Welcome to the Department of Fish and wildlife (WDFW) sportfishing rule public involvement process. We appreciate your participation in this important activity.
This year we are accepting proposals for changes in the sportfishing rules from both the public and departmental staff. The timetable below lists important dates during the process. The fish and Wildlife Commission will review proposed changes developed during this process for approval in February 2010, and, unless otherwise stated, those rules adopted will take effect on May 1, 2010 to coincide with the "2010-2011 Fishing in Washington" pamphlet.
Please submit all of your proposed changes on Rule Proposal Forms. You may download an electronic copy of it by clicking here. If you e-mail the form back to us, please send it as an attachment to preserve formatting. Also, please use a separate form for each rule proposal so that we can route each proposal to the proper staff person for review. There are instructions on the back of the proposal form. We've also enclosed some additional information to help you develop your proposal(s). This information describes the standard seasons and daily limits that are used by WDFW staff when we develop sportfishing rules and the reasons behind them. Your proposal will have a better chance of success if it falls within these guidelines. Also included is a list of other rule-making processes, which should help you determine whether your proposal fits in this process or if it should be directed elsewhere. In order to be part of this year's process, all rule change proposals need to reach us by June 1, 2009. Proposals can be e-mailed to sportfishing@dfw.wa.gov , mailed to WDFW's headquarters, or sent by FAX to (360)902-2944.
As a result of the funding challenges facing our state, the Department is considering the following changes to reduce costs while maintaining a high level of service: 2) adopting rules on a 2-year cycle, rather than on a yearly basis; 2) using e-mail whenever possible; and 3) the development of a 2-year fishing pamphlet.
If you received a postcard alerting you to this process, but would be willing to receive your information by e-mail instead of postal mail, please respond by e-mail to us at sportfishing@dfw.wa.gov and include your regular mailing address so we can remove it from our list. Or, if you no longer want to be part of this process and want your name removed from our mailing list, you can send us an e-mail, a letter, or call us at (360)902-2700 to let us know.
