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New today: RI Saltweater License Changes Imminient?

I got this from Clammer, Jim White and a few others: From RISSA

Quote:

Saltwater Anglers from Rhode Island,

Ignoring this message could see your RI saltwater fishing license go from $7 to $25.

Five Rhode Island State Representatives (Filippi, Reilly, Craven, Shekarchi and Price) have submitted a bill to repeal the “Recreational Saltwater Fishing License” that has been in effect since 2010. RISAA is opposed to repealing the license law and needs your help.
A HEARING ON THIS BILL IS SCHEDULED FOR TOMORROW BEFORE THE HOUSE ENVIRONMENT COMMITTEE.

If this bill is passed, every angler in Rhode Island would immediately be required to obtain a FEDERAL fishing permit at $25 (currently $7 in RI).
Anglers over 65 would have to purchase the FEDERAL permit at $25 (currently free in RI)
Reciprocity between states (RI-CT-MA-NY) would be lost to Rhode Islanders.

If this bill passes it will be a huge setback to fishing access, fish abundance and conservation in RI.

Here’s why this effort deserves our support and action

·The license bill was originally developed with RISAA support and support from the fishing/environmental community

·The Bill enabled RI anglers to register with the State rather than the federally mandated registry which costs nearly four times as much ($25 rather than $7 for State a license)

·Over the past two fiscal years the bill has or will turn $478,397 into nearly $2-million with Fish & Wildlife Service three to one matching funds (see full draft report attached).

·Funds raised are in a restricted account, much the same way freshwater and hunting license fees have been in restricted accounts for years. What is raised by license fees is spent on fishing and access to fishing. If these funds are eliminated, RI will lose out on Federal matching funds.

Projects completed in FY 2014 included personnel and equipment to support finfish surveys for stock assessments; management of the Marine Recreational Fisheries Program; support to the boating/fishing access site maintenance program; an upgrade to the Galilee boat ramp; public education, information, and outreach, including production of the Rhode Island Recreational Saltwater Fishing Guide; purchase of additional MRIP intercept interviews; and funds for an artificial reef project with DEM and The Nature Conservancy.

Projects planned for FY 2015 include: enhanced MRIP data collection; boating/fishing access projects such as the Godard State Park boat ramp; fish stock assessment support; support for the artificial reef .

In addition to providing funds for important fishing access projects the bill provides funding for important data collection projects that will provide better recreational data to make more informed recreational fishing decisions on minimum sizes, bag limits and fishing seasons. The hope is that better data will lead to more accurate fishery management strategies fostering greater fish abundance and liberalized regulations when appropriate.

The State Representatives submitting the bill have done in part because they believe recreational fishermen in Rhode Island do not want a license law and claim it impedes a fisherman’s right to fish because you have to pay for a license. The days of “cowboy fishing”, taking whatever you can take out of the water are gone. We have learned our fishery cannot handle this fishing pressure. Do individuals have the right to over fish certain species to the point of extinction? We do not think so.

Your support and action is needed today!

THE NEXT TWO MESSAGES WILL GIVE YOU A SAMPLE EMAIL TO SEND TO REPRESENTATIVES
AND WE WILL ALSO SUPPLY THEIR NAMES AND EMAILS.

IF YOU DON'T MIND PAYING THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT $25 FOR A FISHING LICENSE THIS YEAR, THEN YOU CAN IGNORE THIS MESSAGE.
__._,_.___

odd timing...I got this email today....the link for the bill doesn't work or didn't last time I checked and I asked for more information regarding the motivation for and ultimate objective of the bill...have not heard anything yet

RI Bill to Repeal Saltwater Fishing License To Be Heard on Thursday, Feb. 26: Hello,

Rep. Blake Filippi's bill to repeal the saltwater fishing license
requirement in Rhode Island will be heard by the Environment and
National Resources Committee on Thursday, Feb. 26 at about 4:30pm in
Room 205 of the State House.

Rep. Filippi would like to know if you'd like to voice your support of
this bill at the hearing. Would you or any of your customers be willing
to testify in favor of the bill? If you are not able to come to the
State House, would you be willing to submit a letter supporting the bill
(H5352
<http://webserver.rilin.state.ri.us/B...useText15/H535
2.pdf> )?

If anyone is interested in testifying, could you please contact me at
401-222-2259? Also, if you'd like to submit a letter, you can send a
copy to me (preferably on letterhead) at ltetreault@rilin.state.ri.us. I
can then print the letter for you and submit it to the committee of your
behalf.

Thank you for your consideration. Please do not hesitate to contact me
with any questions.

Have a great day!

Louise L. Tetreault

Senior Policy Analyst

House Minority Office

401-222-2259

Nothing in it to explain - looks like someone never liked the idea of a license to begin with - can't figure this one out.

http://webserver.rilin.state.ri.us/B...xt15/H5352.htm

DZ me either / blindsided everyone :hidin:

Would this mean states with existing reciprocity would no longer have it with RI? Would a Ma resident license still be good in RI? Just not the other way around?
Posted from my iPhone/Mobile device

I sent emails to everyone on the committee.later I received the following SNESA email:

This morning I received a phone call from the sponsor of the rec license
bill who said he has received many emails.
We agreed to meet with other sponsors of the bill in the near future to
discuss it.

The hearing on the bill is officially postponed until further notice.

Thanks to everyone who sent emails.

Steve
*****

I'm guessing that everyone's emails blew up against the bill. Someone seemed to have their head in the wrong place. While I'm philosophically opposed to paying for a constitutional right, the ability to fish non state waters and surrounding states for $7 instead of $25 + $10 + $15 for fed, MA and CT, is a no brainer.

Wouldn't the fed permit mean you can fish in any state? Sorry i dont know much about this and how it works. Thanks for posting.
Posted from my iPhone/Mobile device

I have a feeling the Reps were responding to constituents' old gripe about needing to have a fishing license to fish in the ocean. A federal license would not necessarily guarantee reciprocity. In any case I think the proposed bill has faded.

Quote:

Originally Posted by iamskippy (Post 1065953)

Wouldn't the fed permit mean you can fish in any state? Sorry i dont know much about this and how it works. Thanks for posting.
Posted from my iPhone/Mobile device

Me neither, but then wouldn't that responsibility to improve access and improve the resource fall upon the federal government only and yet they're not even coming up with the funding
for homeland security let alone Fishing.

Considering that the state constitution clearly states that the people of the state shall "freely" be allowed to acces the water to fish and gather seaweed ( or something close to that) I'm surprised we have a liscense to begin with. It's unconstitutional.
Posted from my iPhone/Mobile device

They (states) will all be doing this!! the greety bastards!! We fish less, quota get less, access gets less, but they keep there hands out for more and more!!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Roger (Post 1065951)

Thanks Roger.

Same thing stated in the ProJo this morning.

Thanks much. I sent an email or 2 on it. I already spend a boat load on liscence fees as it is with all the places I fish. some people just don't stop and think for a second. Thanks again