WDFW to host second virtual coastal steelhead town hall Nov. 13

OLYMPIA — The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) will host its second virtual town hall meeting on the 2024-2025 coastal steelhead season at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 13.

WDFW staff will share agreed-to fishery plans with the public during the meeting. In late November, the Department will finalize those plans with tribal co-managers and then announce the 2024-2025 season and regulations.

“We recognize the importance of coastal steelhead for recreational anglers, tribal co-managers, river ecosystems, and local communities and economies,” said WDFW Fish Program Director Kelly Cunningham. “We appreciate the public’s involvement in our coastal steelhead management process, and we look forward to sharing plans that balance conservation with providing fishing opportunity.” 

Members of the public can participate in the Nov. 13 meeting through Zoom, either online or by phone. Meeting materials and information on fishery management, including past town halls, are available on WDFW’s coastal steelhead management webpage. 

Staff will present finalized plans to the Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission in a special Fish Committee meeting Nov. 21. More information will soon be available on the Commission’s meeting webpage.

All members of the public are invited to share their perspectives and participate in WDFW public feedback opportunities regardless of race, color, sex, age, national origin, language proficiency, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, status as a veteran, or basis of disability.   

WDFW continues to operate under its Statewide Steelhead Management Plan, which requires the Department to prioritize the sustainability of wild coastal steelhead runs by focusing on healthy levels of abundance, productivity, diversity, and distribution. 

The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife works to preserve, protect and perpetuate fish, wildlife and ecosystems while providing sustainable fish and wildlife recreational and commercial opportunities.