WDFW statement Aug. 6, 2024
Last month, the Department of Labor and Industries (L&I) delivered the final Nisqually River citation to WDFW. The report included citations that the agency is required to correct in 30 days.
The findings of the Nisqually River L&I report require WDFW to pay a $86,400 penalty to L&I within 15 days and correct four citations.
The report stemmed from an incident on Friday, Feb. 23, when Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) received a report of a WDFW boat incident on the Nisqually River in Thurston County. Two WDFW staff members were on board at the time of the incident as they were returning to the smolt trap after releasing marked pink salmon upstream as part of the smolt monitoring project. The report is available on L&I’s website.
“We are in the middle of changes necessary for a robust safety culture and continue to invest in staff safety,” said WDFW Director Kelly Susewind.
Information on the Wind River incident can be found here: WDFW statement on completion of March 2024 L&I Wind River incident report | Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife
Information on the Duckabush River incident can be found here: WDFW statement on July 2024 L&I Duckabush River citation | Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife
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