaac expressing opposition.

[JimmyHoffa]

So, there should be a 15% increase in quality of experience then?