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Washington
Department of
Fish & Wildlife
Main Office
Natural Resources Building
1111 Washington St. SE
Olympia, WA 98501
360-902-2200
Get Directions
Mailing Address
600 Capitol Way N.
Olympia, WA 98501-1091
Phil Anderson
Director
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November - December 2011
September - October 2011
July - August 2011
May - June 2011
March - April 2011
January - February 2011
- The department is considering rule making to update regulations affecting the interstate transport of dead wildlife.
- The Department is considering rule making on the sale and issuance of recreational licenses, permits, tags, stamps, and raffle tickets.
- The coastal commercial spot shrimp fishery has been managed by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) since 1999 through designation as an emerging commercial fishery (RCW 77.70.160). Substitute House Bill 1148 was signed into law on April 22, 2011. This industry sponsored law moves the management of the fishery out of emerging commercial fishery status and establishes a coastal spot shrimp license limitation program. WDFW will develop rules to implement the program.
- Each year state, federal and tribal fishery managers gather to plan the Northwest's recreational and commercial salmon fisheries. This series of public meetings, known as the North of Falcon process, involves federal, state, tribal and industry representatives and concerned citizens. Rules based on North of Falcon recommendations change from year to year to reflect resource availability and to achieve conservation goals.
2011 North of Falcon recreational salmon rules
The department revised the salmon rules for recreational anglers so that the rules are realistic, considering the availability of salmon to be caught, and so the rules aid the department in achieving its salmon conservation goals. The purpose of this proposal is to incorporate the recommendations of the North of Falcon sub-group of the Pacific Fisheries Management Council to provide recreational fishing for harvestable salmon while protecting species of fish listed as endangered.
- Major hunting seasons for cougar may be modified depending on the outcome of legislation, which could include hunting with or without the use of dogs.
- The Department is considering amendments to game reserves and waterfowl closure areas.
- The Department is considering rule making for the 2011 Migratory waterfowl seasons and regulations.
- Due to a filing glitch, the department must wait until June 21, 2011, to file the rules that the Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission already adopted on February 5, 2011, for Free Fishing Weekend, Two Pole Endorsement, Columbia River Endorsement, Daily Limits for Forage Fish, and Smelt Areas and Seasons. Because these rule changes have already been adopted, the public is welcome to comment, but no public hearing will be offered, and the Commission does not anticipate making further changes to the rules. The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife will use emergency rules to enact the adopted changes until the rules can be permanently filed on June 21, 2011.
- For the 2012 spring bear season, the Department is proposing changes to WAC 232-28-286 2010, 2011, and 2012 Spring black bear seasons and regulations.
- CR-102 - filed as WSR 11-03-089 on January 19, 2011
Notice and opportunity to comment on this current rule-making proposal
- CR-103P - filed as WSR 11-16-015 on July 22, 2011
Notice of rule changes as adopted
Note: Changes to this rule for the 2012 spring bear season were adopted at the Fish and Wildlife Commission’s April 8-9, 2011 meeting. Due to the fact that the 2011 spring bear season was in effect at that time, filing of the CR-103P for this WAC was postponed until after the 2011 spring bear season ended.
- The Department is considering rule making for the following: Game management unit boundaries; deer and elk area boundaries; deer, elk, mountain goat, bighorn sheep, moose, cougar, black bear, and turkey seasons and permit levels; special closures and firearm restriction areas; harvest reporting; trapping regulations; and private lands public access.
- To align state regulations with federal regulations. The changes would reduce the state’s recreational
bottomfish aggregate daily limit from 15 to 12 and implement a sub-limit of 2 cabezon per day in Marine Catch Areas 1-3
and 4, west of the Bonilla-Tatoosh line. The federal aggregate bottomfish daily limit and cabezon sub-limit is listed in the
Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Title 50, Part 300.
- To align state regulations with federal regulations. The changes would reduce the state’s recreational
bottomfish aggregate daily limit from 15 to 12 and implement a sub-limit of 2 cabezon per day in Marine Catch Areas 1-3
and 4, west of the Bonilla-Tatoosh line. The federal aggregate bottomfish daily limit and cabezon sub-limit is listed in the
Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Title 50, Part 300.
- Modifies the description of the Bonilla-Tatoosh line so that it is consistent with the description in federal
rules. The description of the Bonilla-Tatoosh line is listed in Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Title 50, Part 660.
The current rule does not include latitude and longitude coordinates for each reference point and is not consistent with the description in
federal regulation. The changes simplify the description of the line and will make it easier for recreational fishers and enforcement to identify where
the line is drawn.
- Each year state, federal and tribal fishery managers gather to plan the Northwest's recreational and commercial salmon fisheries. This series of public meetings, known as the North of Falcon process, involves federal, state, tribal and industry representatives and concerned citizens. Rules based on North of Falcon recommendations change from year to year to reflect resource availability and to achieve conservation goals.
2011 North of Falcon commercial salmon rules for Willapa Bay and Grays Harbor
The department revised the salmon rules for commercial anglers in Willapa Bay and Grays Harbor so that the rules help the department meet salmon spawning goals, minimize bycatch or incidental fishing impacts, monitor and sample all fisheries, maintain the economic well-being and stability of the fishing industry, fully utilize the non-Indian allowable catch, and fairly allocate harvest opportunity between gear groups.
2011 North of Falcon commercial salmon regulations for Puget Sound
The department revised the salmon rules for commercial anglers in Puget Sound so that the rules help the department meet salmon spawning goals, minimize bycatch or incidental fishing impacts, monitor and sample all fisheries, maintain the economic well-being and stability of the fishing industry, fully utilize the non-Indian allowable catch, and fairly allocate harvest opportunity between gear groups.
- Establishes consistency between federal and state laws concerning bald-eagle habitat protection.
- Recreational clam and oyster seasons are opened or extended on some beaches and closed or shortened on other beaches, based on analyses of survey data, sport-harvest projections, and negotiations affecting intertidal treaty and non-treaty fisheries.
- Tightens requirements on commercial shellfish pot gear escape cords to promote catch escapes when pots are lost.
- The department seeks to close portions of the Elwha River and its tributaries to angling for all fish species as early as November 1, 2011. The closure is in conjunction with the removal of dams on the Elwha River beginning in 2011. The protection of fish stocks is needed during the time when sediment accumulations from behind the dams are washed downstream.
- To align the recreational crab rules with the Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission’s
new policy allowing more recreational crabbing opportunity in Puget Sound.
- Rule changes are needed to provide increased conservation of rockfish in Puget Sound. The department will complete a Puget Sound Rockfish Conservation Plan this summer, and it needs rule changes to implement the plan. In April 2010, the National Marine Fisheries Service declared that three species of rockfish warrant protection under the federal Endangered Species Act (ESA). This requires WDFW to review and possibly change commercial fishing regulations in Puget Sound.
- The department is developing four proposals to modify recreational and commercial fishing rules for bottomfish and halibut in the vicinity of Neah Bay at the western end of the Strait of Juan de Fuca.
- The Department is proposing changes to Puget Sound commercial bottom fish, forage fish and shrimp fisheries to reduce impacts to populations of rockfish in Puget Sound.
- The current rule on buying or selling game does not make it illegal to buy and sell wildlife that was unlawfully taken. The proposed rule will prohibit the sale, purchase, and barter of edible parts of wild animals or game birds, and edible parts of game fish except pursuant to RCW 77.65.480. The rule will allow the sale, purchase, and barter of nonedible parts of wild animals, game birds, and game fish, with exceptions. These exceptions include fish, shellfish, and wildlife taken in violation of any law or regulation; parts of cougar, bighorn sheep, and mountain goat; bear teeth, claws, paws, or gallbladders; velvet antlers of deer, elk, or moose; trophy antlers except those naturally shed; and raw fur or carcasses of a wild animal trapped in Washington with a body-gripping trap.
- These minor changes to sport rules include two conservation issues: Closing fisheries for Columbia River smelt; and limiting the exposure of breeding common loons to lead fishing tackle on 13 lakes. The changes also include several housekeeping items and several adjustments to the stream strategy adopted during the previous rule cycle.
Please note, the supplemental CR-102 filed on September 22, 2010, contains the same provisions found in the original CR-102 with the following exception: The Department of Fish and Wildlife is also proposing closing Capitol Lake in Thurston County to all fishing, due to the presence of New Zealand mud snails, which are aquatic invasive species and thus pose a significant threat to fish conservation. The comment deadline for both the minor changes to sportfishing rules and the potential lead fishing tackle restrictions has been extended to November 19, 2010.
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