License fee increases possible

by Herald Columnists & GARNET WILSON
| July 22, 2016 1:00 PM

Fish and Wildlife has scheduled six public workshops in early August for the public to comment on the department’s proposals to expand conservation programs and provide more fishing and hunting opportunities through a combination of state funding and license fee increases.

Oh, boy…here it comes…license fee increases.

According to Fish and Wildlife, these workshops are part of their multi-year initiative, which is an effort to strengthen the department’s relationships with communities, increase support for conservation and outdoor recreation and help ensure WDFW programs and services meet the public’s needs.

Documents describing the draft spending and revenue proposals are available on Fish and Wildlife’s website.

Workshops will take place at the following dates, times and locations in eastern Washington: Aug. 2, Center Place, 2426 N. Discovery Place, Spokane Valley, 6-8 p.m.; Aug. 3, Selah Civic Center, 216 S 1st St, Selah, 5:30-7:30 p.m.; Aug. 9, Chelan County Public Utility District Auditorium, 327 N. Wenatchee Ave, Wenatchee, 6-8 p.m.

The workshops will include a brief presentation from a Fish and Wildlife regional director, describing proposals to maintain and improve fish, habitat, and wildlife management in Washington. Participants will be invited to talk in greater detail with representatives of the department’s Fish, Wildlife, Enforcement, Licensing, and Habitat programs.

Lake Roosevelt trout limit comments sought

Fish and Wildlife is seeking public input through July 25 on proposals for changing the daily catch limit on trout at Lake Roosevelt.

Proposed changes to the catch limit are designed to help further protect wild redband rainbow trout while still providing anglers with opportunities to harvest hatchery fish. Redband trout are a subspecies of rainbow trout found in the Columbia River and its tributaries.

Currently, anglers fishing Lake Roosevelt can keep five trout (hatchery or wild) per day, including two that are 20 inches or larger.

Under one proposed option, Lake Roosevelt anglers could keep up to 10 trout, only one of which can be a wild trout 18 inches or larger. This proposal also extends by two months the closure of the Sanpoil River arm of the reservoir where redband rainbow trout stage to make their upriver spawning run. Currently, the arm is closed Feb. 1 through March 31. Under this proposal, it would close Feb. 1 through May 31.