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Washington
Department of
Fish & Wildlife
Main Office
Natural Resources Building
1111 Washington St. SE
Olympia, WA 98501
360-902-2200
Get Directions
Mailing Address
600 Capitol Way N.
Olympia, WA 98501-1091
Phil Anderson
Director
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November - December 2012
July - August 2012
May - June 2012
March - April 2012
January - February 2012
- This is Round 4 of several rule projects aimed at reorganizing and streamlining the agency’s rules. The project includes updates, technical changes, and structural improvements to wildlife rules and other WACs in conjunction with the WAC Overhaul project. The agency will clarify language where needed, in tandem with other amendments to WACs within this rule-making. Changes to rules are needed because many are disorganized and contain conflicting, outdated language. WDFW will consider consolidating and splitting up rules. The project will also repeal outdated and inapplicable rules.
- This is Round 3 of several rule projects aimed at reorganizing and streamlining the agency’s rules. The project includes updates and structural improvements to several recreational and commercial fisheries rules in chapters 220-48, 220-56, 220-52, and 220-16 WAC, and in WAC 220-20-025. These changes will be done to comply with statutory requirements and to streamline and clarify WDFW’s administrative code. Additionally, this proposal will repeal outdated and inapplicable rules within the chapters listed above.
- The Department is considering rule making regarding auction and raffle hunts.
- Each year state, federal and tribal fishery managers gather to plan the Northwest's recreational and commercial salmon fisheries. This series of public meetings, known as the North of Falcon process, involves federal, state, tribal and industry representatives and concerned citizens. Rules based on North of Falcon recommendations change from year to year to reflect resource availability and to achieve conservation goals.
North of Falcon management process, technical changes, and structural improvements to recreational fish rules and other WACs in conjunction with the WAC Overhaul project. The agency will clarify language where needed, in tandem with other amendments to WACs within this rule-making. Rules based on North of Falcon meetings change from year to year to reflect resource availability and achieve conservation goals.
2012 North of Falcon commercial salmon rules for Willapa Bay and Grays Harbor
The department revised the salmon rules for commercial anglers in Willapa Bay and Grays Harbor so that the rules help the department meet salmon spawning goals, minimize bycatch or incidental fishing impacts, monitor and sample all fisheries, maintain the economic well-being and stability of the fishing industry, fully utilize the non-Indian allowable catch, and fairly allocate harvest opportunity between gear groups.
2012 North of Falcon commercial salmon regulations for Puget Sound
The department revised the salmon rules for commercial anglers in Puget Sound so that the rules help the department meet salmon spawning goals, minimize bycatch or incidental fishing impacts, monitor and sample all fisheries, maintain the economic well-being and stability of the fishing industry, fully utilize the non-Indian allowable catch, and fairly allocate harvest opportunity between gear groups.
- The Department is considering rule making for game reserves and waterfowl closures.
- The Department is considering rule making for the 2012 Migratory waterfowl seasons and regulations.
- The commercial sea urchin and sea cucumber License Reduction Programs are scheduled to discontinue on December 31, 2013. In order to promote program participation (i.e. sale of licenses back to the state), industry representatives have recommended that the maximum bid price for sea urchin and sea cucumber licenses be adjusted upward. A surplus of funds currently exists in both license-buyback accounts.
- Updates to required public-records rules to comply with statutory requirements and department policies; and the repeal of outdated and inapplicable rules.
- As part of the 2012-2014 hunting seasons and regulations proposal, the Department initiated rule making for black bear seasons and regulations. The permanent black bear rules were filed after the other 2012-2014 hunting season rules, so as not to alter the spring bear seasons in effect at that time.
- The purpose of this proposal is to repeal several WAC sections that are outdated, redundant, and/or no longer necessary; to make small technical changes to WAC titles to ensure clarity and uniformity; and to align a WAC with another rule.
- The Department is considering rule making for the following: deer and elk seasons and permits; cougar seasons and regulations; black bear seasons and regulations; mountain goat, bighorn sheep, and moose seasons, permits, and regulations; game bird regulations; small game seasons; landowner hunting permit program; deer and elk area boundaries; game management units, special closures and firearm restriction areas; unlawful methods for hunting; hunting equipment rules; hunting at night; and other hunting regulations.
- The purpose of this proposal is to amend several WAC sections to update references from Title 75 RCW to the proper references within Title 77 RCW. Additionally, some substitutions and additions of words are made to clarify the rules and rectify typographical errors.
- The purpose of this proposal is to revise the date that fishing for bottomfish is restricted seawrd of 20 fathoms in Marine Areas 3 (La Push) and 4 (Neah Bay). This proposal also allows rockfish retention seaward of 30 fathoms from March 15 through June 15 in Marine Area 2 (Westport), and it restricts lingcod fishing in deepwater portions of Marine Area 1 (Ilwaco/Chinook) and Marine Area 2 (Westport).
Depth restrictions and area closures are needed to ensure that catch of yelloweye and canary rockfish taken incidentally during recreational halibut and bottomfish trips do not exceed federal harvest guidelines. Yelloweye and canary rockfish are considered overfished and managed under rebuilding plans by the Pacific Fishery Management Council (PFMC). These changes are necessary to make state regulations consistent with federal regulations. The federal regulations are listed in Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Title 50, Part 660.
Input from Washington recreational fishermen was gathered during the PFMC public process and during public meetings sponsored by WDFW.
- The department must annually amend recreational clam and oyster season rules on some public tidelands in response to shellfish population changes, shifts in recreational effort, conservation issues, and negotiations with treaty tribes and other state agencies. Such amendments are designed to perpetuate shellfish resources while maximizing recreational fishing opportunity.
- The Department is considering rule making for the Multi-Season Big Game Permits to provide clarification on regulations, and update rules.
- The department must amend recreational fishing rules on an annual basis to respond to population changes, Fish and Wildlife Commission assignments, housekeeping needs, and conservation issues. All of the planned amendments are designed to perpetuate fish and shellfish resources while maximizing recreational fishing opportunity.
- The Department is considering changes to rules for the commercial ocean pink shrimp fishery that are consistent with marine fish and shellfish resource conservation objectives and fishery sustainability.
- Some of the changes to WAC 220-69-240 will restrict the amount of sardines and/or anchovy that can be purchased for purposes other than human consumption or bait. The restriction already applies to the amount of sardine and/or anchovy that can be fished for purposes other than human consumption or bait. Other changes to WAC 220-69-240, and changes to the remaining sections in this rule-making, are meant to complement the federal electronic fish accounting system mandated for the Washington groundfish trawl fishery.
- DFW is considering rule changes to ensure consistency between commercial purchasers of sardine and forage fish and fishers participating in the sardine and forage fish fisheries, and to ensure consistency with resource conservation objectives.
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