There must have been a collective sigh of relief this afternoon from recreational sportsmen and their advocates

The House Committee on Agriculture and Natural Resources chose not to move Senate Bill 5127 to the full House for a vote.

This should put an end to the bill, the brainchild of Sen. Ken Jacobsen, who hoped to gut the state Fish and Wildlife Commission.

The proposal would have reduced the size of the commission from nine to seven members, and return the power to appoint a director of the Department of Fish and Wildlife to the governor. The bill have would reverse the current set up, as established by Referendum 45, approved by 61 percent of voters in 1995.

Frank Urabeck is an avid South Sound angler and has been monitoring the bill.

"This is one heck of victory," he said. "There was all kinds of ramifications if they had been able to shove this through."

Urabeck cautioned that while the conventional legislative route is closed for the bill, its backers could try to attach it to another piece of legislation.

I hope Jacobsen and other proponents have gotten the message that this issue should be dropped, now.

Even though there are more than 165 inches of snow on the ground at Paradise, Mount Rainier National Park staff is preparing for the transition to spring operations.

SNOWPLAY AND SNOWSHOE WALKS
The public snow play area at Paradise will close for the season on April 5. The area will be staffed through Sunday, and will remain open but unstaffed Monday through April 5. Beginning April 6, inner tubing runs will no longer be available because the equipment will be moved to other areas of the park to assist in spring opening.
The ranger-led snow shoe walks will also end on Sunday.
The new Henry M. Jackson Memorial Visitor Center will be open weekends only until May 4, when it will begin seven-day-a-week operations.

ROAD REPAIR DELAYS
If you are traveling between Longmire and Paradise this spring, expect up to 20 minute traffic delays where the road was damaged in January.
An avalanche wiped out part of the uphill lane on Glacier Hill. Delays are expected to be minimal until construction repairs begin. Repair work will start when weather and snow conditions permit.

PROJECTED OPENING DATES
Here are projected opening dates for facilities and roads around the park. Visitors should note that the dates are just projections based on current conditions and schedules, and are subject to change.
Highway 410/Cayuse Pass April 24 (tentative)
Highway 123 at the park boundary April 24 (tentative)
Henry M. Jackson Memorial Visitor Center (7 days/week) May 4
Paradise Inn May 15
White River Road to campground parking lot May 20
Highway 410/Chinook Pass May 22
Cougar Rock Campground and Picnic Area noon on May 22
Wilderness Information Center–Longmire May 22
Ohanapecosh Campground noon on May 22
Paradise Valley Road May 22
Ohanapecosh Visitor Center May 23
Paradise Picnic Area June 19
White River Campground noon on June 26
Sunrise Road June 26
Mowich Lake Road July 3
Sunrise Lodge July 3
Sunrise Visitor Center July 3

Click here for up-to-date information and conditions or call 360-569-2211 for recorded information.

The House Committee on Agriculture and Natural Resources is to meet today at 1:30 p.m. to discuss the merits of Senate Bill 5127.

Recreational sportsmen should hope this is a short discussion because this bill has no merit.

The bill, the brainchild of Sen. Ken Jacobsen, is designed to gut the state Fish and Wildlife Commission.

It would reduce the size of the commission from nine to seven members, and return the power to appoint a director of the Department of Fish and Wildlife to the governor.

The current bill would reverse the current set up, as established by Referendum 45, approved by 61 percent of voters in 1995.

I'm trying to figure out how, all of a sudden, the commission is broken and requires a major overhaul. I feel it's the perception that the current commission is now leaning toward recreational anglers that have commerical fishermen and their allies demanding change.

Proponents of the change say commissioners lack the expertise to manage the complex fishery issues. Were the commerical folks making this argument five years ago? Has the commission suddenly become less smart?

It is frustrating that the bill has made it this far. Let's hope it ends today. It also wouldn't hurt to contact your representative and let them know how you feel about this proposal.

I'll keep you posted as I learn more.