Sponsors: By House Committee on Appropriations (originally sponsored by Representatives Cooper and Upthegrove).

Brief Summary of Second Substitute Bill

• Requires a $10 fee for an additional or duplicate catch record card and deposits proceeds from the sale of catch record cards in the Wildlife Fund.

Majority Report: The substitute bill be substituted therefor and the substitute bill do pass. Signed by 8 members: Representatives Cooper, Chair; Sump, Ranking Minority Member; Hinkle, Assistant Ranking Minority Member; Buck, Hatfield, O'Brien, Pearson and Upthegrove.

Majority Report: The second substitute bill be substituted therefor and the second substitute bill do pass and do not pass the substitute bill by Committee on Fisheries, Ecology & Parks. Signed by 27 members: Representatives Sommers, Chair; Fromhold, Vice Chair; Sehlin, Ranking Minority Member; Pearson, Assistant Ranking Minority Member; Alexander, Boldt, Buck, Clements, Cody, Conway, Cox, DeBolt, Dunshee, Grant, Hunter, Kagi, Kenney, Kessler, Linville, McDonald, McIntire, Miloscia, Pflug, Ruderman, Schual-Berke, Sump and Talcott.

The Department of Fish and Wildlife (DFW) currently requires recreational fishers to report their harvest activity on catch record cards for salmon, steelhead, sturgeon, halibut, and Dungeness crab. Catch record cards are provided free with the purchase of a license and must be used by recreational fishers to report each fish caught. Catch estimates generated by the catch record card system are used by the DFW to manage fisheries.

The Director of the DFW must establish by rule the conditions and fees for issuing duplicate licenses. Fees for duplicate licenses, permits, tags, and stamps may not exceed the actual cost for issuing the duplicate license.

A personal use saltwater, freshwater, combination, or temporary license is required for all persons 15 years of age or older to fish for or possess fish taken for personal use from state or offshore waters. Temporary fishing licenses are issued either as a license document requiring personal identification or as a stamp. Charter boats may sell temporary fishing license stamps to customers which are valid for two consecutive days.

Additional catch record cards cost $10 each. Duplicate catch record cards are only available to full season license holders and cost $10 each. Funds received from the sale of catch record cards must be deposited in the Wildlife Fund. Fees for duplicate catch record cards may exceed the cost of issuing the duplicate card. Catch record cards issued with a temporary license are not subject to the catch record card provisions. Charter boat operators issuing temporary licenses shall affix a charter boat stamp to each catch record card before a person fishes.

A transaction fee may be issued through an automated license system when selling recreational documents, including catch record cards.

The Senate amendment requires the DFW to include provisions for recording marked and unmarked salmon on catch record cards issued after March 31, 2004. Catch record cards issued with a temporary charter stamp are valid for two consecutive days. The Senate amendment removes changes specifically authorizing the DFW to charge a transaction fee on recreational documents issued through an automated license system. The Senate amendment also removes language directing the DFW to implement the catch record card changes within available resources and adds an effective date of April 1, 2004.

Effective Date: The bill takes effect 90 days after adjournment of session in which bill is passed.

Testimony For: (Fisheries, Ecology & Parks) The bill will provide additional revenues to the DFW and educate the angling public regarding the value of the resource. Revenues should be seen as new money, not to be used instead of general fund. Hatcheries provide a significant amount of fish for recreational fisheries. Washington has a large hatchery system that needs additional revenue. The cost of fishing with catch record cards in Oregon is nearly three times higher than Washington. Charter boat operators support the bill as it applies to full season fishing licenses, and the amendment addresses implementation concerns for charter boat operators.

The DFW uses catch record cards to provide data to manage fisheries. The DFW supports the bill but needs authority to sell catch record cards through the DFW's automated licensing system. Also, youth under age 15 currently do not pay for a fishing license, but they would be subject to the $10 duplicate catch record card fee.

Testimony For: (Appropriations) The proposed bill would be a good revenue enhancement for the Department of Fish & Wildlife, but not if it is used as a vehicle to free up additional general fund money for other areas. License fee increases are taken very seriously. Catch record cards are currently required to legally harvest salmon, steelhead, halibut, sturgeon, and Dungeness crab in Washington. Oregon charges for both the original catch record card and for additional cards. We urge you to move forward with the bill as it is a valuable and creative solution to the state's revenue needs.

Testified: (Fisheries, Ecology & Parks) Frank Hawley and Susan Markey, Department of Fish and Wildlife; Ed Owens, Coalition of Coastal Fisheries; Corey Freeman and Liz Hamilton, Northwest Sportfishing Industry Association.

Testified: (Appropriations) Frank Hawley, Department of Fish and Wildlife; Corey Freeman, Northwest Sportfishing Industry Association; and Ed Owens, Coalition of Coastal Fisheries.