Title: An act relating to short-term fishing licenses.

Brief Description: Providing for temporary combination fishing licenses.

Sponsors: By House Committee on Natural Resources, Ecology & Parks (originally sponsored by Representatives B. Sullivan, Buck, Blake, Kretz, Upthegrove, Eickmeyer, Orcutt and Morrell; by request of Department of Fish and Wildlife).

Brief History:

Natural Resources, Ecology & Parks: 2/3/05, 2/4/05 [DPS];

Finance: 2/23/05, 2/28/05 [DPS(NREP)].

Floor Activity:

Passed House: 3/15/05, 96-0.
Passed Senate: 4/14/05, 42-0.
Passed Legislature.

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON NATURAL RESOURCES, ECOLOGY & PARKS

Majority Report: The substitute bill be substituted therefor and the substitute bill do pass. Signed by 11 members: Representatives B. Sullivan, Chair; Upthegrove, Vice Chair; Buck, Ranking Minority Member; Kretz, Assistant Ranking Minority Member; Blake, DeBolt, Dickerson, Eickmeyer, Hunt, Orcutt and Williams.

Staff: Jeff Olsen (786-7157).

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON FINANCE

Majority Report: The substitute bill by Committee on Natural Resources, Ecology & Parks be substituted therefor and the substitute bill do pass. Signed by 9 members: Representatives McIntire, Chair; Hunter, Vice Chair; Orcutt, Ranking Minority Member; Roach, Assistant Ranking Minority Member; Ahern, Conway, Ericksen, Hasegawa and Santos.

Staff: Mark Matteson (786-7145).

Background:

The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) manages the recreational harvest of fish and the licensing of recreational fishers. 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. A temporary fishing license costs $6 for residents and nonresidents and is valid for two consecutive days. An annual combination license allows a person to fish for or possess fish, shellfish, and seaweed from state waters or offshore waters. Fees for annual combination licenses are $36 for residents and $72 for nonresidents. The Fish and Wildlife Commission may set transaction fees on the sale of recreational licenses and stamps issued through the automated license system.

The WDFW 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, except for Dungeness crab harvested in Puget Sound. A catch record card endorsed for Dungeness crab is required for Puget Sound recreational fishers to take or possess Dungeness crab, with a cost not to exceed $3. A catch record card issued with a temporary short-term charter stamp is valid for two days.

Summary of Substitute Bill:

Temporary combination fishing licenses are established for residents and nonresidents. The fees for the temporary licenses are as follows:

Number of days	Resident	Nonresident
1	$7	$14
2	$10	$20
3	$13	$26
4	$15	$30
5	$17	$34
1       Day Charter	$7	$7

Charter stamps, which are valid for a one-day temporary combination fishing license, are $7 for residents and non-residents. A transaction fee to support the automated licensing system will be taken from the amount of each temporary license. A catch record card for Dungeness crab, when purchased for a temporary fishing license, shall cost no more than $1. Catch record cards issued with charter stamps are valid for one-day.

Appropriation: None.

Fiscal Note: Available.

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

Testimony For: (Natural Resources, Ecology & Parks) This proposal is part of a larger package of fee proposals that were developed by the WDFW at the request of the Legislature in 2002. The proposal was developed with public input and received favorable response as long as new revenues were available for the WDFW to manage fish and wildlife resources. By providing additional license types, consumers have more choices, and the WDFW can offer different rates for residents and nonresidents. By increasing revenues to the Wildlife Fund, the WDFW can maintain its current programs. Without additional revenues, reductions will need to be made to the Wildife Fund to balance the account. The charter industry supports the bill because it maintains the simplicity of sale that is necessary to accommodate the charter fleet. It is important to the coastal communities to remain competitive with Oregon since many of the participants in the coastal charter fishery are from Oregon.

Testimony For: (Finance) This bill creates efficiencies for the Department. There is no consternation over the bill.

The Department of Fish and Wildlife supports this legislation. It provides additional flexibility to persons that engage in recreational fishing on a temporary basis. The differentiation in fee structure between residents and nonresidents corresponds to other fishing policy administered by the agency. The charter pricing is to make it as simple as possible for boat operators and to not discourage activity by Oregon residents. The Wildlife Account is programmed to the hilt and could use the additional revenues.

Testimony Against: (Natural Resources, Ecology & Parks) None.

Testimony Against: (Finance) None.

Persons Testifying: (Natural Resources, Ecology & Parks) Representative Sullivan, prime sponsor; Jim Lux and Frank Hawley, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife; Mark Cedergreen, Westport Charter Boat Association; and Butch Smith, Ilwaco Charter Association.

Persons Testifying: (Finance) Representative Sullivan, prime sponsor; and Jim Lux, Department of Fish and Wildlife.

Persons Signed In To Testify But Not Testifying: (Natural Resources, Ecology & Parks) None.

Persons Signed In To Testify But Not Testifying: (Finance) None.