Legislature's work spawns more fees for outdoors enthusiasts.Byline: INSIDE THE OUTDOORS By Mike Stahlberg The Register-Guard I see Oregon's legislators, bless 'em, adjourned after seven months without forcing the state into bankruptcy. Lawmakers, however, did place additional strain on the budgets of hunters, fishers, crabbers and boaters. Higher (or new) fees for the privilege of participating in outdoor pursuits stand out among changes the 2003 Legislature made in Oregon's outdoor recreation laws. The cost of most resident fishing and hunting licenses and tags will increase by $5 in 2004. Non-residents will face larger price hikes. Because most anglers and hunters also need a harvest tag of some sort, the cost of participating in each sport goes up $10 a year. Individuals who get involved in all the major hunting and fishing seasons will shell out an extra $20. The all-inclusive "Sports Pac License," for example, will cost $125 next year; the 2003 version cost $105. The fee increases - which were supported almost unanimously by hunters and anglers who testified at the public hearings - are expected to generate an additional $5 million per year. Most of that money will go to pay for current services (hatcheries, game law enforcement, etc.) that would otherwise have been cut. Meanwhile, crabbers and clam-diggers will no longer enjoy a "free lunch" in Oregon. The legislature created a new $5 yearly shellfish shellfish, popular name for certain edible mollusks (see Mollusca), e.g., oysters, clams, and scallops, and for certain edible crustaceans, e.g., crabs, lobsters, and shrimps. All are aquatic invertebrates with shells; they are not fish. license. You'll need one to go crabbing, clam-digging or for the taking of an array of other marine mollusks and crustaceans. Non-Oregonians must pay $15 for an annual shellfish license, or $7.50 for a three-day license. Oregon, which has long regulated the type, size and number of shellfish harvested, is the last West Coast state to charge for recreational crabbing and clam-digging. In fact, Washington just boosted its resident shellfish fee by $3, to $10.95. The new shellfish license is expected to raise about $900,000 during the 2003-05 biennium bi·en·ni·um n. pl. bi·en·ni·ums or bi·en·ni·a A two-year period. [Latin : bi-, two; see bi-1 + annus, year; see at- . The money will be used to enhance shellfish safety inspections and shellfish management activities. Some boat owners also will find themselves paying higher fees in 2004. The legislature approved an Oregon Marine Board request to replace the current "sliding scale slid·ing scale n. A scale in which indicated prices, taxes, or wages vary in accordance with another factor, as wages with the cost-of-living index or medical charges with a patient's income. " structure for boat registration fees with a flat annual rate of $1.50 per linear foot. In other words Adv. 1. in other words - otherwise stated; "in other words, we are broke" put differently , the owner of a 16-foot powerboat - who now pays $25 for a two-year registration decal - will pay $48 every two years under the new system. The cost of obtaining duplicate titles, registrations and the like also was increased. All told, the Marine Board expects to collect an additional $3.7 million per biennium from boat owners. About $2.7 million of that will be used to upgrade boating facilities statewide. The remainder will be used to boost the marine law enforcement program. Speaking of marine laws, the legislature did shrink the size of fines that can be levied for certain boating infractions, including failure to carry a fire extinguisher fire extinguisher: see fire fighting. or a `sound-signaling device.' Boaters who break those laws next year will face fines of $77 to $109. Currently, the minimum fine is $175. Meanwhile, in non-monetary matters, the legislature created a "Southwest Oregon Landowner Preference Program" to provide antlerless elk elk, name applied to several large members of the deer family. It most properly designates the largest member of the family, Alces alces, found in the northern regions of Eurasia and North America. In North America this animal is called moose. tags to landowners in Jackson, Josephine, Coos, Curry and Douglas counties Douglas County is the name of twelve counties in the United States:
Another pilot program involves the collection, recycling and proper disposal of fishing tackle - including monofilament monofilament, n a single strand of untwisted synthetic material such as nylon; used to create surgical sutures. monofilament line, fluorocarbon fluorocarbon /flu·o·ro·car·bon/ (floor´o-kahr?b?n) any of the class of organic compounds consisting of carbon and fluorine only. leaders, lines, lead weights and lures. The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) is an agency of the government of the U.S. state of Oregon responsible for programs protecting Oregon fish and wildlife resources and their habitats. was directed to test such a program on several rivers, including the North Santiam and Rogue. Finally, I have a suggestion for avoiding these endless legislative sessions: Rather than pay lawmakers monthly salaries and per diems per diem adj. or n. Latin for "per day," it is short for payment of daily expenses and/or fees of an employee or an agent. , let's compensate them a flat amount per session. Then they wouldn't take seven months to do nothing much. Mike Stahlberg can be reached at mstahlberg@guardnet.com. |
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