State Shy $730,000 In License Revenue

A state audit says the Department of Fish and Wildlife may have failed to collect as much as $730,000 in state hunting and fishing license fees because of shoddy record-keeping.

At issue is money that retail outlets are supposed to forward to the state after they sell licenses. Fish and Wildlife sells 2 million licenses worth about $28 million every year, most of them through a network of 1,000 retail outlets.

The agency sends licenses to the outlets. The outlets are supposed to sell them, keep $1 per sale and send the rest of the money back to the department each month.

At least 155 outlets failed to do so, said Betty Buckley, assistant director for administration for Fish and Wildlife.

In an audit released Tuesday, state examiners were particularly critical of the agency for letting the unpaid money pile up for so long. In one instance, a store sold nearly $90,000 worth of licenses in 1994 and ‘95 and forwarded copies to the agency - but didn’t send in any money.

Auditors discovered some of the uncollected money after examining the agency’s books for 1995-96. Most of the missing money identified so far is owed for license sales made in 1994. But the agency hasn’t balanced its books for those sales since 1991.

Buckley said some of the uncollected money may turn out to be unsold licenses that the outlets failed to return to the state.

Buckley, who was hired six months ago by new Fish and Wildlife Director Bern Shanks, said the agency has changed the way it handles license sales and is going after some of the outstanding money.

The agency has taken legal action against three outlets in North Bend and Seattle, all of which have filed for bankruptcy.

Porcupine access blocked

A washout over the weekend blocked the Lincoln County road leading from Highway 25 to Porcupine Bay on the Spokane River arm of Lake Roosevelt. The washout blocks access to Porcupine Bay campground and boat launch, said officials from Lake Roosevelt National Recreation Area.

Lincoln County officials say the road could be closed for two weeks.

New Idaho deer tag

Complaints about an influx of southern Idaho hunters prompted the Fish and Game Commission to adopt a Clearwater Region deer tag for 1998.

The regional deer tag was a surprise development during a recent meeting. Commissioner Keith Carlson said the Lewis and Idaho county commissions, landowners and sportsmen are fed up with a November influx of hunters from the south.

The crowd migrates in after southern deer seasons close, causing congestion in the most popular hunting units still open.

Grangeville-area hunters in particular argue the late whitetail hunts attract too many hunters and result in a diminishing number of trophy bucks, said Herb Pollard, Fish and Game regional supervisor.

Fish and Game Director Steve Mealey joined a chorus of doubters. He questioned what problem the north-south tag would solve that changes in southern Idaho mule deer seasons couldn’t fix.

Spring chinook season

Keeping in mind the protection of wild salmon runs, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife has set the spring chinook sport season for Columbia River tributaries above Bonneville Dam.

The seasons and regulations set by the agency are:

Wind River: Portions open April 1-May 31 with a daily limit of two salmon or hatchery steelhead. Between June 1 and June 15, the daily limit is two salmon. The Wind River also has a section open June 1-June 15. Night closure and non-buoyant lure restrictions are in effect.

Drano Lake (Little White Salmon River): Portions open April 1-May 15. Daily limit is two salmon, or hatchery steelhead. Night closure and non-buoyant lure restrictions are in effect.

White Salmon River: Portions open April 1-July 31. Daily limit is one salmon.

Klickitat River: Portions open Wednesdays and Saturdays, April 2-May 31. Night closure and non-buoyant lure restrictions in effect. Daily limit is either one salmon or one hatchery steelhead.

Ringold Hatchery area: Open daily between May 1-July 31 from a marker 1/4 mile downstream of the Ringold wasteway outlet, upstream to the marker 1/2 mile above Springs Creek. Limit two salmon, but fishing is permitted from the bank only on the hatchery side of the Columbia. Springs Creek is closed.

Icicle Creek: Open daily May 8-May 31 from the mouth to the Leavenworth National Fish Hatchery. Daily limit is either one salmon or one hatchery steelhead. From June 1-June 30, the daily limit is one salmon.

, DataTimes