In the fall of 2014, the Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission initiated a process to develop a salmon management policy to promote conservation of salmon in Willapa Bay and enhance the economic well-being and stability of the recreational and commercial fishing industry in the state.
The Fish and Wildlife Commission adopted the Willapa Bay Salmon Management Policy C-3622 in June 2015. The Commission and WDFW staff held several meetings to discuss the first phase of Policy implementation, resulting in the "Comprehensive Evaluation of the Willapa Bay Salmon Management Policy C-3622, 2015-2018." In December of 2020, this report was accepted by the Commission and it was determined that revisions to the policy were warranted, starting a formal policy revision process.
Willapa Bay Policy Revisions
Since 2020, the Commission has continued to extensively discuss and take public input on possible revisions and updates to the Willapa Bay Salmon Management Policy. Visit the Commission meetings webpage for additional materials and recordings.
The latest draft policy is now available for public review and comment. Members of the public can view the draft policy using the link below and leave a comment on this page. They may also email comments to willapabay@dfw.wa.gov. Public comment is open through Aug. 7, 2023.
The Commission will also further discuss the revised policy at its August 2023 meeting.