FISH AND WILDLIFE COMMISSION MEETING
March 6-7, 2009
Quality Inn & Conference Center
1700 Canyon Road
Ellensburg, Washington

ATTENDANCE:
Commission	Public (cont.)
Miranda Wecker, Chair	Jean Courter
Gary Douvia, Vice Chair	Rod Courter
Ken Chew	Toby Brandsrud
Conrad Mahnken	Dennis Anderson
George Orr	Leonard Whitney
	William Paul Say
Commission Staff:	Douglas H. Barrett, SCI
Susan Yeager	Douglas J. Bowen
Nancy Burkhart	Rob Husband
	Loren Whiteny
Department	Gordon E. Blossom
Phil Anderson, Interim Director	Jay Kinney
Joe Stohr, Deputy Director	Steve Brulotte
John Andrews	David A. French
Dennis Beich	Cliff Nopp
Jeff Tayer	Steve Jefferson
Bruce Bjork	Curtis Johnson
Steve Pozzanghera	Ty Johnson
Dan Budd	Elery Johnson
Dave Ware	Jim Zielaski
Donny Martorello	Nancy Onura
Kevin Robinette	Clint Mosebar, WA State Bowhunters
Jerry Nelson	Aaron Cooper, WA State Bowhunters
Peggy Crain	Lee Davis, Kittitas Co. Field & Stream
Mick Cope	Ron Poplawski
Pat Pattillo	Jim Cowgill, WA State Archery Assn.
John Long	Del Casper, Evergreen Archers
Bill Frymire, AGO	Ryan Swan
Madonna Luers	John G. McCoy
Jim Scott	Chris Humphries
Heather Bartlett	Doug Bourland, WA State Big Game Council
Bill Tweit	Leta Davis
Ted Clausing	Bill Essman, Kittitas Co. Field & Stream
Jeff Korth	Bill Humphries
Other Department staff	Jack Humphries
	Wanda Clifferd, INWC
Public	Les Richardson
Gary Gohr	Aaron Blanchard
Walt Christensen, WA State Muzzleloaders Assn.	Dick Newell
Bruce Barnes, Mt. St. Helens Rescue	Julie Cox
Mary Ann Newell	Chad Spies
Darcy Spies	Tony Delgado
Al Martz	Danny Bell, SCI/SCFWC
John Magart, NE WA Wildlife Group	Reigan Allen
Craig Cleff	Jethro Allen
Freddie Giannecchini, SCFWC	Larry Guenther, SCFWC
Dale Magart, NE WA Wildlife Group	Rodney Blower
Michael Ollis	Stan Christie
Edward Barnes	B.J. Thorniley, WA for Conservation; WA Trappers
Jum Durand	Greg Scott
Jim Pearson, Central WA SCI	Del Towell, Central WA SCI
John Dick	David Johnson
Anton Cebe	Brett Breckenridge
Doug Schlicting	Kelly White
Ray Crisp	Rick Liebel, Wa State Bowhunters
Dale Sharp	Kyle Winton
Wayne Morgon	Ron Humerickhouse
Darrell Yeager	Shane Wilkins
Ray Wilkins	Ernest Roberts
Tim LaFontaine	Bob Harriman, Borderline Basin contenders
Ken Gettman	Stewart Egman
Ken Courter	Margarito Guzman
Rita Guzman	Bill Curtindale
Mark Krcma	Mary Anderson
Dennis Anderson	Jim Ward
John Rhodes	bill Madison
Gregg Calder	Rick Wakefield
JoAnn Wakefield	George Rainha
Matt Turner	Stuart A. Turner
Morris Owen	Pat Newsome
John Pignotti	Bob Burdick
Al Rinaldi	Rod Blossom
Dan Nouwens	R. V. Miller
Lee Davis, Kittitas Field & Stream	Doug Burnett
Greg Fischer	Valerie Pennington
Mr. Pennington	Ken Hoff, WWC
Brian Hogan	Jody Hickey, The Nock Point
Asa Louis	Aaron Everett
Alice Harper	Tyler Mays
Bernie Knoll	Darlene Mansford
Ralph Kratz	Buzz Chevara
Ron Price	Jamie Price
David Worgum	Allan Charlton
Dan Gamache	Chuck Girtz, WA State Hound Council
Glenn Ward	Harold Harty
Barbara J. Moeller, Puyallup Tribe of Indians	Ron Oules
Sharon W. Rose	Wayne Worgum

FRIDAY, MARCH 6

Chair Wecker called the meeting to order at 8:33 a.m.

APPROVAL OF MINUTES:
Commissioner Douvia moved, seconded by Commissioner Mahnken, to approve the minutes of the following:

COMMISSIONERS' DISCUSSION:
Commissioners discussed recent activities and items of general interest and provided status reports on Commission committees.

DIRECTOR'S REPORT:
Interim Director Anderson reviewed significant Department issues and activities.

OPERATIONS AND BUDGET UPDATE:
Deputy Director Stohr provided an update to the Commission on the Department’s budget and operational issues.

OPEN PUBLIC INPUT:
The following individuals provided oral testimony on issues of concern during this portion of the meeting:

SALMON FORECAST DATA OVERVIEW – BRIEFING:
At the request of the Commission, Pat Pattillo and John Long briefed the Commission on a summary of the 2009 salmon abundance forecast and provided some initial general observations about fishery opportunities and the potential problems that may be presented by expected run size predications.

PROPOSED LAND TRANSACTIONS – DECISION:
Dan Budd presented one proposed land transaction: acquisition of the 423-acre Richner property in Okanogan County for $2,490,000.

No one signed up to provide oral testimony on the proposed land transaction during this portion of the meeting.

Commissioner Douvia moved, seconded by Commissioner Orr, to approve the acquisition of the 423-acre Richner property in Okanogan County for $2,490,000. The motion carried unanimously.

SPECIAL SEASONS AND HUNTING RESTRICTIONS – RULE BRIEFING AND PUBLIC HEARING:
Dave Ware briefed the Commission on proposed amendments and proposed new section to the following WAC rules which would generate funding to expand the hunter access program into priority areas of the state:

The Commission will consider adoption of permanent rules at its April 3-4, 2009, meeting in Olympia.

No one signed up to provide oral testimony on the above proposed rule amendments during this portion of the meeting.

HUNTING OPPORTUNITIES FOR HUNTERS WITH DISABILITIES AND THE TERMINALLY ILL – RULE BRIEFING AND PUBLIC HEARING:
Dave Ware briefed the Commission on proposed amendments to the following WAC rules which would authorize the Department to develop criteria for issuing special-use permits:

The Commission will consider adoption of permanent rules at its April 3-4, 2009, meeting in Olympia.

No one signed up to provide oral testimony on the above proposed rule amendments during this portion of the meeting.

HUNTER EDUCATION TRAINING PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS – RULE BRIEFING AND PUBLIC HEARING:
Chief Bruce Bjork briefed the Commission on proposed amendments to WAC 232-12-227, Hunter education training program requirements, which would ensure only eligible hunter education graduates or individuals currently identified as hunting-license buyers may purchase a license. The Commission will consider adoption of permanent rules at its April 3-4, 2009, meeting in Olympia.

No one signed up to provide oral testimony on the above proposed rule amendments during this portion of the meeting.

SMALL GAME SEASONS – RULE BRIEFING AND PUBLIC HEARING:
Mick Cope briefed the Commission on proposed amendments to WAC 232-28-342, 2009-10, 2010-11, 2011-12 Small game seasons, which would provide hunting opportunities for small game seasons. The Commission will consider adoption of permanent rules at its April 3-4, 2009, meeting in Olympia.

The following individuals provided oral testimony on the above proposed rule amendments during this portion of the meeting:

LANDOWNER HUNTING PERMITS – RULE BRIEFING AND PUBLIC HEARING:
Mick Cope briefed the Commission on proposed amendments to WAC 232-28-295, Landowner hunting permits, which would help address deer and elk damage problems and provide hunter access to private lands. The Commission will consider adoption of permanent rules at its April 3-4, 2009, meeting in Olympia.

No one signed up to provide oral testimony on the above proposed rule amendments during this portion of the meeting.

DAMAGE PREVENTION PERMIT HUNTS – RULE BRIEFING AND PUBLIC HEARING:
Mick Cope briefed the Commission on proposed amendments to WAC 232-28-266, Damage prevention permit hunts, which would help address turkey damage problems and provide hunter access to private lands. The Commission will consider adoption of permanent rules at its April 3-4, 2009, meeting in Olympia.

No one signed up to provide oral testimony on the above proposed rule amendments during this portion of the meeting.

TRAPPING SEASONS AND REGULATIONS – RULE BRIEFING AND PUBLIC HEARING:
Donny Martorello briefed the Commission on proposed amendments to WAC 232-28-516, Trapping seasons and regulations, and repeal of WAC 232-28-515, Trapping seasons and regulations. These changes would liberalize trapping restrictions and bag limits consistent with reduced harvest resulting from passage of the voter Initiative 713. The Commission will consider adoption of permanent rules at its April 3-4, 2009, meeting in Olympia.

The following individual provided oral testimony on the above proposed rule amendments during this portion of the meeting:

BIG GAME AND WILD TURKEY AUCTION, RAFFLE, AND SPECIAL INCENTIVE PERMITS – RULE BRIEFING AND PUBLIC HEARING:
Donny Martorello briefed the Commission on proposed amendments to WAC 232-28-282, Big game and wild turkey auction, raffle, and special incentive permits, which would establish seasons for all big game auction and raffle hunts and expand the bighorn sheep raffle permit consistent with population status. The Commission will consider adoption of permanent rules at its April 3-4, 2009, meeting in Olympia.

No one signed up to provide oral testimony on the above proposed rule amendments during this portion of the meeting.

SPECIAL CLOSURES AND BOUNDARY REGULATIONS – RULE BRIEFING AND PUBLIC HEARING:
Jerry Nelson briefed the Commission on proposed amendments to the following WAC rules which would provide means to address wildlife damage issues by modifying or creating new deer and elk areas:

The Commission will consider adoption of permanent rules at its April 3-4, 2009, meeting in Olympia.

The following individuals provided oral testimony on the above proposed rule amendments during this portion of the meeting:

OPEN PUBLIC INPUT:
The following individuals provided oral testimony on issues of concern during this portion of the meeting:

Chair Wecker recessed the meeting at 5:35 p.m.

SATURDAY, MARCH 7:

Chair Wecker called the meeting back to order at 8:30 a.m.

OPEN PUBLIC INPUT:
The following individuals provided oral testimony on issues of concern during this portion of the meeting:

NON-TOXIC SHOT REQUIREMENTS – RULE BRIEFING AND PUBLIC HEARING:
Mick Cope briefed the Commission on proposed amendments to WAC 232-12-068, Non-toxic shot requirements, which would expand non-toxic shot requirements to address concerns associated with lead. The Commission will consider adoption of permanent rules at its April 3-4, 2009, meeting in Olympia.

The following individuals provided oral testimony on the above proposed rule amendments during this portion of the meeting:

SPRING BLACK BEAR SEASONS AND REGULATIONS – RULE BRIEFING AND PUBLIC HEARING:
Donny Martorello briefed the Commission on proposed amendments to WAC 232-28-286, 2010, 2011, and 2012 Spring black bear seasons and regulations. The Commission will consider adoption of permanent rules at its April 3-4, 2009, meeting in Olympia.

The following individual provided oral testimony on the above proposed rule amendments during this portion of the meeting:

MOOSE, BIGHORN SHEEP, AND MOUNTAIN GOAT SEASON AND PERMIT QUOTAS – RULE BRIEFING AND PUBLIC HEARING:
Donny Martorello briefed the Commission proposed amendments to WAC 232-28-273, Moose, bighorn sheep, and mountain goat seasons and permit quotas, which would allow hunting through a permit-only system. The Commission will consider adoption of permanent rules at its April 3-4, 2009, meeting in Olympia.

The following individuals provided oral testimony on the above proposed rule amendments during this portion of the meeting:

BLACK BEAR AND COUGAR HUNTING REGULATIONS – RULE BRIEFING AND PUBLIC HEARING:
Donny Martorello briefed the Commission on proposed amendments and a proposed new section to the following WAC rules which would establish 2009-2010, 2010-2011, and 2011-2012 seasons:

The Commission will consider adoption of permanent rules at its April 3-4, 2009, meeting in Olympia.

The following individuals provided oral testimony on the above proposed rule amendments during this portion of the meeting:

HUNTING EQUIPMENT RESTRICTIONS – RULE BRIEFING AND PUBLIC HEARING:
Jerry Nelson briefed the Commission on proposed amendments to the following WAC rules which would amend hunting equipment regulations:

The Commission will consider adoption of permanent rules at its April 3-4, 2009, meeting in Olympia.

The following individuals provided oral testimony on the above proposed rule amendments during this portion of the meeting:

DEER GENERAL SEASONS AND SPECIAL PERMIT REGULATIONS – RULE BRIEFING AND PUBLIC HEARING:
Jerry Nelson briefed the Commission on proposed rule amendments that would make minor adjustments to deer and elk general seasons to address emergent issues and fine-tune hunts designed to alleviate agricultural damage:

The Commission will consider adoption of permanent rules at its April 3-4, 2009, meeting in Olympia.

The following individuals provided oral testimony on the above proposed rule amendments during this portion of the meeting:

ELK GENERAL SEASONS AND SPECIAL PERMIT REGULATIONS – RULE BRIEFING AND PUBLIC HEARING:
Jerry Nelson briefed the Commission on proposed rule amendments to the following WAC rules which would make minor adjustments to deer and elk general seasons to address emergent issues and fine-tune hunts designed to alleviate agricultural damage:

The Commission will consider adoption of permanent rules at its April 3-4, 2009, meeting in Olympia.

The following individuals provided oral testimony on the above proposed rule amendments during this portion of the meeting:

OPEN PUBLIC INPUT:
The following individuals provided oral testimony on issues of concern during this portion of the meeting:

MISCELLANEOUS AND MEETING DEBRIEF:

Chair Wecker adjourned the meeting at 3:32 p.m.

MEMOS AND AUTHORITIES FROM THE MARCH 6-7, 2009
FISH AND WILDLIFE COMMISSION MEETING, ELLENSBURG

Commissioners in Attendance:
Miranda Wecker, Chair
Gary Douvia, Vice Chair
Ken Chew
Conrad Mahnken
George Orr