See below for rules adopted in 2025 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
The department is considering rulemaking to amend requirements in the coastal and Puget Sound commercial Dungeness crab fisheries.
The department seeks to amend a rule affecting the coastal recreational bottomfish fishery so that it is consistent with federal regulations recently adopted by the Pacific Fishery Management Council.
This rule proposal establishes the black bear hunting season dates and bag limits for each of the 14 Black Bear Management Units (BBMU), as well as where it is illegal to harvest black bear in Washington. The amendments make it unlawful to kill cubs (less than one-year old) and females with cubs. In addition, the amendments include the list of GMUs where the Bear ID Test is required. Finally, the amendments specify that mandatory bear tooth samples must be submitted to the department by December 1.
This rule project sets forth the harvest caps by Cougar Hunt Management Unit (previously PMUs), the mortalities that count towards the cap (harvest and conflict) and information on the cougar hotline and website that will update closures weekly.
As part of its 2025 hunting rule project, the department seeks to amend Wildlife rules to address the spread of CWD that has been detected in the state.
The department seeks to create a new rule to restrict the feeding of deer, elk and moose in the state.
The department is considering a number of changes to hunting rules as part of its 2025 Season Setting rule proposal. Rule changes involve multi-season deer and elk tags, deer and elk special permits, bighorn sheep and mountain goat special permits and migratory gamebird seasons.
The department seeks to amend WAC 220-356-160 to update the current WDFW address for submission of harvest logbooks for commercial herring and baitfish.
The department is considering changes to rules for recreational clam, mussel, and oyster harvest seasons in 2025.
The department is considering rule making for Southern Resident orcas, including amending and adding to rules in WAC Title 220.
The Department is considering changes to its rules that govern public records. The purpose of the proposed rule is to provide guidance to the public concerning the costs of providing public records on the body worn cameras in use by the WDFW law enforcement officers. It will also clarify administrative procedures that will not change the effect of the current rule.