Fish and Wildlife Commission to discuss budget, legislative requests, ferruginous hawks, drought at Aug. 6 meeting

OLYMPIA – The Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission is expected to make decisions on land acquisitions and what new funding and legislation the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) will seek from the state Legislature in 2022 during its Aug. 6 virtual meeting.  

Commission members will also hold Wildlife, Big Tent, Fish, and Wolf committee meetings on Thursday, Aug. 5, to hear briefings on topics such as grazing on WDFW-managed lands, rulemaking around work to deter wolf-livestock conflicts, next steps in efforts to buy back Columbia River commercial licenses and allow for alternate gear types, and the Department’s readiness to respond to climate change.

On Friday morning, the commission will begin their regular meeting by taking open public comment. The commission will also consider supplemental operating and capital funding request priorities including approximately $16.5 million in emerging needs and additional expenditure authority, $8.8 million in maintenance funding needs, and $77 million in capital project needs. Also, up for consideration are four proposals for agency legislation, such as licensing changes to support the department’s ability to promote youth hunting and angling opportunities, allow customers the convenience of printing licenses from home, and align with other state agencies on Discover Pass Free Days.  

The Commission’s meeting on Friday will also include briefings and public comment on the status of ferruginous hawks and Steller sea lions. WDFW staff are recommending that due to habitat impacts, the commission consider a change to the hawk’s status in the state from threatened to endangered. The commission will also take final action to determine if Steller sea lions should continue their delisted status in Washington.

On Friday afternoon, the commission will hear from WDFW staff on current drought conditions across Washington and review steps the department has taken so far - and may yet need to consider - to protect fish and wildlife populations during the current extreme weather conditions.

To support COVID-19 social distancing guidelines, this meeting will be conducted online and be available to the public to watch or listen via webinar or conference call. As part of new public comment guidelines, those who wish to comment on any portion of the meeting must be registered by 8 a.m. on Friday. Find more information on how to comment and view the meeting at wdfw.wa.gov/about/commission/meetings, as well as further agenda details. The meeting will be recorded and posted online afterwards so people can also watch at their convenience.

The Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission is a panel appointed by the governor that sets policy for the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW). WDFW works to preserve, protect and perpetuate fish, wildlife and ecosystems while providing sustainable fish and wildlife recreational and commercial opportunities.