See below for rules adopted in 2024 by the Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission or the Director of the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. The public comment period has ended for all rules listed below.
See the Rule-making glossary for more information about the terms used here.
Permanent rules
This rule proposal makes several changes to the commercial whale watching license structure, including defining paddle tours, businesses, and guides, and separating the licensing of paddle tour businesses from commercial watching businesses (where they were previously lumped together).
The rule proposal regulates the 2024 recreational salmon fisheries statewide and is part of a comprehensive rulemaking package. Specific rule changes include setting dates, times, species, and daily limits for 2024 recreational salmon fisheries in saltwater and freshwater areas.
The rule proposal regulates the 2024 fall commercial salmon gillnet fisheries in Willapa Bay and Grays Harbor and is part of a comprehensive rulemaking package. Specific rule changes include setting areas, dates, times, and minimum gillnet mesh size for 2024 coastal commercial salmon harvest.
The rule proposal regulates the 2024 commercial salmon purse seine, gillnet, reef net, and beach seine fisheries in Puget Sound and is part of a comprehensive rulemaking package. Specific rule changes include setting areas, dates, times, and minimum gillnet mesh size for 2024 Puget Sound commercial salmon harvest.
The rule proposal inserts new legal standards into the existing rule for the installation of flotation materials in overwater structures (e.g., docks and swim floats). The proposed rule includes more detailed standards for containing foam flotation and is intended to reduce the release of foam into freshwaters and marine areas that could cause environmental concerns.
For the upcoming 3-year season setting, the department is considering rule changes for the following topics: Deer, elk, moose, bighorn sheep, mountain goat, equipment, waterfowl, trapping, small and upland game, landowner hunting permits and raffle hunts, and other related rule changes as needed.
The rule proposal changes some recreational clam, mussel, and oyster harvest seasons. These changes are based on recent clam and oyster population survey data, recreational harvest projections, and negotiations affecting intertidal Treaty and non-Treaty fisheries, along with public health considerations. Seasons will be opened or extended on some public beaches and closed or shortened on others.
The rule proposal increases angler opportunity on Deer Lake in Stevens County by lengthening the recreational fishing season for all species from March 1 to November 30 each year to year-round. To maintain the quality of the fishery, a daily limit of five lake trout was added, and no more than one lake trout measuring longer than 26 inches may be retained.
This rule proposal repeals an existing rule and replaces it with a new rule to provide a process to issue permits to owners of commercial timber to lethally remove black bears to reduce damage. The rule proposal identifies how permits are applied for, applications are reviewed and issued or denied, conditioned, and administered. Under the proposed rule, a black bear timber damage permit would allow a permittee or their designated hunter to remove one or more black bears as conditioned on the removal permit. To minimize the potential of orphaning cubs, the proposed rule prohibits the harvest of bears with cubs.