House bill would raise invasive species sticker price

The House Resources and Conservation Committee this week approved a bill which would raise the price of boat invasive species stickers to $7 from $5 despite testimony from floaters and paddlers who feel they pay a disproportionate share of the fee.

Howard Miller testified as a private citizen that the cost to register his five kayaks is unfair compared to the owner of a much more expensive ski boat, who must only pay for one sticker.

Paddlers also question whether quagga or zebra mussels can attach themselves to kayaks and canoes. Representative Andreason, whose informal approach to invasive species sticker distribution last year included passing out stickers from a bag he carried around the state in his car, presented a portion of rope clustered with mussel shells that had been submersed in Lake Mead for a period of weeks. He noted that as little as a thimble-full of infected water can be a vector of transportation to a brand new colony of mussels.

Representatives of the hydroelectric industry and the Department of Agriculture noted that the threat presented by invasive species warranted the speed with which last year’s legislation was passed and the informality of the original sticker distribution system.

Lloyd Knight of the Department of Agriculture noted that 78% of the funds received were spent on running 17 inspection and decontamination stations around the state. The rest were spent on education, capital outlay and monitoring. This year, the department plans on 16 such stations and upgrades to their monitoring programs and outreach.

The price increase allowed by this bill, Knight says, will allow vendors to recover the cost of distributing the stickers. Idaho is collaborating with vendors and hiring contractors to implement the system, rather than incurring the cost of additional state employees.

Rep. Hagedorn presented a substitute motion, to hold the bill in committee, which failed.

“I’m very uncomfortable that we don’t have a good business plan for something that could have a tremendous impact on our waterways and all the industries that are dependent upon our waterways,” he said, noting that the current proposed legislation offers a band-aid to the problems that have arisen, and that without a solid business plan, the committee was likely to see another bill next year.