SB 6011

[Rainier10]

Can someone explain what the reasoning is behind this bill?

https://app.leg.wa.gov/billsummary?BillNumber=6011&Year=2023&Initiative=False

It appears to me this would give tribal police authorization to police DNR land. I’m just mot sure what the point is if I’m reading that correct.

@bigtex ?

[Tbar]

As opposed to zero enforcement?  Capacity through collaboration?

[Rainier10]

So is there an abundance of tribal police with spare time?

Is there a fee to have tribal enforcement police DNR land?

I am fully aware that DNR enforcement is grossly understaffed.

[callturner]

Any extra DNR police would be great our last officer just retired and we have one still that goes from Canada I believe to Oregon and from Idaho over toward Ellensburg somewhere. We have had so much DNR property gated off in southern Stevens county that it is ridiculous and it is all posted no shooting. Nobody lost their life nobody's house was shot there's some whiny neighbors that lived over the mountain and didn't like hearing gunshots and lots of littering on the state land

[chukardogs]

 Not Carte Blanche! My bet is, considering it states the Commissioner "can" enter into an agreement with interlocal tribes and they're specifically calling out statutes pertaining to the Discovery pass, traffic violations and fish and wildlife infractions. Then there will be specific localities where there's agreements in place allowing tribal enforcement officers to be eyes and ears of the state enforcement agencies and to deal with tribal members off the reservation.
 Looks to me like the state is getting all their ducks in a row to allow tribal enforcement in places that are off the reservation, i.e. the north half and places where the reservation abut's state park or wilderness land.
 If there's verbiage in the law already that states tribal enforcement officers have jurisdiction over non indians on the reservation only and tribal members only on state governed lands, then this additional verbiage just makes that clear and probably allows the tribal enforcement officers to stop non-indians when the need arises in situations like traffic violations, drunk drivers, poaching....etc. Some would believe you can never have too many eyes and ears.

[Smokeploe]

They want to use tribal police to enforce and control FEDERAL and state dept natural resources!  No this is a bad idea and then it sets a precedent for tribal control of these properties! 

Smokeploe

[huntinguy]

I thought if one was sited by tribal police you had to go to federal court... couldn't they just give limited state authority to the tribal police so it would be a state issue when citing on non tribal land... Not sure how that multiple commission thing works... I have me F&G that carry F&G, state and county commissions...

[birddogdad]

great idea! what could POSSIBLY go wrong


https://www.sequimgazette.com/news/elk-hunters-held-at-gunpoint/

[Tinmaniac]

Sounds like more Democrat palms getting greased to me yet I still haven't seen any introduction of the republican candidates in our state.

[HntnFsh]

great idea! what could POSSIBLY go wrong


https://www.sequimgazette.com/news/elk-hunters-held-at-gunpoint/

I know exactly where, when, and who this happened to. It was pretty crazy!

[bigtex]

Can someone explain what the reasoning is behind this bill?

https://app.leg.wa.gov/billsummary?BillNumber=6011&Year=2023&Initiative=False

It appears to me this would give tribal police authorization to police DNR land. I’m just mot sure what the point is if I’m reading that correct.

@bigtex ?

So this is actually an agency requested bill, so essentially DNR wrote the bill. Below I have copied and pasted DNR's reasoning for the bill. Basically, it comes down to just having more LEOs on DNR lands at no expense to DNR. As noted, it does not require DNR to give this authorization, or require a tribe to seek it. The authorization is limited to DNR land use violations (fires, OHVs, camping, etc.) and does not pertain to hunting/fishing violations.

DNR’s Law Enforcement Program addresses the public safety and enforcement challenges of managing 5.6 million acres of public lands that have seen at least twenty percent increase in use since 2019. This bill authorizes the Commissioner of
Public Lands to enter into Interlocal Agreements with federally recognized Tribes. This would authorize Tribal police officers to enforce natural resource civil infractions on DNR-managed land.

This legislation embraces the purpose of the Interlocal Cooperation Act for local governments to collaboratively use their authorities to efficiently serve the people of Washington. There are no expected agency costs associated with this bill.
This bill does not require the Commissioner of Public Lands or any federally recognized Tribe to enter into an agreement. Instead, the Commissioner and federally recognized Tribes are allowed to pursue collaborative law enforcement
opportunities. The scope of such agreements is limited to DNR civil infractions. DNR’s law enforcement officers do not enforce the Forest Practices Act and Rules, and neither would Tribal officers under an agreement with DNR.

This legislative request flows from the Interlocal Cooperation Act (Chapter 39.34 RCW) that includes federally recognized Tribes under the definition of public agencies.

This bill should not impact other state agencies’ responsibilities or law enforcement operations. The bill does not seek reciprocal authority to carry out law enforcement on Tribal lands. In addition, it does not seek to replace DNR’s need for additional law enforcement officers to address the forty percent increase in calls for service that has been received since 2017.

[Rainier10]

Thanks @bigtex .

[trophyhunt]

Hell no, are you serious? So, tribes can do as they please off tribal land with no repercussions, but off tribal land if I don’t realize there is a burn ban or I venture 100 yards on DNR property without a discover pass, a tribal guy can write me a ticket?! Ha, go F yourself!

[bigtex]

Hell no, are you serious? So, tribes can do as they please off tribal land with no repercussions, but off tribal land if I don’t realize there is a burn ban or I venture 100 yards on DNR property without a discover pass, a tribal guy can write me a ticket?! Ha, go F yourself!

They couldn't write you for a discover pass since that's not a DNR land use reg, but rather a state law.

But I get your point.

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