WDFW Employee furloughed 7/17/2020

[sjhgraysage]

Looks like employees of the WDFW are furloughed after today.
How do you think that will affect getting assistance from the dept between now and the opening of hunting season?
Will bear season open on August 1st as normal??
 

[Jonathan_S]

I think you have it backwards. They are furloughed today, not hereafter.

[ganghis]

My understanding is that state employees are being furloughed for 1 day/week or 1 day/2 weeks or something like that.  I doubt this will affect services much.  Can't see why it would affect the bear opener either

[bobcat]

It's one day per week for the month of July, and then one day per month after that, through November.

[sjhgraysage]

Thank you guys for the clarification.

[bobcat]

I believe most employees are using Fridays as their furlough day.

[Alchase]

Wasn't there just a WDFW "we are hiring" ad on here yesterday?

[Fl0und3rz]

If them not being there doesn't affect service, is it time for a reduction in headcount?

[Stein]

I was working through a licensing issue and the furlough did add a day or so to the resolution, so it does delay their ability to help, but not by a huge amount.  It pays to have your stuff lined up before you want to go out which I didn't so I take responsibility for that.

[kevinlisa06]

It's one day per week for the month of July, and then one day per month after that, through November.

Exactly! The wife is furloughed also.


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[fishnfur]

The crappy part of Washington State's furlough plan, stated as the "response to Covid-19" by WDFW is that furlough is not in any way a rational way to deal with the Covid situation.  More likely, they've lost so many anglers and hunters buying licenses that they can no longer afford to pay their employees.  They feign compliance to State's recommendations for Covid-19, but more than likely, the services we pay for aren't bringing in enough money to cover expenses, and the WDFW higher-ups decided they can just do away, possibly forever, real support of we who pay their wages.   This State's wildlife policies, programs for recruitment of young outdoor enthusiasts, and preservation of existing wild populations are at risk more than ever, despite their verbiage that they're supporting us who pay for their wages.  Governor Inslee sucks in the way no Governor has sucked before.  A vote for him is a vote for Seattle and the State as a whole being reduced to liberal polices and loss of policing we are experiencing today.  All State programs will shrivel and disappear.  Need I say more...       (God it sucks to write this)

Man, I crack myself up!

[Jonathan_S]

¶...

It's not really "WDFW's response" it is the Governor's furlough because of lack of revenue.

[Stein]

¶...

It's not really "WDFW's response" it is the Governor's furlough because of lack of revenue.

 

I think WDFW is fine this year, but the next budget cycle will be grim for sure.  No way they are getting 24M or whatever they got from the general fund last time unless the feds kick loose with some serious state aid.  I would hate to see what the state revenue looks like for 2020.

From what they have said (not much as usual), sales are strong.  There are certainly no shortage of people out using licenses.

[BULLBLASTER]

State agencies are looking at a 20% cut to finish out this biennium.
Hopefully revenues start looking up before leg session.

[Bob33]

The Pittman-Robertson bump should be substantial.

[DamnDams]

As others have said, pretty much all state employees (not just WDFW) have to take furlough one day a week and then one or two days a month starting August for the rest of the year. It is affecting response times for customer service oriented issues. I have several friends who work for state agencies (DNR, Ecology, WDFW) and they said response times for questions directed at the bios and other science folk shouldn’t be too affected because a lot of those guys can be reached on a personal phone numbers or check their email over the weekend.

Furthermore, the furlough is definitely not a response to COViD by WDFW as someone mentioned. It’s a mandated multi-agency furlough by the governor as a means of addressing budget shortfalls. (Sucks for our state employees...is Inslee gonna take that pay cut too?).

[KFhunter]

Washington state constitution does not allow the state to go over budget. 

good thing too!



They spend million+ on Francine Madden