WDFW's 6% Budget Cutting Plan

[WDFW-SUX]

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.

 

*News flash* to WDFW...Your game managment has sucked for decades and the only place worse is California...No sane person would come here to hunt when they have to drive through Idaho or Oregon to get here.

[Curly]

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.

I know how they can " Increase non-resident fishing and hunting participation ".  They can ensure that more game and more fish exist in this state for people to want to come here to hunt and fish.  And one way to do that is to eliminate more predators like wolves, coyotes, cougars, and bears.

[Atroxus]

I am more curious about how much they spend total on enforcement officer salaries, vs "ologist"/administrative/management salaries, and where the rest of the WDFW budget gets spent. I am betting there is plenty of "dead wood" that could be pruned to allocate more budget to enforcement if we could get a look at the budget.

[bobcat]

I think we have crowded enough hunting conditions as it is and we don't need to encourage people from other states to come here and make it worse. They must be intending on reducing non-resident license and tag fees. That's the only way I can think of to encourage more non-resident "participation." And I don't want that. Our fees are right in line with other states and they should stay the same. I do know people from Oregon like to hunt mule deer and elk here sometimes since in their state they need to be drawn before they can hunt. Here they can just purchase an over-the-counter tag and go hunting. I think the over-the-couner tags are "encouragement" enough.

[Curly]

I think we have crowded enough hunting conditions as it is and we don't need to encourage people from other states to come here and make it worse. They must be intending on reducing non-resident license and tag fees. That's the only way I can think of to encourage more non-resident "participation." And I don't want that. Our fees are right in line with other states and they should stay the same. I do know people from Oregon like to hunt mule deer and elk here sometimes since in their state they need to be drawn before they can hunt. Here they can just purchase an over-the-counter tag and go hunting. I think the over-the-couner tags are "encouragement" enough.

I agree.  And if they want to be in-line with neighboring states, shouldn't they be increasing non-res fees?  Oregon and ID both jacked up the prices recently.

[bobcat]

I am more curious about how much they spend total on enforcement officer salaries, vs "ologist"/administrative/management salaries, and where the rest of the WDFW budget gets spent. I am betting there is plenty of "dead wood" that could be pruned to allocate more budget to enforcement if we could get a look at the budget.

Have you seen the list of employees and their salaries? The latest is from 2009 but it might help.

http://www.ofm.wa.gov/persdetail/2009/477.pdf

[Atroxus]

Have you seen the list of employees and their salaries? The latest is from 2009 but it might help.

http://www.ofm.wa.gov/persdetail/2009/477.pdf

  I had not until now. I take it those are monthly salaries? Those enforcement officers make some pretty nice money IMO. Heck of a lot more than my wife or I make at any rate.(and my wife has a master's degree)

[bobcat]

Yes, and did you notice all the biologists and their high salaries? I wonder how many of those biologists only deal with butterflies, frogs, squirrels, and marbled murrelets....

[Machias]

The ONLY reason we are overcrowded is because they have us all crawling over each other in a few GMUs.  The overcrowding could be elminated if they OPEN the FRICKEN State up.  This single issue is killing hunter participation from residents!

[bigtex]

Have you seen the list of employees and their salaries? The latest is from 2009 but it might help.

http://www.ofm.wa.gov/persdetail/2009/477.pdf

  I had not until now. I take it those are monthly salaries? Those enforcement officers make some pretty nice money IMO. Heck of a lot more than my wife or I make at any rate.(and my wife has a master's degree)

Yes WDFW Officers make pretty good money, actually they are the highest paid game wardens in the country. HOWEVER they are still not paid as well as other law enforcement agencies in the state, and WDFW is now known as a law enforcement agency. In fact they are no longer "Fish and Wildlife Enforcement Officers", they are "Fish and Wildlife Police Officers". Most people don't know but WDFW Officers work 171 hours months, that is their "workblock" those 11 hours over 160 aren't OT. Most law enforcement agencies (and most americans) only work 160 hours, and anything over is OT. Well that is not so with WDFW.

[bobcat]

A normal month is going to be more than 160 hours for most people. I think it comes out to 174 hours per month for a year. 4 weeks would be 160 hours for a typical 40 hour/week. A month is longer than 4 weeks. So I don't understand why you're saying anything over 160 hours for a month would be paid as OT for most people. 

[Wacenturion]

Have you seen the list of employees and their salaries? The latest is from 2009 but it might help.

http://www.ofm.wa.gov/persdetail/2009/477.pdf

  I had not until now. I take it those are monthly salaries? Those enforcement officers make some pretty nice money IMO. Heck of a lot more than my wife or I make at any rate.(and my wife has a master's degree)

Yes WDFW Officers make pretty good money, actually they are the highest paid game wardens in the country. HOWEVER they are still not paid as well as other law enforcement agencies in the state, and WDFW is now known as a law enforcement agency. In fact they are no longer "Fish and Wildlife Enforcement Officers", they are "Fish and Wildlife Police Officers". Most people don't know but WDFW Officers work 171 hours months, that is their "workblock" those 11 hours over 160 aren't OT. Most law enforcement agencies (and most americans) only work 160 hours, and anything over is OT. Well that is not so with WDFW.

That's true as far as the 160/171 hours....but many years ago they got extra steps in pay above their grade for odd and unusual hours...so in reality they do get paid for them.....like for the last 30+ years.  

[Hangfire]

I believe the AVERAGE work hours per month are 176. I have heard that WDFW officers pay is a little higher than the state patroll. They also have a higher certification level and more authority, at least that is what I was told by one.

[KillerMiller]

The average work month is 176 hrs over 12 months for most employees that work 40 hrs/wk.   

As far as WDFW budget reduction, the 6% reduction will only affect the 49% that the wildlife and general fund actually pays for WDFW, but all employees will feel the reduction.  BTW 51% of WDFW is funded through federal, local, tribal and other conservation grants and/or contracts.  So, hunters and fishermen fund a small portion of WDFW.  Many of the bios on the employee list actually have non state funded contracts that are funded by the Feds, local utilities, and many other groups.  That 51% brings revenue to WDFW that helps purchase land, puts fish in the rivers/lakes, and many other recreational activities we all enjoy.    

[Wacenturion]

The average work month is 176 hrs over 12 months for most employees that work 40 hrs/wk.  

As far as WDFW budget reduction, the 6% reduction will only affect the 49% that the wildlife and general fund actually pays for WDFW, but all employees will feel the reduction.  BTW 51% of WDFW is funded through federal, local, tribal and other conservation grants and/or contracts.  So, hunters and fishermen fund a small portion of WDFW.  Many of the bios on the employee list actually have non state funded contracts that are funded by the Feds, local utilities, and many other groups.  That 51% brings revenue to WDFW that helps purchase land, puts fish in the rivers/lakes, and many other recreational activities we all enjoy.  

You're forgetting a lot of those federal funds are either DJ (fishing) or PR(hunting)....a direct result and expenditure of hunters and fishermen.