Meeting Minutes WASHINGTON FISH AND WILDLIFE COMMISSION 600 Capitol Way North, Olympia, WA 98501-1091

ATTENDANCE:
Commission	Public (Cont.)
Russ Cahill, Vice Chairman	Gary Koehler
Don Heinicke	Amy Shafer, KOMO-TV
Lisa Pelly	Roger Peffer, Washington State Bowhunters
Dawn Reynolds	Chris Dillard, Northwest Ecosystem Alliance
Will Roehl	Donna Gurr, Humane Society of the U.S.
Fred Shiosaki	William Byrne, Humane Society of the U.S.
Bob Tuck	Amber Johnson
	Thomas Schmidt, Okanogan Hound Council
Commission Staff:	Ryan Pruitt
Debbie Nelson	Mark Hannah
	Rebecca Jordan
Department	Diane Weinstein
Jeff Koenings, Director	Cathy Reynolds
Larry Peck, Deputy Director	Jim Reynolds
Bill Frymire	Julia Skatrud
Bruce Bjork	Victor Moore
John Broome	Dwaine Schetler
Donny Martorello	Douglas Padden
Steve Pozzanghera	Karen Arnold
Other Department Staff	Frieda Johnson
	Alison Timmons
Public	Christina Parraa
Melanie Woffenden	Devin Coonan
Valerie Beckstead	Mason Tabler
Jami Sawyer	Rick Steigmeyer, The Wenatchee World
Lori Gifford	Justin Neddo
Robert Papy	Joanne Tucker
Chana Lunden	Brandon Cate
Michael Sprague, Wenatchee Sportsman's Assn.	Bonnie Anderson
Janet Allen	Leroy Leveber
Larry Utzinger	Todd Corrigan
Noel Lebsack	Pinky Sewell, WA State Hound Council
Paul Tverggate	Carole Larsen
Lisa Ott	Chuck Smith, Okanogan County Commissioner's Office
John Sewell, WA State Hound Council	Robert Johnson, Okanogan Hound Council
Ward Larsen	Darrell Shute
Jennifer Clark, WA State Hound Council	Sandy Walsh
Stewart Metz	Bobbie Thorniley, Washingtonians for Wildlife
Jason Johnson, Okanogan Hound Council	Bryan Smith, Okanogan Hound Council
Patrick Walsh	Bob Morton, Senator
Jacob Walsh	Kevin Claunch
Jamey Layman, Inland NW Wildlife Council	Jennifer Clanahan
Bill White	Ralph Turned
Lynda Betts	Eric Steen
Nina Johnston	Julie Pepper
Stephanie Hillman, Progressive Animal Welfare Society	Terrence Parkhurst
Kay Farrell	Mitizi Leibst
Carl Powell, P.O.W.E.R.	Jacqueline Blue
Donna Frostholm	Elaine Thompson
Gail Beeson	Walter Stockla
Ted Freemire	Philip Anderson
Richard Lee	Rick, Travis, and Bell Letteer
Yoland Morris	Scott Justice
Peter Brandt	Edward Aneas
Evelyn Russell	Ursula Steen
Randy Hein	Gwen Miller
Bill & Helen Stroud	Bruce Lemmon
Jeanne Shank	Hauley Woolsday
Ellen Kritzman	Todd Cromwell
Dixie Smith	Katherine Brandon
Ryan Warren	Patrick Kent
Susan Bocek	Ed Mahany, Pacific Coast Hound Club
Lisa Wathne, Humane Society of the U.S.	Bill Stoner
Stephanie Bell	Bill Tanner
Rogert Stagman	Reg Morgan, Wenatchee World
Don Buffer	Robert Daniels
Bill Stegeman	Marlo Mytty
Ann Tanner	Jim Stegner
Elizabeth Daniels	Cody Smithson
Janet Hanan	E. J. Branch
Sarah Stegner	Richard Robbins
Gary Smithson	Brad Buehm
Jeff Davisson	Brad Geil
Andy & Claudia Anderson	Clyde Paul
Bonnie Robbins	Sid Viebrock
David McClure	Roy Breeden
Boyd Hardesty	Karen Baker
Robert Heath, Tri-County Hound Council	Les Kinney
Linda Morgan	Richard Grubb
Angela Sampson	Eunice Grubb
Jasmin Baker-Kinney

Vice Chairman Cahill called the meeting to order at 1:00 p.m.

COUGAR REMOVAL WITH THE AID OF DOGS:

Assistant Attorney General Bill Frymire presented a short review and overview of the initiative and law-making processes in Washington. Legislation passed earlier this year directed the Commission to authorize the use of dogs for the removal of cougars in areas within a Game Management Unit for the purpose of meeting a demonstrated public safety need.

Bruce Bjork, John Broome, and Donny Martorello presented the final recommendation of adoption of a permanent amendment to WAC 232-28-272, 2000-2001, 2001-2002 and 2002-2003 Black Bear and Cougar Hunting Seasons and Regulations. This amendment would establish criteria which allow the use of hounds to remove cougars, identify removal rate, establish participation and reporting requirements, and establish the dates for the 2000-2001 public safety cougar removals.

Sixty-two individuals provided oral testimony on the proposed rule amendment during the meeting.

Commissioner Shiosaki moved, seconded by Commissioner Roehl, that in light of the Legislature's recognition that the staff of the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife are limited in their ability to protect the safety of the citizens of the state of Washington with the existing tools and methods available, to adopt the permanent amendment to WAC 232-28-272, 2000-2001, 2001-2002 and 2002-2003 Black Bear and Cougar Hunting Seasons and Regulations, as filed with the Code Reviser's Office and amended by staff. As part of that process, the Department shall continue to use the other practical alternatives available to address public safety complaints as a result of cougar activity.

Commissioner Roehl moved, seconded by Commissioner Reynolds, to amend the motion to add a subsection (3) under "Public Safety Cougar Removals: Criteria" to read: "Public safety cougar removal pelts shall be surrendered to the Department; however, meat from the carcass shall be retained by the hunter."

Steve Pozzanghera indicated that during the last break, staff had prepared appropriate rule language to prohibit retention of pelts, should the Commission prefer to use that specific language instead. Commissioners agreed, and the motion to amend the motion was withdrawn.

Commissioner Reynolds moved, seconded by Commissioner Roehl, to amend the motion to add the following language to the "Bag Limit" section: "A cougar hide taken in a public safety cougar removal shall remain the property of the state and shall be delivered to the Department within 72 hours of kill (excluding legal state holidays);" and under the "Cougar Pelt Sealing" section, strike "Any person who takes a cougar" and insert "Cougar hides taken in a public safety cougar removal remain the property of the state. Hunters taking cougar in a general statewide season..." The motion to amend the motion failed.

Commissioner Heinicke moved, seconded by Commissioner Pelly, to amend the motion to insert language under the "Public safety cougar removals: Permit selection procedure" section that would allow only hound hunters to participate in the public safety cougar removals and to establish a hound hunter registry.

Bill Frymire explained that there is no statutory or rule definition of a hound hunter. Therefore, if the Commission wanted to restrict the removals to hound hunters only, then the rule would need to include definition language.

After consulting with Bill Frymire, Vice Chairman Cahill explained that if the Commission adopted a rule that established public safety cougar removals exclusively for hound hunters and did not include a definition of a hound hunter, the rule might be considered as substantially different from the rule proposed in the published notice of proposed rule adoption. Therefore, the motion to amend the motion was withdrawn.

The meeting ran longer than anticipated, and the meeting room had to be vacated to make room for the next scheduled function. To allow time for further Commission review and discussion, Commissioner Reynolds moved, seconded by Commissioner Pelly, to table consideration of adoption of the main motion to adopt the proposed rule amendment until the October 6 Commission workshop. The motion carried.

Vice Chairman Cahill adjourned the meeting at 6:32 p.m.

Commissioners in Attendance:

Russ Cahill, Vice Chairman

Don Heinicke

Lisa Pelly

Dawn Reynolds

Will Roehl

Fred Shiosaki

Bob Tuck

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