A Washington House committee approved a bill Tuesday that would allow the state to double the amount of money it repays farmers for damage caused by wildlife.
The Department of Fish and Wildlife now allocates $120,000 a year from the State Wildlife Account to reimburse property owners who file claims when deer or elk run amok on their land. Moses Lake Republican Representative Tom Dent’s bill would increase that to $240,000.
“Most of the time when it is really cold, the large animals step on the irrigation equipment and they move it and they break it. It’s not unusual to have several thousand dollars damage," Dent said. "They (farmers and ranchers) are good with the animals but they would like to have a little help on occasion.”
Dent’s bill would also expand the category of agricultural crops eligible for damage reimbursement. And it would increase the maximum payment for an individual claim from $10,000 to $20,000.
The bill now moves on to the Rules Committee and then perhaps a vote of the full House.