New directors will head three WDFW regional offices

OLYMPIA-- New directors are heading three Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) regional offices on the eastside of the state.

The Eastern Washington Region 1 headquarters in Spokane will be directed by John Andrews, who has served as acting regional director since last November, following the retirement of former Regional Director Bruce Smith.

Meanwhile, North-central Region 2 Director Jeff Tayer will transfer to Yakima May 15 to head the South-central Region 3 office there. Former Region 3 Director Dale Bambrick has resigned to accept a position with the National Marine Fisheries Service.

The Region 2 office will be directed on an interim basis by Craig Burley, who most recently served as Region 5 fish program manager in Vancouver. Burley will serve for up to three months until a permanent director is hired.

Andrews, a graduate of Washington State University, holds a bachelor of science degree in wildlife biology and a master of science degree in forestry and range management. He did seasonal work with the former state Department of Fisheries from 1968 to 1973. He joined the former Department of Game in 1974. He has served as a wildlife control agent, a wildlife biologist, regional wildlife program manager and regional habitat program manager.

Tayer, who has served five-and-a-half years as Region 2 director, studied wildlife management at the University of Washington before joining the former Department of Fisheries patrol division. He served 18 years with the division as an officer and a supervisor, stationed in Port Townsend, the Tri Cities, Goldendale and Ephrata.

Burley, who graduated from Western Washington University with a bachelor of science degree in marine biology, began work with WDFW in 1991. He has served as a resource program manager and a program manager for the resident native and invertebrates section of freshwater resources, before becoming Region 5 fish program manager in March 1999. Before joining WDFW, he worked with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service conducting research on the Columbia River and worked as a project leader with Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife.