The Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission has scheduled a public meeting to receive testimony regarding possible amendments to Washington Administrative Code (WAC) rules related to the two-year statewide moratorium on wild steelhead retention:

WAC 232-12-619, Permanent Washington statewide game fish rules; and
WAC 232-28-619, Washington food fish and game fish - Freshwater exceptions to statewide rules.

This public hearing provides interested persons the opportunity to make oral comments to the Commission on whether the wild steelhead retention moratorium should be rescinded, amended in some fashion, or kept in place.

The Department of Fish and Wildlife filed proposed rule amendments with the Office of the Code Reviser on June 18, 2004, for publication in the Washington State Register (WSR 04-13-094). The proposals may be viewed by using the search tool at the following webpage: http://search.leg.wa.gov/

People who are interested in providing their views on the moratorium and/or possible rule amendments but are unable to attend the August 28 hearing should send written comments to the Commission at the following address:

Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission
600 Capitol Way North
Olympia, WA 98501-1091

Comments may also be submitted via email to: commission@dfw.wa.gov

Only those letters and email received by the August 26, 2004, deadline will be accepted for consideration. Oral testimony may be given only at the August 28 hearing, and each person will be limited to three minutes maximum. No further input will be accepted for consideration after the August 28 hearing.

If you plan to provide comments at the hearing, the Commission encourages you to bring 11 copies of your planned oral testimony with you to the hearing. You may also pre-submit comments electronically to the above email address.

Final consideration of proposed rule amendments is scheduled for the Commission's September 2, 2004, meeting, which takes place via telephone conference call. The public may listen to the discussion via speakerphone at the Natural Resources Building, Room 172 at 9:00 a.m. No public input will be accepted during the call.

Contact Susan Yeager in the Commission Office at (360) 902-2267 for further information, and to identify special accommodation needs for attendance at the August 28 hearing.

For more information, see related letter to interested citizens.

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