Department of Fish and Wildlife
| Annual FTEs | General Fund State | Other Funds | Total Funds | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| (Dollars in Thousands) | ||||
| Estimated Expenditures | 1,527.3 | 94,429 | 363,398 | 457,827 |
| 2019-21 Maintenance Level | 1,520.9 | 91,227 | 374,003 | 465,230 |
| Difference from 2017-19 | (6.4) | (3,202) | 10,605 | 7,403 |
| % Change from 2017-19 | (0.4%) | (3.4%) | 2.9% | 1.6% |
2019-21 Policy Other Changes |
||||
| Authority Adjustment to Revenue | (87.0) | 0 | (13,400) | (13,400) |
| Maintain Wildlife Conflict Response | 13.0 | 4,360 | 0 | 4,360 |
| Maintain Shellfish & Public Safety | 7.3 | 2,524 | 0 | 2,524 |
| Maintain Land Management | 10.0 | 2,640 | 0 | 2,640 |
| Maintain Fishing and Hatcheries | 31.4 | 3,732 | 5,656 | 9,388 |
| Maintain Hunting | 12.0 | 0 | 3,072 | 3,072 |
| Maintain Conservation | 11.6 | 3,392 | 0 | 3,392 |
| Maintain Columbia River Endorsement | 12.3 | 0 | 2,961 | 2,961 |
| Maintain Customer Service | 12.8 | 1,872 | 0 | 1,872 |
| Salmon Marking Trailers | 0.0 | 270 | 240 | 510 |
| Enhance Conservation | 4.0 | 1,280 | 0 | 1,280 |
| Enhance Hunting | 3.0 | 0 | 826 | 826 |
| Enhance Fishing | 23.2 | 5,348 | 1,530 | 6,878 |
| Enhance RFEGs | 0.0 | 700 | 771 | 1,471 |
| State Data Center Migration | 0.0 | 963 | 0 | 963 |
| Global Wildlife Trafficking | 0.0 | 298 | 0 | 298 |
| Enforcement Records Management | 1.5 | 1,084 | 400 | 1,484 |
| Orca Whale Recovery - Prey | 0.0 | 10,530 | 0 | 10,530 |
| Orca Whale Recovery - Vessels | 0.0 | 1,683 | 0 | 1,683 |
| Orca Whale Recovery - Capacity | 0.0 | 580 | 0 | 580 |
| 2019-21 Policy Other Changes Total | 55.1 | 41,256 | 2,056 | 43,312 |
2019-21 Policy Comp Changes |
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| State Public Employee Benefits Rate | 0.0 | 16 | 35 | 51 |
| WFSE General Government | 0.0 | 152 | 2,032 | 2,184 |
| State Rep Employee Benefits Rate | 0.0 | 69 | 197 | 266 |
| Assoc of Fish & Wild Prof Agreement | 0.0 | 2,409 | 5,474 | 7,883 |
| Coalition of Unions | 0.0 | 1,585 | 4,571 | 6,156 |
| Non-Rep General Wage Increase | 0.0 | 887 | 1,743 | 2,630 |
| Non-Rep Targeted Pay Increases | 0.0 | 101 | 236 | 337 |
| Orca Transit Pass - Outside CBAs | 0.0 | 2 | 4 | 6 |
| PERS & TRS Plan 1 Benefit Increase | 0.0 | 84 | 221 | 305 |
| Non-Rep Salary Schedule Revision | 0.0 | 35 | 47 | 82 |
| 2019-21 Policy Comp Changes Total | 0.0 | 5,340 | 14,560 | 19,900 |
2019-21 Policy Transfers Changes |
||||
| Orca Transit Pass Funding Transfer | 0.0 | (30) | (84) | (114) |
| Health Coalition FSA Fund Transfer | 0.0 | (368) | (106) | (474) |
| 2019-21 Policy Transfers Changes Total | 0.0 | (398) | (190) | (588) |
2019-21 Policy Central Services Changes |
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| Electric Vehicle Infrastructure | 0.0 | 28 | 107 | 135 |
| Archives/Records Management | 0.0 | 1 | 5 | 6 |
| Audit Services | 0.0 | 3 | 10 | 13 |
| Legal Services | 0.0 | 90 | 342 | 432 |
| CTS Central Services | 0.0 | (134) | (508) | (642) |
| DES Central Services | 0.0 | 68 | 257 | 325 |
| OFM Central Services | 0.0 | 268 | 1,021 | 1,289 |
| 2019-21 Policy Central Services Changes Total | 0.0 | 324 | 1,234 | 1,558 |
| Total Policy Changes | 55.1 | 46,522 | 17,660 | 64,182 |
| 2019-21 Policy Level | 1,576.0 | 137,749 | 391,663 | 529,412 |
| Difference from 2017-19 | 48.7 | 43,320 | 28,265 | 71,585 |
| % Change from 2017-19 | 3.2% | 45.9% | 7.8% | 15.6% |
Policy Changes
Authority Adjustment to Revenue
Ongoing authority is reduced to align expenditures with current projected revenues. This will result in a reduced level of service, including responding to conflicts with wildlife, inspecting shellfish beds, maintaining department-owned lands, managing fisheries and hatcheries, managing hunting opportunities, and responding to inquiries from the public.
Maintain Wildlife Conflict Response
The department responds to human interactions with dangerous wildlife such as bear, cougar, moose, and wolf. Law enforcement and wildlife conflict specialists work with the public and private landowners to address safety issues and mitigate crop damage from elk and deer. As human populations continue to grow throughout the state, conflicts between humans and wildlife will continue to increase. Ongoing funding is provided to preserve current levels of service provided by the department's law enforcement officers and wildlife conflict specialists.
Maintain Shellfish & Public Safety
Shellfish aquaculture generates over $270 million of economic activity and 3,200 jobs annually in Washington State. Inspection of shellfish beds is required to ensure protection of federal and state health and safety standards. The agency conducts on-water patrols of shellfish beds to ensure standards are followed and shellfish products are sanitary and safe for public consumption and export. The agency previously conducted this work on behalf of the Department of Health without direct funding support. Ongoing funding is provided to preserve current staffing levels to conduct shellfish bed patrols and ensure public health and safety.
Maintain Land Management
The department manages 33 designated wildlife areas and 700 water access sites across the state. The department manages the lands for wildlife conservation; recreational use such as fishing, hunting, and wildlife viewing; and for local economic activity, such as timber, farming, and ranching. Ongoing funding is provided to preserve current land management practices that will maintain biological integrity, provide public access, and generate revenue from sustainable practices.
Maintain Fishing and Hatcheries
Recreational and commercial fisheries generate $540 million in economic benefit to local and state economies and supports over 16,000 jobs. Managing these fisheries requires significant coordination with tribal co-managers, federal regulatory agencies, and negotiations with other states and Canada. Contingent on agency request legislation to increase recreational fishing license fees, funding is provided to maintain current levels of fishing opportunities and protect threatened and endangered wild fish species. Specifically, the agency's fishing program will continue current levels of production at fish hatcheries, monitor coho and steelhead production through trap operations, provide an early winter steelhead fishery in Puget Sound, manage shellfish harvests, provide a Dungeness crab fishery, conduct bottom trawl surveys annually for bottom fish species, provide a warm water game fishery, and conduct treatment for weeds in lakes and streams.
Maintain Hunting
Approximately 190,000 people hunt in Washington state. Contingent on agency request legislation to increase hunting license fees, funding is provided to maintain current hunting opportunities. The department's hunting program will continue to manage game species for sustainable harvest opportunities, monitor for animal diseases, educate new hunters on safe and ethical hunting practices, and set and enforce hunting seasons.
Maintain Conservation
The department's habitat program provides scientific technical assistance on habitat conservation and land use planning and regulatory oversight of the Hydraulics Act. Ongoing funding is provided to preserve current levels of service provided by the department's habitat program including applying science to land use decisions, conducting large-scale restoration activities, integrating climate science into wildlife and land management, evaluating the status of species of concern, managing aquatic invasive species, and removing derelict fishing gear and shellfish pots.
Maintain Columbia River Endorsement
Contingent on agency request legislation to extend the Columbia River Recreational Salmon and Steelhead Endorsement program, funding is provided to maintain current activities that sustain and expand salmon and steelhead fisheries in the Columbia River. Activities to support this fishery include enforcement, scientific research, data collection and evaluation.
Maintain Customer Service
Funding is provided to answer and respond to calls from the public seeking information about wildlife, commercial fishing licenses, recreational fishing and hunting licenses, Discover Passes, and outdoor recreation opportunities.
Salmon Marking Trailers
The department is required to mark all juvenile, hatchery-produced Chinook and coho salmon by clipping their adipose fins (RCW 77.95.290). Ongoing funding is provided for debt service for two new manual marking trailers and two new auto marking trailers.
Enhance Conservation
Ongoing funding is provided to the department to add four law enforcement officers to increase compliance with habitat protection and water quality regulations. Increasing enforcement of current regulations will address recommendations in the Governor's Southern Resident Killer Whale Task Force report.
Enhance Hunting
Contingent on agency request legislation to increase hunting license fees, additional funding is provided to engage with private landowners and negotiate agreements to increase hunter access to private lands with the goal of reducing or eliminating access fees.
Enhance Fishing
Funding is provided for the department to increase commercial and recreational fishing opportunities by increasing fish hatchery production within Endangered Species Act requirements, work to reopen a catch and release steelhead fishery on the Skagit River, maintain and improve the department's mobile fishing application, and conduct a statewide shellfish disease assessment. Increasing hatchery production will address recommendations from the Governor's Southern Resident Killer Whale Task Force. The increase in funding is contingent on agency request legislation to increase fishing license fees.
Enhance RFEGs
There are 14 regional fisheries enhancement groups (RFEGs) created by RCW 77.95.060. These non-profit organizations implement salmon recovery and wildlife habitat restoration projects across the entire state. Base funding comes from a portion of commercial and recreational fishing license fees and the sale of salmon carcasses and eggs, which are not sufficient to maintain the organizations. Additional ongoing funding is provided to sustain the work done by these watershed-based organizations to further recover salmon, provide habitat for other wildlife and conduct public education and outreach.
State Data Center Migration
One-time funding is provided for the department to move its technology infrastructure to the state data center.
Global Wildlife Trafficking
Additional resources are provided to fully fund the department to enforce prohibitions against global trafficking in non-native endangered species parts and products. These prohibitions were enacted by Initiative 1401 in November 2015. Activities include outreach and education, coordination with federal and other state enforcement agencies, inspections, and investigation and staff training.
Enforcement Records Management
A recent assessment by the State Auditor and the federal Office of Cyber Security raised significant concerns about the privacy rights of individuals whose data is in the department's enforcement records management and dispatch system. Funding is provided to replace the system with a modern, secure system.
Orca Whale Recovery - Prey
Ongoing funding is provided to the department to increase the availability of salmon for Southern Resident orcas. Actions will address recommendations from the Governor's Southern Resident Killer Whale Task Force including increases in salmon hatchery production; prioritization of fish barrier removals to address salmon that benefit the whales; reduced predation of salmon from sea lions, harbor seals, and non-native fish; management of forage fish populations; and evaluation of the ability to re-establish salmon runs above Chief Joseph Dam; and convene stakeholder process regarding the lower Snake River dams.
Orca Whale Recovery - Vessels
Contingent on potential legislative action, ongoing funding is provided to reduce disturbance of vessels on Southern Resident orcas. Actions will include developing rules for no-go zones, slow zones, temporary suspension of Southern Resident orca watching, and creation of a limited entry permit system for commercial whale watching. Actions will address recommendations from the Governor's Southern Resident Killer Whale Task Force report.
Orca Whale Recovery - Capacity
A combination of one-time and ongoing funding is provided to the department to support the continuation of the Governor's Southern Resident Killer Whale Task Force.
State Public Employee Benefits Rate
Health insurance funding is provided for state employees who are not represented by a union, who are covered by a bargaining agreement that is not subject to financial feasibility determination, or who are not part of the coalition of unions for health benefits. The insurance funding rate is $977 per employee per month for fiscal year 2020 and $978 per employee per month for fiscal year 2021.
WFSE General Government
Funding is provided for a collective bargaining agreement with the Washington Federation of State Employees - General Government. The agreement includes a general wage increase of 3 percent, effective July 1, 2019; a general wage increase of 3 percent, effective July 1, 2020; premium, shift, and other special pay changes, and increases in targeted job classifications. Employee insurance included in the agreement is displayed in a separate item.
State Rep Employee Benefits Rate
This provides health insurance funding as part of the master agreements for employees who bargain for health benefits as part of a coalition of unions. The insurance funding rate is $977 per employee per month for fiscal year 2020 and $978 per employee per month for fiscal year 2021.
Assoc of Fish & Wild Prof Agreement
Funding is provided for a collective bargaining agreement with the Washington Association of Fish and Wildlife Professionals. The agreement includes a general wage increase of 3 percent, effective July 1, 2019; a general wage increase of 3 percent, effective July 1, 2020; adjustment to fire-duty pay; and increases in targeted job classifications. Employee insurance included in the agreement is displayed in a separate item.
Coalition of Unions
Funding is provided for a collective bargaining agreement with the Coalition of Unions. The agreement includes a general wage increase of 3 percent, effective July 1, 2019; a general wage increase of 3 percent, effective July 1, 2020; increases in premium pay and increases in targeted job classifications. Employee insurance included in the agreement is displayed in a separate item.
Non-Rep General Wage Increase
Funding is provided for wage increases for state employees who are not represented by a union or who are covered by a bargaining agreement that is not subject to financial feasibility determination. It is sufficient for a general wage increase of 3 percent, effective July 1, 2019, and a general wage increase of 3 percent, effective July 1, 2020. This item includes both general government and higher education workers.
Non-Rep Targeted Pay Increases
Funding is provided for classified state employees who are not represented by a union for pay increases in specific job classes in alignment with other employees.
Orca Transit Pass - Outside CBAs
This funds transit passes (ORCA cards) for state employees (outside of higher education) in King, Pierce, and Snohomish counties, other than those in certain collective bargaining agreements.
PERS & TRS Plan 1 Benefit Increase
For eligible Public Employees' and Teachers' Retirement Systems Plan 1 members, this item provides a one-time, ongoing increase of 3 percent, up to a maximum of $62.50 per month.
Non-Rep Salary Schedule Revision
This funds a revised salary schedule for non-represented employees in information technology jobs, in alignment with other state employees.
Orca Transit Pass Funding Transfer
This moves funding for employee transit passes from agencies to WSDOT, which administers the program. The transfer includes both funding added in 2019-21 for expanded access, as well as funding that was provided in the 2017-19 budget.
Health Coalition FSA Fund Transfer
This moves funding for negotiated medical flexible spending arrangements (FSA) from individual agency budgets. It will be provided to the Health Care Authority, which will administer the benefit.
Electric Vehicle Infrastructure
Agency budgets are adjusted to reflect each agency's estimated portion of increased fee for service charges from the Department of Enterprise Services to expand electric vehicle infrastructure for the state Motor Pool fleet.
Archives/Records Management
Agency budgets are adjusted to reflect each agency's allocated share of charges for the state archives and state records center.
Audit Services
Agency budgets are adjusted to reflect each agency's allocated share of charges for state government audits.
Legal Services
Agency budgets are adjusted to reflect each agency's anticipated share of legal service charges.
CTS Central Services
Agency budgets are adjusted to reflect each agency's allocated share of charges from the Consolidated Technology Services Agency (WaTech) for the Office of the Chief Information Officer, Office of Cyber Security, state network, security gateways, and geospatial imaging services.
DES Central Services
Agency budgets are adjusted to reflect each agency's allocated share of charges from the Department of Enterprise Services (DES) for campus rent, utilities, parking, and contracts; a capital project surcharge; financing cost recovery; public and historic facilities; real estate services; risk management services; personnel service rates; the Perry Street child care center; and the department's enterprise applications.
OFM Central Services
Agency budgets are adjusted to reflect each agency's allocated share of charges from the Office of Financial Management (OFM) for the One Washington project and OFM enterprise systems.
