Z-815                 _______________________________________________

                                                   SENATE BILL NO. 4232

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State of Washington                              49th Legislature                              1985 Regular Session

By Senators Owen, Stratton, Deccio and Metcalf; by Department of Game request

Read first time 2/8/85 and referred to Committee on Natural Resources.

AN ACT Relating to game; creating a new section; and making an appropriation.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1.     (1) The legislature recognizes that major responsibilities have been mandated to the department of game in the areas of commercial steelhead management, administration and enforcement of environmental laws, and other important wildlife programs. The legislature further finds that the cost of these mandated responsibilities should not be borne solely by licensed hunters, anglers, and trappers but by the general population of the state, who enjoy the benefits of healthy and abundant fish and wildlife populations.

          (2) The legislature recognizes that free fishing privileges and free fishing and hunting licenses provided by the department of game result in an estimated annual revenue loss to the state game fund of $3,600,000 and that the provision of these free fishing privileges and free fishing and hunting licenses constitutes a social obligation that, if required, should also be borne by the general population of Washington rather than just those people who contribute to the state game fund through the purchase of hunting, fishing, and trapping licenses.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 2.     For the biennium ending June 30, 1987, the sum of $4,617,000 is appropriated to the department of game from the general fund to help fund the Steelhead Data and Management Program, including the enforcement of commercial harvest regulations and other critical, identified department programs.