Permit for Aquatic Invasive Species, WA.

I just got this in an email from Point Roberts Marina...

The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) now requires operators of certain aircraft and watercraft, as well as commercial transporters of specified vessel types, to purchase permits to help the department's efforts in preventing the spread of aquatic invasive species (AIS).
Those required to buy the new AIS prevention permit include:

Out-of-state recreational registered boaters
Seaplane operators
Commercial transporters of watercraft

The permit is valid for one year from its activation date and is available for purchase online Instructions are found below.

Funds generated from the $24 fee support the department's efforts to keep Washington's waters free of aquatic invasive species and manage infestations when prevention fails. Permit sales are expected to generate approximately $412,000 annually in revenue by 2021.

Exceptions: Washington residents, who register their watercraft, automatically pay an annual fee to support the department's AIS program when registering their boats. A valid registration sticker serves as proof of payment and an AIS prevention permit is not required.

Step by Step Process for purchasing online AIS Permit ($24)

1) Go to wdfw.wa.gov website and at the top of the page, hover on the “Licensing & Permits” tab

2) The first item down under that tab is “Online Licensing Sales”– CLICK this tab

3) You’ll now be on a page with a big box at right for WSDFW fishing/hunting license purchasers to go in, type in their ID, access their account, etc. Do NOT use that
– go to the box immediately to the left Called “Shop for products that don’t require a customer account” –CLICK that box

4) You’ll now be on a page that lists “Product Categories” and gives you three choices (including Discover Pass) –CLICK on the one labeled “Other”

5) You will now be on the page that lets you purchase the AIS Permit for one
of three categories (Commercial Transporter, Out - of -State, Seaplane)
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– Tenants who have vessels licensed and registers in Canada should CLICK on the “add” tab for “Non-Resident Registered Vessel”. Then click on the orange square in the top right hand corner which will take you to the “Checkout”.

Interesting. The pessimist in me sees this as a convenient way to get all non-resident boats to declare themselves. I wouldn't be surprised if tax bills follow......

In reading this law, I'm left rather speechless. It would appear to be a toll/permit on all visiting recreational boats. I could understand it for waters that are exclusively washington state controlled, i.e. not federal waters, and maybe that's what it's intended for But it would seem to run counter to federal and international laws that allow free passage through federal waters, which is everything navigable from the sea.

I guess this is par for the course. Washington is very unfriendly to visiting boaters. I never stay more than 2 weeks/year when I go north but end up being harassed by people taking pictures of the anchored boat and then getting demand letters from the WA department of revenue. Every year I have to prove that my home base is Oregon. There must be some kick-back scheme for people that makes them that eager to take pictures and reporting an out of state visitor.

No matter. I'll take my business to Canada.

I’m a lowly Canadian and alas am not entitled to have an opinion on this sensitive, sensitive subject (he said most humbly). However the Professional Biologist in me wonders if the collected revenue will ever go towards its claimed intent! Surely the alien marine aquatics along the border waters we ply don’t need my vessel or a customs permit to travel back and forth across the international boundary. The tidal currents are a much more efficient means of transport!

While I don't know who would spend the money to challenge the law, pretty sure it's unconstitutional to prohibit a car or vessel that is legally licensed in an other state, from transiting through Washington in a reasonable time frame without buying a permit.

Ted

I think the AIS “boating” issue is primarily a freshwater problem where people trailer boats from watershed to watershed. And while there are certainly are aliens species in the marine environment those are primarily as a result of bilge discharge from large ocean going vessels or intentional introductions, such as oysters. As I mentioned, once in our coastal waters, they will ride the local currents to distribute.

JDCAVE said:

I think the AIS “boating” issue is primarily a freshwater problem where people trailer boats from watershed to watershed. And while there are certainly are aliens species in the marine environment those are primarily as a result of bilge discharge from large ocean going vessels or intentional introductions, such as oysters. As I mentioned, once in our coastal waters, they will ride the local currents to distribute.

Click to expand...

It would make sense if this were an inland/fresh water thing. Many states have various regulations and measures to prevent moving invasives between water bodies. I'm going to interpret it that way and ignore it.