Washington Legislature Passes Columbia Endorsement; Next Heads To Governor

Washington lawmakers passed a bill reinstating the Columbia River endorsement to fish for salmon and steelhead this afternoon following amendments to it in the Senate and concurrence from the House. It now heads to Governor Bob Ferguson’s desk and is the second fishing-related fee increase from state legislators this session.

The amendments to the endorsement bill came from Senator John Braun (R-Centralia) yesterday, and they provide a sunset date, tweak what the revenues can be spent on, and require a report and recommendation on it after its first year in effect.

As amended, House Bill 2003 passed out of the Senate on a narrow 25-23 vote this morning and – with tomorrow the last scheduled day of the session – it was immediately sent to the House for concurrence, passing 53-45.

No Republicans voted for the bill in either chamber and it also saw defections among Democratic ranks in the Senate and House.

Rising in support of it this morning, Senator Derek Stanford (D-Bothell) said that he recognized it wasn’t ever pleasant to have to pay a fee, but “this will generate funds to allow the department to facilitate recreational fishing for salmon and steelhead on the Columbia, so I ask for your support.”

Speaking against it this afternoon, Representative Travis Couture (R-Allyn) said, “The body across the rotunda did make some positive changes. However, I still believe that this is going to reduce the amount of fishing opportunities for some of our constituents across Washington, so I’ll still be voting no.”

Assuming the governor signs the bill, it will go into effect January 1, 2026 and have a base fee of $7.50 but end up costing $8.75 after dealer and transactions fees. It will be required to fish for Chinook, coho, winter-runs and other salmon and steelhead from the Rocky Point-Tongue Point line on the lower Columbia up to the base of Chief Joseph Dam and all of the big river’s Washington side tributaries with the stocks. Anglers 14 and under are exempt from it.

Senator Braun’s amendments removed language that directed endorsement moneys to specifically go toward scientific monitoring, evaluation, data collection, permitting and reporting and instead inserted “monitoring, hatchery production, pinniped removal, and enforcement,” among other purposes; required WDFW and stakeholders to provide a summary at the end of next year on activities funded by the endorsement and issue a recommendation on whether to continue it; and established an expiration date of January 1, 2028.

This is the second go for Washington’s Columbia River endorsement. It was in effect from 2010 to 2019.

A fiscal note estimates HB 2003 will raise $676,000 in 2026 and $1.35 million in subsequent years. The revenues essentially just replace like amounts sucked out of WDFW’s General Fund disbursement by state lawmakers as they deal with their own created budget issues.

It’s the same deal with the 38 percent fishing and hunting license fee increase that was also passed by legislators this week and which is slated to be effective July 1 if signed by Ferguson. Neither fee will provide the monitoring and enforcement funding to open new opportunities in mixed stock fisheries, a source indicates.

WDFW did not request either bill.

Postscript: Condolences to Senator Chris Gildon of Puyallup, whose wife passed away today.