WDFW's 6% Budget Cutting Plan

[bobcat]

Attachment C
Agency Plan for 6.287 Percent GF-S Allotment Reduction
Agency Name: ____Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife__________
Name of Program or Service Being Reduced: Agency-wide Managed Savings
Description of Reduction: WDFW has achieved some savings to date, and will achieve further
savings throughout this biennium for three principle reasons:
 Vacancy management. The state-wide hiring freeze and WDFW’s conservative approach to
filling positions exempt from the freeze have resulted in savings. We have 35-40 vacant
positions, some of which have been open, creating savings, and others that will be kept open
to create savings that can be directed toward filling the reduction in state General Fund (GFS)
support.
 Contractual work. Roughly half of WDFW’s operating budget is funded through contracts
and inter-agency agreements. The Federal stimulus efforts and increased funding for
restoring Puget Sound have resulted in increased use of WDFW staff expertise. Being fiscally
conservative, we have not added new staff to perform this work, but used existing staff. This
means some WDFW employees will be paid through contracts or interagency agreements,
rather than with GFS monies.
 Strong indirect earnings. Additional contracts with outside entities not only save GFS
dollars, but also bring higher indirect earnings that pay administrative costs associated with
the contracts. At this point, it is not clear whether the increase in earned indirect is temporary
or a continuing trend but—at least in the near term—it allows WDFW to maintain some
administrative functions with less reliance on GFS dollars.
Dollar Amount (GF-S reduction in thousands): $2,159,000
Note on provisoed amounts: WDFW has a few general fund state provisos, which are relatively small
amounts (they are reduced collectively about $50,000). We will not request any changes to the
across-the-board reductions. The department will use non-provisoed GFS or other accounts when
needed to continue the work required by the legislature.
Description of Client Impact and/or Effect on Service Outcomes:
Savings that already have been achieved will help offset the impact of FY11 GFS reductions. Future
and currently vacant positions will result in some ongoing loss of service including:
 Reduced ability to help citizens avoid potentially dangerous situations involving cougars and
black bears
 Reduced technical assistance to local entities for salmon recovery activity
 Reduced environmental engineering services (for Hydraulic Project Approvals and salmon
recovery)
 Reduced surveys of spotted owls and marbled murrelets; reduced fish- and wildlife-related
scientific support to the state Forest Practices Board
 Reduced ability to review grazing permits
 Reduction of hatchery operations and fish production oversight
 Reduction of fisheries management and conservation activities in South Sound
 Reduction and delay of Endangered Species Act plan preparations and responses
 Reduced statewide enforcement presence
 Delays in customer service
Implementation Date:
Immediately.

[Machias]

 Reduced statewide enforcement presence--What a crock, they need to cut the top management and up the enforcement in the field.

[billythekidrock]

 Reduced ability to help citizens avoid potentially dangerous situations involving cougars and
black bears

Of course they go for the scare tactic right off the bat.

[Skyvalhunter]

guess its take the bull by the horns time then

[villageidiot]

No sympathy for them from here.  We have one measley game warden and at least 12 "Ologists" counting butterflies, owls, wolves, fish and anything else they can find to count.  All they do is carry around a clipboard, wear kaki shorts and drive a green pickup and produce ABSOLUTELY NOTHING.   They can do a lot of belt tightening and still have the essential game wardens that do all the necessary work.   We have so may govt. vehicles driving our roads with exmt. license plates it's a wonder all of us working people can afford to pay for fixing the roads since about half of the vehicles driving them don't pay a nickel.    GRRRRRRRRRRR

[WDFW-SUX]

Whatever get cutting...

Does this mean less wolves?
Reduction and delay of Endangered Species Act plan preparations and responses


Sublime - April 29, 1992 (Rodney King riots)

[bigtex]

Hey Bobcat!

Have you seen anywhere where WDFW actually lists how many positions will be cut? For example, 6 enforcement positions. Or is it simply "reduce enforcement"?

Be interesting to see how many positions are actually cut since there has not been a reduction in enforcement officers throughout this whole budget mess. In fact they are having trouble finding qualified applicants.

[bobcat]

No I have not and I wouldn't know where to get that information. I suppose a call to the DFW might produce some answers to those questions. I imagine there will be something in the news when the cuts are actually made. But then again, maybe not.

[provider]

Who knows...  maybe they will just decide to propose huge fee increases on licenses,tags, applications, etc.. to cover the shortfall?  You never know? 

[Atroxus]

I wonder if it would be possible to get detailed WDFW budget info through a FOIA request? Anyone know if it is and if so how to go about doing it?

[bobcat]

There is an updated plan on the OFM site. (says it was updated Oct. 21) I don't know what is different from the one I posted originally but here it is:

http://www.ofm.wa.gov/reductions/477-WDFW.pdf

[WDFW-SUX]

I hope Scott Fitkin gets fired.

[provider]

http://www.wdfw.wa.gov/about/legislative/

[Curly]

I hope the biologists working on the bear program in CF get fired. 

[bobcat]

Good link, provider. Thanks for "providing" that.   

I'm not sure I like the option I put in bold below:




The department’s legislative request aims to maintain fishing and hunting opportunities through license fees that:
• Align revenue with the costs of providing opportunities
• Are competitive with fees charged in neighboring states
• Encourage family participation by continuing current youth and senior discounts
• Retain recreational license revenues in the state Wildlife Account
• Increase non-resident fishing and hunting participation
• Recover administrative costs of issuing commercial licenses.