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Hey everyone. I just read on the Post Register in Idaho Falls that the State is proposing new legislation on the Invasive Sticker program in Idaho. It would drop stickers required for most non-motorized watercraft, ie; canoes, paddle boards, etc but it would increase out of stater boaters to as much as $155.00 for a sticker. Now I know many on here use non-motorized watercraft to fish from, and many out of state watercraft people come into Idaho to fish n hunt, but my 2 cents is that as the fee system was/has been in the past, I think everyone got used to it and it was working just fine. This bill is just in committee, and is awaiting a vote to go to the full senate for a hearing, I think it's very very important for everyone to get out to their respective legislators to express your concern over the bill.
Im gonna contact mine and push hard for it to stay as is. Why? Because all i can see is a tit for tat increase for everyone every state around us will be increasing their sticker prices so it will make it almost impossible for some to head out especially to Utah as many do, to fish, boat, and just enjoy the water.
I'm still not sure after reading this story as to what the real reason is behind such a drastic change because the non-motorized watercraft they talk about will still be required to stop at inspection stations and get inspected. So why eliminate the fee to them if they are using the system? Any how, here's the link to the article. Read it n weep folks, LOL LOL
https://www.postregister.com/news/govern...9346a.html
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Talk about sticking it to those coming in from out of state. An increase from $30 to $155 is hard to swallow. To top it off, Idaho doesn't even provide a pamphlet or anything else, with the sticker, to help train people about steps to take to prevent the spread of mussels. I would also agree that it would only be fair if the surrounding states responded by increasing their fees for out of staters, or better yet, increase the fees for those coming from Idaho (which I'm sure would be illegal).
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If this bill passes and I hope it doesn't, I won't be bringing my boat up to Idaho again. That said, I guess I could always buy me Son a bigger boat and get it licensed in his name up there. He lives in Nampa, so it would be a little bit of a drive when pulling it down to Southern Idaho but saving that much money a year would be worth it.
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That's a pretty steep increase, I'm sure there's quite a few come from Oregon to fish on the western side of the state, hopefully it doesn't pass, it'll be a big revenue loss if it does.
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If the fee goes to $155 then I'll simply fish from shore at the Preston area reservoirs rather than bring a boat.
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It's really  that the majority of ppl who always talk on here and use this forum are from out of state. What the Hell is wrong with Idahoans speaking up on issues like this. Knowing several of our legislators and how we fought a number of years ago on the original issues around Preston on fees etc, we got no where. I dont see this being stopped now. All they can see is a ton of $$$$ bring brought into the state from the sticker program. They forget the $$$$ that come with those out of state boats that come into Idaho. Its in the millions compared to the boat inspection program looking for invasive weeds.
Yes Idaho has so far kept the problem issues out of the state, but, I am sure they have missed a ton of boats coming into the state because there are so many roads around the check stations that those who come into Idaho to boat or pass through on a regular basis, just by pass the stations. If you look at the actual reports on how many boats that they check and are actually infected, most boats that are infected are so dry and the mussels are dead from the last report I read. Not saying they havent stopped some and it only takes one live quagga mussel to infect a lot of water, but, is it really fair to do what they are proposing?
To say that non-motorized dont and wont spread the invasive issues, nope wont believe that for a second. Many of these outfits are left in the water while they are camping, fishing etc, and it is just as easy for the mussel to attach to non-motorized as motorized. Yes, I can see the boats that have ballasts being very hard to inspect and clean out for the quagga mussels, but, like what has been said, if people have a brochure handed out each time a boat is inspected, registered etc like Utah and Wyoming do, it would help tremendously.
As to whether or not other states can make just idaho a higher rate than other out of state boaters, yes it would be legal. All the legislators from those states have to do is to do a sliding scale depending on where you are coming into the other states from.
I am just not sure this can be stopped, but every out of stater on here that comes to Idaho, you need to get your state legislators to talk to Idaho ones and remind them that tit for tat can apply and also the $$$$ that will not come into Idaho if they do increase the fee like they are talking. To me, its just another thing that Big Government is trying to control all of us because they can and arent looking at the over all ramifications. Next thing, they will attach to the bill that every boat registered in Idaho will be required to have a mask on board for everyone in the boat and will make everyone wear it even though your outdoors, lol.
This needs to be stopped but, I am not totally sure how. If a poll would help and or signatures on a petition would help Im all for it, but, ive been down that road before with waterfowl hunters and guides and it went no where with our legislators then so I am not sure it would do any good now.
Just say your prayers to get it to stop.
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I for one, don't have a problem with charging out of state fishermen 4 times the instate amount and I don't have a problem paying those same rates to fish out of state. State resources should be more readily accessible for instate fishermen no matter the state. Don't want to bring your boat and the chance to spread your state's invasives to Idaho. Good!
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(01-24-2022, 06:47 AM)MMDon Wrote: I for one, don't have a problem with charging out of state fishermen 4 times the instate amount and I don't have a problem paying those same rates to fish out of state. State resources should be more readily accessible for instate fishermen no matter the state. Don't want to bring your boat and the chance to spread your state's invasives to Idaho. Good!
What are your thoughts though Don on not requiring non-motorized being required to purchase a sticker? Good, bad, ,pros, cons? I just think anyone using Idaho's waters should be purchasing and getting inspected just like motorized. No difference of the useage and in fact, non-motorized will be and are allowed in more waters than motorized. I just think fair is fair on that side too.
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(01-24-2022, 06:47 AM)MMDon Wrote: I for one, don't have a problem with charging out of state fishermen 4 times the instate amount and I don't have a problem paying those same rates to fish out of state. State resources should be more readily accessible for instate fishermen no matter the state. Don't want to bring your boat and the chance to spread your state's invasives to Idaho. Good!
How much are Idahoans now paying for the sticker?
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(01-24-2022, 06:47 AM)MMDon Wrote: Don't want to bring your boat and the chance to spread your state's invasives to Idaho. Good!
Currently the only place in utah that has a problem the invasives is Lake Powell or lakes in the southern part of the state, that I don't fish. Not that there aren't some people in Utah that travel to Powell then come up to Idaho but it's just as likely that someone in Idaho would take their boat to Powell, then back to Idaho. Maybe that bill should also include a fee for anyone from Idaho that takes their boat to Powell and brings it back to Idaho. 
One thing that happened in Utah last year was that they had plans to raise our fees for our yearly State Parks pass, their proposal was to double the fees. In the end they cut that fee increase in half, which wasn't bad. The same thing could happen to this bill, they shoot for the sky but in the end take much less. At least that is what I hope happens but time will tell.
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Non motorized, should have to follow the same rules, no telling where people have had their kayaks and rafts.
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(01-24-2022, 05:01 PM)kentofnsl Wrote: (01-24-2022, 06:47 AM)MMDon Wrote: I for one, don't have a problem with charging out of state fishermen 4 times the instate amount and I don't have a problem paying those same rates to fish out of state. State resources should be more readily accessible for instate fishermen no matter the state. Don't want to bring your boat and the chance to spread your state's invasives to Idaho. Good!
How much are Idahoans now paying for the sticker? https://invasivespecies.idaho.gov/faqs#:...d%20vessel. This will answer your question, in simple terms, [color=rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.7)][b]How much is the new sticker? [/color][/b]
[color=rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.7)]Sticker prices are as follows: $10 for motorized vessels registered in Idaho, $30 for other motorized vessels, and $7 per non-motorized vessel.[/color]
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So, as I read that Idahoans are now paying $10. I could live with increasing the non-resident fee to $40.
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(01-25-2022, 06:47 PM)kentofnsl Wrote: So, as I read that Idahoans are now paying $10. I could live with increasing the non-resident fee to $40. If it only went to $40, that would not be bad, but, the proposal is: An out-of-state boater with that type of motorized boat, under the bill, would be charged $155. Thats a huge difference to swallow in one year. But, Im not out of state so it doesnt affect me, Im just trying to get this out to the public so if you do oppose it, you can have your say. Good luck
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The state is pretty shortsighted in this instance in my opinion. They may get $120 More per boat but they will lose all the tax revenue and hurt businesses that depend on people coming from out of state for motels restaurants grocery stores and gas stations. Most people that I know that come from Utah come up twice a year sometimes three times for several days. A $10 raise in the sticker price would not be bad but once you hit something over $50 you will really limit how often people bring boats up here and spend money. I would not go to Utah yearly and take a boat if I had to pay over $50 for a sticker and the out-of-state license, That would be $100 for three days plus the fuel at more than $3.50 a gallon, so a tank each way.
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I finally bought a season fishing permit this year that I had been avoiding since the last time they raised the cost, then they go and do this. It's really not very smart, if they want me to keep coming and spending my money in Idaho. Wyoming has just as good of fishing and is the same distance, so if Idaho doesn't want me renting rooms, buying gas, tackle, food and permits, I'll go to Wyoming instead and spend my money there... Very little chance this move will save the invasives from finding their way into Idaho waters because most of those that have money to spend long enough on Powell to get infected also have enough money to pay the extra fee... I see it as more of the keep poorer outsiders out sentiment that some like to pass on... Problem is it does very little good only prohibits those that like to enjoy it... Guess they don't understand that we like to make one or two trips a year and that high of price either means we will not come or we'll just use our inflatables... Later J
When things get stressful think I'll go fish'en and worry about it tomorrow!
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(02-11-2022, 05:40 PM)kentofnsl Wrote: Any updates on this?
I have not heard or seen anything
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02-21-2022, 03:45 PM
(This post was last modified: 02-21-2022, 04:12 PM by AlexB.)
The way the article reads it says that ballast boats would have to pay 155.
How much would a regular outboard have to pay? It does say it would more than double but it doesn't say how much.
Edit:
Ok, I found the bill.
It's $85.00 per out of state boats plus $70 for boats with ballast tanks or with a registered hull length of twenty-one (21) feet or greater..
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(02-21-2022, 03:45 PM)AlexB Wrote: Ok, I found the bill.
It's $85.00 per out of state boats plus $70 for boats with ballast tanks or with a registered hull length of twenty-one (21) feet or greater..
I hope with the increase from $30 to $85 that Idaho, at least, includes a pamphlet with the sticker!
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