OLYMPIA – The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) is now accepting public comments on its draft report that includes a recommendation to make the Columbia River Salmon and Steelhead Endorsement (CRSSE) program permanent. The report is available to review on the WDFW website.
In 2025, the CRSSE program was reestablished by the Legislature to help offset significant funding cuts to Columbia River fisheries work amid the state’s ongoing budget shortfall. The program is currently set to expire on Jan. 1, 2028. Under direction from the enacting legislation, WDFW is required to review the program and recommend whether it should continue by Dec. 1, 2026. Public comments will help inform the Department’s review and recommendation.
WDFW has proposed legislation that would remove the expiration date, making the program permanent. The proposed legislation also codifies the endorsement into the recreational fee table and aligns the “youth” age requirement with the Department’s other recreational opportunities.
“The Columbia River offers some of the best recreational salmon and steelhead fishing in the Pacific Northwest,” said Kelly Cunningham, WDFW fish program director. “These fisheries support more than 500,000 recreational fishing trips annually, contributing tens of millions of dollars to the state economy and driving tourism in Washington’s rural and urban communities.”
The $8.75 CRSSE annual fee is required for anglers who fish for salmon and steelhead in the Columbia River and its Washington tributaries. In 2026, endorsement revenues supported monitoring and management activities required under Endangered Species Act and in support of recreational fisheries on the Columbia River, Snake River, and tributaries.
The CRSSE is not required for bass, shad, sturgeon, trout, walleye, or other species.
“If the endorsement fee is allowed to expire, many popular recreational salmon and steelhead fisheries will be extremely limited or eliminated, and the considerable economic benefits these opportunities provide to communities along the Columbia River will be lost,” said Cunningham.
The public comment period is open through 11:59 p.m. on Nov. 20, 2026. The public may submit comments online or via email.
All members of the public are invited to share their perspectives and participate in WDFW public feedback opportunities regardless of race, color, sex, age, national origin, language proficiency, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, status as a veteran, or basis of disability.
The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife works to preserve, protect and perpetuate fish, wildlife and ecosystems while providing sustainable fish and wildlife recreational and commercial opportunities.