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The Columbia river recreational salmon and steelhead endorsement program account is created in the custody of the state treasurer. All receipts from Columbia river salmon and steelhead endorsement purchases under section 2 of this act and gifts made for purposes of the Columbia river recreational salmon and steelhead endorsement program must be deposited into the account. Expenditures from the account may be used only to facilitate recreational salmon and steelhead selective fishing opportunities on the Columbia river and its tributaries, including scientific monitoring and evaluation, data collection, permitting, reporting, and enforcement. Only the director or the director's designee may authorize expenditures from the account. The account is subject to allotment procedures under chapter 43.88 RCW, but an appropriation is not required for expenditures.
In addition to a recreational license required under this chapter, a Columbia river salmon and steelhead endorsement is required in order for any person 15 years of age or older to fish recreationally for salmon or steelhead in the Columbia river and its tributaries where these fisheries have been authorized by the department. The cost for each endorsement is $7.50 for residents and nonresidents and $6 for youth and seniors. The department shall deposit all receipts from endorsement purchases into the Columbia river recreational salmon and steelhead endorsement program account created in section 1 of this act.
For the purposes of this section and section 1 of this act, the term "Columbia river" means the Columbia river from a line across the Columbia river between Rocky Point in Washington and Tongue Point in Oregon to the Chief Joseph dam.
This act takes effect January 1, 2026.