WDFW News Release: Most fishing, hunting license fees increase Sept. 1‏

[jackelope]

WDFW NEWS RELEASE
Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife
600 Capitol Way North, Olympia, WA 98501-1091
http://wdfw.wa.gov/

August 5, 2011

Contact:   David Giglio, (360) 902-8128 or
               Joe Stohr, (360) 902-2650

Most fishing, hunting license fees increase Sept. 1

OLYMPIA - Starting Sept. 1, the base cost of most Washington hunting and fishing licenses will increase.

This is the first general recreational license fee increase in more than a decade.   

The 2011 Legislature approved the new fees to help meet rising costs and a shortfall in revenue for managing hunting, fishing and the fish and wildlife populations that are the focus of those activities.

Not all license fees will increase, and some will decline, including those for youth, seniors and persons with disabilities.  New license fee prices are available on the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) website at http://wdfw.wa.gov/licensing/license_fees.html .

"The new fees are critically important in maintaining fishing and hunting opportunity and make it possible for the department to fulfill its dual mission of conserving species while providing sustainable fishing, hunting and outdoor recreation across the state," said WDFW Director Phil Anderson. "The fees reflect the cost of managing specific fisheries and hunts, and are competitive with fees charged in neighboring states. At the same time, we made an effort to encourage broad participation through youth and senior discounts." 

The new fees are expected to generate about $8 million annually for activities that support hunting and recreational fishing. Recreational license and permit revenue is used to manage fisheries and hunting seasons, produce trout and steelhead for recreational fisheries, enforce regulations, monitor fish and game populations and help maintain wildlife lands.

Revenues from the license fee increase will replace a temporary 10 percent license sale surcharge that expired in June, and will fill a projected deficit in the account that funds fishing and hunting activities. Without the license fee increase, WDFW would have been forced to make major cuts in hunting and fishing seasons and opportunities. 

"Fishing and hunting contribute more than $1.4 billion a year to the state’s economy, benefitting local communities, small business owners and the people they employ," Anderson said. "Maintaining fishing and hunting opportunity is vital to Washington’s economy and quality of life." 

[Jerome]

I see that we have to pay 13.20 for a quality permit application.  I guess they didnt make enough money when they added all the different catogories. 

[jager]

    

 

[BOWHUNTER45]

yeah i went to one of those meetings this past spring and it is BS... 

[Machias]

Once again less of a return for more money.

[mkcj]

I wonder how much the Dept. of Hiker's Biker's and walker's are raising there rates seeing how they all use WDFW lands? Just wondering ?

[Sneaky]

It wouldn't bother me paying so much if I felt like the money was actually going towards maintaining/improving our hunting and fishing opportunities, but you CANNOT tell me that all our license fees go back into the sport.

Yea, they said that extra permit category revenue would go into expanding access to private lands. Is that what they call the grande ronde vista hunts? it was a way for them to market a private lands hunt and make more money on the applications! Is our money going into expanded access for those who paid for it? I think not.

Its flat wrong that a single penny of license fees would go anywhere outside of the department in my opinion. It's almost enough to make a guy stop hunting in Washington. I wonder how high it will go before people start quitting and the entire economy suffers. High fees will produce increased lawlessness, which will produce lessened quality of animal populations, which will produce increased need for enforcement, which will produce the need for more funding. Can't they see this?

I have a strange feeling that my crackhead welfare neighbors are chowing down on about 215 dollars of my license fees.....

[marty]

 

[huntnfmly]

Holy crap just talked. To dfw increase will be 16-24%

[Special T]

Maybe we should all just down grade how much $$$ we give them... Last year i didn't buy bear and cougar tags... Already gave them my $$ for this year, so maybe next year i'll just buy bear/cougar $24 and a small game combo, to go along with duck hunting... mabe if each of us just cuts our spending in half that will help...

[bobcat]

I haven't yet bought my bear and cougar tags, or small game, like I normally do. I may end up breaking down and buying at least the bear tag though, if I can't resist my urge to try to kill a bear.

[singleshot12]

They say the price increase is comparable to neighboring states!  Huh?  they may want us to believe that  . I guess we have more salmon and crab than to say Montana but still,,hunting and fishing is getting too expensive for the average Joe Washingtonian. WDFW figure they will have an extra $8 million or so to blow for next year.  I betcha anything license sales will go down and poaching will go up though