Senate Bill 6813 to Abolish the WDFW

[bobcat]

From the Northwest Sportsman Magazine  http://nwsportsmanmag.wordpress.com/2010/02/02/abolish-wdfw/

Abolish WDFW?!?
By Andy Walgamott
Abolish the Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife!?

To some it might seem a gift from on high, and a bill introduced in Olympia yesterday aims to do just that.

Senate Bill 6813, sponsored by a trio of central Pugetropolis Democrats — Senators Tom, Rockefeller and Shin — would abolish “the department of fish and wildlife and transfers its powers, duties, and functions to the department of natural resources.”

It would do away with State Parks Commission and move that department to DNR as well.

Reform of natural resource agencies has been brewing for awhile. Last year, Gov. Gregoire asked numerous departments to come up with ideas on how to reform management, reduce costs and improve service delivery in light of the state’s $9 billion budget shortfall.

However, in December, a panel recommended to her that WDFW, DNR and other departments not be bundled. Instead, WDFW would work to unify instate regions, smooth permitting, better coordinate fieldwork and identify redundancies between it, DNR and DOE.

The cutoff for bills to move out of Senate committees is midnight, Feb. 5. It must then be passed out of the full Senate by Feb. 16.

We’ve got calls in to learn more about the bill’s odds as well as the rationale behind it.

EDITOR’S NOTE: AN EARLIER VERSION OF THIS MISSTATED THE DEADLINE TO MOVE THIS BILL OUT OF THE SENATE’S NATURAL RESOURCES, OCEANS & RECREATION COMMITTEE.

[fishcrazy]

Intresting.

 I've been at the Capital working on some stuff affecting unemployment. I will keep an eye out for this one and sit in on a hearing and see what up with it.


Kris

[wolfbait]

Where would defenders of wildlies go??

[bearpaw]

Unfortunately I think the DNR is even greener than WDFW which could explain why the liberal dems want to abolish the WDFW. They would not have to get their agenda past the citizen commission members that way....

[washelkhntr]

Definately not a good idea! 

[bearpaw]

I had heard about this from ED Owens (hunters heritage), I would think he will be moving on this if it looks like it has any chances of going anywhere. Since I am finally home, I will post again if I hear any bad news of it getting anywhere.

[Diehard0123]

Bad Idea to bundle the WDFW and DNR.

[Dean44]

 

We could get a lot worse than the WDFW.

[Elkaholic daWg]

  Wouldn't it be wonderful to transfer the WDFWs  duties to the one entity even more responsible for Colockum elk herds decimation than the indians.   My .02

[Snapshot]

It would appear that some legislators may still have their panties in a wad over the WDFW Commission and this could be another attempt to silence them.

It is a bad, bad idea.

[Curly]

Unfortunately I think the DNR is even greener than WDFW

I don't know about that.  I worked for DNR for a couple of summers in college and I didn't see any greenies working there.........(of course things have changed a lot in 21 years)  But I still suspect WDFW has a lot more tree hugging, predator loving hippies than DNR.

p.s. - I also think it would be a bad idea to combine the agencies.

[bobcat]

  Wouldn't it be wonderful to transfer the WDFWs  duties to the one entity even more responsible for Colockum elk herds decimation than the indians.   My .02

Which entity is that

[Elkaholic daWg]

  Wouldn't it be wonderful to transfer the WDFWs  duties to the one entity even more responsible for Colockum elk herds decimation than the indians.   My .02

Which entity is that

The State of Washington Department of Natural Resources. The ones who manage the forests up there that have removed entirely too much cover for the critters. Helps the indians out too.

[Shootmoore]

Bad idea, I imagine a hidden goal of this would be to eliminate the commission, as I believe there was already a push to do this by the Dem's and Gregoire.  I think it just bugs them to know end that they KNOW better and that someone not anointed by them has any say in wildlife management.  DNR controlling wildlife management would put the power back in the hands of the legislators.

While the commission is not perfect, it is better than putting it in the hands of an appointed government official who's job is dependent on the goodwill of the government.  No check and balance in that.

Shootmoore

[bearpaw]

Bad idea, I imagine a hidden goal of this would be to eliminate the commission, as I believe there was already a push to do this by the Dem's and Gregoire.  I think it just bugs them to know end that they KNOW better and that someone not anointed by them has any say in wildlife management.  DNR controlling wildlife management would put the power back in the hands of the legislators.

While the commission is not perfect, it is better than putting it in the hands of an appointed government official who's job is dependent on the goodwill of the government.  No check and balance in that.

Shootmoore

I am sure that is one of the main objectives, to eliminate the citizen commission. You are absolutely right about depending on the goodwill of the "G".