WASHINGTON DEPARTMENT OF FISH AND WILDLIFE
NEWS RELEASE
600 Capitol Way North, Olympia, WA 98501-1091
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November 18, 1997
Contact: Jeff Weathersby (360) 902-2256

Commission to hold wild salmon public hearing; workshop on hunting and fishing issues

TUMWATER -- The public will have its final chance to comment on a proposed state-tribal Wild Salmonid Policy at 7 p.m. Friday (Nov. 21) at the Skokomish Room of the WestCoast Tyee Hotel, 500 Tyee Drive SW., Tumwater.

The Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission is scheduled to vote on the joint policy on Dec. 5.

In addition to the Wild Salmonid Policy, the commission on Friday also will listen to public comments on proposed additional wild salmon policy guidance for the Department of Fish and Wildlife. The additional guidance will be used by the department in negotiations over wild salmon and steelhead issues with tribes, local governments and citizens at watershed councils.

The Fish and Wildlife Commission also is holding a workshop from 1 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Friday and from 9 a.m. to 2:15 p.m. Saturday. Both workshop sessions will be held in room 172 at the Natural Resources Building, 1111 Washington St. SE in Olympia.

At the workshop sessions, the commission will receive briefings from Department of Fish and Wildlife staffers on several issues, including:

  • Policy options for a hunting season-setting framework that simplifies regulations and ensures public participation
  • An update on WDFW's 1997-99 operating budget
  • Proposals to reduce or eliminate fisheries on several marine species, including Pacific cod, rockfish, lingcod, sablefish and shrimp for conservation reasons
  • Proposals necessary to implement a coastal commercial crab-sharing agreement with treaty tribes, as required by the federal courts
The workshop sessions are open to the public but public comments will not taken.