CCT change fishing/hunting license process

Hunters and fishers wanting to head to local tribal lands will have to look online to buy their licenses, not at local stores.

The Colville Confederated Tribes have launched a website for buying fishing and hunting permits on their reservation and eliminated the service from third-party sellers, such as Coulee Playland.

“We have transitioned to an online system,” said Natural Resources Director Cody Desautel in an email to The Star. “Customers can come to [Fish & Wildlife] office buildings and get permits, which is still through the online system but completed by the F&W staff. This is an effort to both simplify things, and provide better tracking.”

The F&W office hours are Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The online licensing system can be found at https://colville.nagfa.net/online/, and F&W can be reached at 509-634-2110.

Regulations and permits can also be accessed by going to http://www.colvilletribes.com and navigating to the F&W section.

Hal Rauch, who owns Coulee Playland, said that the change can affect their business, not only because they won’t be selling tribal licenses but because people who go there for licenses will often buy tackle and other supplies while they are there.

One option being considered is to have a computer at Coulee Playland specifically for buying the licenses, but that creates an issue of space as well as how to administer that process, Rauch explained.

Local fishman Hank Wiebe feels many fishers and hunters will be negatively affected by the change.

“It’s going to be an inconvenience for some people,” Wiebe said, “especially people out of town who are not aware of it, and especially people who are not computer literate. They rely on the bait shops. And people don’t pack their computers and printers with them.”

Wiebe cited Rufus Woods and Geezer Beach as popular reservation fishing spots, and expressed a concern about people who come over from the coast to fish who may have trouble getting a license.