Minutes and audio/video recordings
Natural Resources Building
1111 Washington Street SE
Olympia WA 98501 – Room 172
- Committee Meetings
Hybrid Participation:
If you are interested in providing verbal public comment either online or in-person during a hybrid meeting, please register online. The following registration deadlines are in effect:
- Registration for those wishing to provide comments in-person closes at 8 a.m. each morning the Commission is meeting, or when the day’s meeting begins. Open Public Input is intended for comments on matters not found elsewhere on the agenda with separate public comment periods.
- Registrants will be called upon and typically have three minutes to speak.
- If you are unable to participate you can submit your comments on the Commission contact page.
To listen to the meetings by phone dial 1-253-205-0468 and enter Webinar ID - 82438651829#
8:00 -10:00 AM – Big Tent Committee – Commissioners Baker, Lehmkuhl, Parker, Smith
Agenda topics:
- Draft Conservation Policy review and process moving forward
- Process check-in on Best Available Science Policy
- General discussion – current events and next meeting agenda
10:00 - 12:00 PM – Habitat Committee – Commissioners Linville, Lehmkuhl, Ragen, Myers
Agenda topics:
- Annual WDFW managed lands grazing update
- Habitat Connectivity - agency update and next steps
- General discussion – current events and next meeting agenda
1:00 - 3:00 PM – Fish Committee – Commissioners Anderson, Parker, Ragen, Linville
Agenda topics:
- Coastal steelhead season planning
- Coastal spring chinook federal listing petition
- North of Falcon Policy Briefing
- Petition: Statewide protection of resident forms of wild steelhead
- General discussion – current events and next meeting agenda
3:00 - 5:00 PM – Wildlife Committee – Commissioners Smith, Anderson, Rowland, Myers
Agenda topics:
- Game Management Plan update
- 3- Year season setting recommendation
- General discussion – current events and next meeting agenda
- Regular Meeting
Hybrid Participation:
If you are interested in providing verbal public comment either online or in-person during a hybrid meeting, please register online. The following registration deadlines are in effect:
- Registration for those wishing to provide comments in-person closes at 8 a.m. each morning the Commission is meeting, or when the day’s meeting begins. Open Public Input is intended for comments on matters not found elsewhere on the agenda with separate public comment periods.
- Registrants will be called upon and typically have three minutes to speak.
- If you are unable to participate you can submit your comments on the Commission contact page.
To listen to the meetings by phone dial 1-253-205-0468 and enter Webinar ID - 86188268076#
8:00 - 8:45 AM – 1. Call to Order
Commissioner’s Discussion
Meeting Minutes Approval
Committee Reports
8:45 - 10:15 AM – 2. Open Public Input
The Commission is a direct link between the citizens of Washington and the Department of Fish and Wildlife. Comments on Department programs and topics of concern are welcome during this portion of the meeting. NOTE: During this portion of the meeting, the public is encouraged to comment on issues that do not already have public input time on the agenda.
10:15 - 10:30 AM – Break
10:30 - 11:00 AM – 3. Director's Report
The Director will brief the Commission on various items.
11:00 - 11:20 AM – 4. Land Transaction - This item has been removed from the agenda
Land Transactions - Briefing, Public Comment and Decision
11:20 - 12:20 PM – 5. Fish Passage and Screen Rulemaking - Briefing, Public Hearing
Staff will brief the Commission on draft rule language to create a new Washington Administrative Code (WAC) section for WDFW, based on Revised Code of Washington (RCW) 77.57. The 2019-2021 Operating Budget, ESHB 1109, directed WDFW to develop and adopt rules to implement and enforce RCW 77.57, known as the Fishway, Flow, and Screening Statute.
Staff Report: Margen Carlson, Habitat Program Director, Tom Jameson, Fish Passage Division Manager and Gabrielle Stilwater, Fish Passage Rules Coordinator
12:20 - 1:00 PM – Lunch
1:00 - 2:30 PM – 6. Black Bear Timber Damage - Briefing, Public Hearing
Staff will brief the Commission on amendments to WAC 220-440-210; Wildlife management and Wildlife Interactions, Black bear timber depredation permits.
Staff Report: Fenner Yarborough, Landowner Services Division Manager
2:30 - 2:45 PM – Break
2:45 - 3:15 PM – 7. Coastal Crab and Puget Sound Shellfish Rulemaking - Decision
Staff will brief the Commission and request approval on rule proposals for coastal and Puget Sound shellfish.
Staff Report: Heather Hall, Intergovernmental Ocean Policy Manager and Aaron Dufault, Puget Sound Shellfish Manager
3:15 - 3:45 PM – 8. Petition: Statewide Protection of Resident Forms of Wild Steelhead - Briefing, Decision
Staff will brief the Commission and ask for a decision regarding the rulemaking petition from Wild Steelhead Coalition requesting rule changes for statewide protection of wild resident steelhead.
Staff Report: Kirt Hughes, Fish Management Division Manager
3:45 - 4:30 PM – 9. Co-manager Hatchery Policy - Decision
The Commission will decide on whether to implement policy guiding co-management of anadromous salmon and steelhead hatcheries between the state and tribes.
Staff Report: Kelly Cunningham, Fish Program Director, Laurie Peterson, Fish Program Science Manager, Dr. Ken Warheit, Fish Health and Molecular Genetics Lab Manager Director, Eric Kinne, Hatchery Division Manager
4:30 - 5:15 PM – 10. North of Falcon Policy (C-3608) - Briefing, Public Comment
Staff will brief the Commission on the current North of Falcon Policy (C-3608), which provides direction and guidance in annual salmon fishery planning and will expire at the end of 2023. Staff will seek guidance from the Commission on potential modifications to the policy prior to an additional Commission review in December and potential adoption of a new policy in January.
Staff Report: Kyle Adicks, Intergovernmental Salmon Manager
- Regular Meeting
Hybrid Participation:
If you are interested in providing verbal public comment either online or in-person during a hybrid meeting, please register online. The following registration deadlines are in effect:
- Registration for those wishing to provide comments in-person closes at 8 a.m. each morning the Commission is meeting, or when the day’s meeting begins. Open Public Input is intended for comments on matters not found elsewhere on the agenda with separate public comment periods.
- Registrants will be called upon and typically have three minutes to speak.
- If you are unable to participate you can submit your comments on the Commission contact page.
To listen to the meetings by phone dial 1-253-205-0468 and enter Webinar ID - 81718119962#
8:00 - 9:30 AM – 11. Open Public Input
The Commission is a direct link between the citizens of Washington and the Department of Fish and Wildlife. Comments on Department programs and topics of concern are welcome during this portion of the meeting. NOTE: During this portion of the meeting, the public is encouraged to comment on issues that do not already have public input time on the agenda.
9:30 - 9:45 – Break
9:45 - 10:45 AM – 12. WDFW Science - Briefing
Exploring science at WDFW.
Staff report: David Trimbach, Donny Martorello, Tim Quinn, Laurie Peterson, Ken Warheit
10:45 - 11:30 AM – 13. Gray Squirrel Periodic Status Review - Briefing, Public Hearing
Staff will provide the Commission with a briefing on status of the Western Gray Squirrel described in the final Periodic Status Review, and a classification recommendation.
Staff Report: Taylor Cotten, Conservation Assessment Section Manager and Mary Linders, Wildlife Biologist, Wildlife Diversity Division
11:30 - 12:30 PM – 14. Petition: Begin Rulemaking to Regulate the State's Management of Endangered Gray Wolves - Briefing, Decision
Staff will brief the Commission and ask for a decision regarding the rulemaking petition to regulate the state’s management of endangered Gray Wolves.
Staff Report: Julia Smith, Endangered Species Recovery Section Manager
12:30 - 1:00 PM – 15. Meeting Debrief and Future Meeting Planning
The Commission will discuss items that arise immediately before, during, or after the meeting and consider future agenda planning.