Endorsement Sunset Threatens Columbia Basin Fisheries
Washington state wildlife managers are asking lawmakers to permanently protect a crucial funding stream that keeps Columbia River basin salmon and steelhead fisheries open, pointing to the risk of closures if the revenue disappears.
The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife is proposing legislation to eliminate the January 1, 2028, expiration date for the Columbia River Salmon and Steelhead Endorsement. The $8.75 fee, charged to anglers targeting those species in the Columbia, Snake, and their tributaries, brings in vital money for monitoring fish populations.
Federal Rules Demand Continuous Creel Surveys
Without those funds, the agency warns it would have to further restrict or eliminate fishing opportunities. Federal rules under the Endangered Species Act require continuous creel surveys to ensure anglers do not over-harvest protected stocks.
“We need to know day in and day out what’s getting caught, what’s getting released and what’s getting harvested,” said Chris Donley, WDFW’s eastern region fish program manager. “That’s what those folks are buying, is the ability in real time to estimate our impacts and our harvest.”
A 2009 Creation Facing Repeated Legislative Battles
Established by the Legislature in 2009, the endorsement was extended once before expiring in 2019. Lawmakers initially covered the lost revenue using the state general fund, but amid budget cuts, those contributions were nixed. The state reinstated the program with a sunset date of January 1, 2028.
Precedent for Closures Already Set in Puget Sound
Anglers in western Washington have already experienced the fallout when monitoring money vanishes. Budget cuts forced the loss of funding for several Puget Sound tributaries, shutting down the winter steelhead fishery on the Skagit River.
“It’s not because of a lack of fish,” Alexei Calambokidis, the Washington state policy lead for Trout Unlimited, said. “It’s because the Legislature took away the monitoring money that allows the fishery.”
Budget Shortfalls Loom Over 2027 Session
With state officials anticipating another massive budget shortfall during the 2027 legislative session, advocates argue the endorsement program is more critical than ever to keep the Columbia drainage open to anglers.
