Please take five minutes of your busy day to help out Washington bighorn sheep.
A proposal made to the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) by the Washington Chapter of the Foundation for North American Wild Sheep (WAFNAWS) can be found at "Alternative #1" at the link below.
http://wdfw.wa.gov/wlm/wlm_survey/2006-2008_hunting_alternatives.htm
The original proposal included the word "Endowment" so that the increase in application fees for Bighorns, Moose & Goats would go into a species specific endowment fund that allows WDFW to only spend the interest earned. Without specifying the increase in fees goes to an endowment, WDFW would be able to spend the revenue annually which will allow for more short term projects but does little to establish a long-term funding source like an endowment does. Just for reference if the endowment was started 9 years ago and if only $15 of the $25 fee was dedicated to the endowment fund, the bighorn fund would currently have a value of $776,970 and at 5% interest would have provided $38,848 for projects in 2005. Remember since it is an endowment, the interest earned increases every year as the fund grows!
What will benefit the next generation of hunters more? Is it $100,000 this year from the increase in application fees or a lessor amount that continues to increase as the fund grows and will continue to grow long after you and I are gone? The endowment is the right choice. Help me make sure WDFW realizes the application fees need to go into an endowment.
Here's what I need you to do. Choose either "A" or "B" for Alternative #1. If you can afford it choose B, if $10 is more affordable then choose A.
ONE MORE THING! We need to let WDFW know that the increase in fees must go into a species specific endowment fund allowing only the interest to be spent. Please go to "Other Comments" at the very bottom of the survey and take a moment to type in the box that the funds need to go into an endowment.
Here is what I typed, "For Alternative #1 options A & B should specify that the increase in application fees goes to an endowment for that species not just "Income will fund special species management." I only support increasing the application fees if the revenue is put into an endowment where only the interest can be spent. The is an opportunity for WDFW to plan for the future AND establish a reliable, increasing fund source FOREVER through an endowment. In ten years or so the interest available for projects will exceed the new revenues from applications. ENDOWMENT ONLY!"
Feel free to cut and past any of that you need.
Thank you for your help on this very important issue. If you would like to see the graphs and data I have put together for this proposal let me know and I will gladly e-mail it to you.
Yours in Conservation,
Glen A. Landrus
WAFNAWS President
A proposal made to the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) by the Washington Chapter of the Foundation for North American Wild Sheep (WAFNAWS) can be found at "Alternative #1" at the link below.
http://wdfw.wa.gov/wlm/wlm_survey/2006-2008_hunting_alternatives.htm
The original proposal included the word "Endowment" so that the increase in application fees for Bighorns, Moose & Goats would go into a species specific endowment fund that allows WDFW to only spend the interest earned. Without specifying the increase in fees goes to an endowment, WDFW would be able to spend the revenue annually which will allow for more short term projects but does little to establish a long-term funding source like an endowment does. Just for reference if the endowment was started 9 years ago and if only $15 of the $25 fee was dedicated to the endowment fund, the bighorn fund would currently have a value of $776,970 and at 5% interest would have provided $38,848 for projects in 2005. Remember since it is an endowment, the interest earned increases every year as the fund grows!
What will benefit the next generation of hunters more? Is it $100,000 this year from the increase in application fees or a lessor amount that continues to increase as the fund grows and will continue to grow long after you and I are gone? The endowment is the right choice. Help me make sure WDFW realizes the application fees need to go into an endowment.
Here's what I need you to do. Choose either "A" or "B" for Alternative #1. If you can afford it choose B, if $10 is more affordable then choose A.
ONE MORE THING! We need to let WDFW know that the increase in fees must go into a species specific endowment fund allowing only the interest to be spent. Please go to "Other Comments" at the very bottom of the survey and take a moment to type in the box that the funds need to go into an endowment.
Here is what I typed, "For Alternative #1 options A & B should specify that the increase in application fees goes to an endowment for that species not just "Income will fund special species management." I only support increasing the application fees if the revenue is put into an endowment where only the interest can be spent. The is an opportunity for WDFW to plan for the future AND establish a reliable, increasing fund source FOREVER through an endowment. In ten years or so the interest available for projects will exceed the new revenues from applications. ENDOWMENT ONLY!"
Feel free to cut and past any of that you need.
Thank you for your help on this very important issue. If you would like to see the graphs and data I have put together for this proposal let me know and I will gladly e-mail it to you.
Yours in Conservation,
Glen A. Landrus
WAFNAWS President