WDFW Fish and Wildlife Commission - December 8-10, 2022 Meeting Agenda

Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife
Fish and Wildlife Commission

December 8-10, 2022
Agenda
Hybrid Meeting

 

Clarkston Event Center – Grand Room
841 6th Street Clarkston, Washington 99403

Watch with TVW Friday or Saturday

 

Thursday, December 8, 2022 – Committee Meetings

To listen to the committee meetings, please access them here or by phone at the following phone numbers below. 

1-253-215-8782 or 1-833-548-0276 (Toll-Free) and enter in Webinar ID: 867-1886-4047 

8:30 AM

Habitat Committee - Commissioners Linville, Lehmkuhl, Smith, Ragen - Watch with TVW
Location: Grand Room

Agenda topics:

11:00 AM

Wildlife Committee - Commissioners Thorburn, Smith, Anderson, Rowland - Watch with TVW
Location: Grand Room

Agenda topics:

1:00 PM

Fish Committee – Commissioners McIsaac, Anderson, Linville, Ragen - Watch with TVW
Location: Grand Room

Agenda topics:

Friday, December 9, 2022 – Regular Meeting

Virtual Participation: 
If you are interested in providing verbal public comment, please pre-register here. The following pre-registration deadlines are in effect: 

  • Pre-registration public comment closes at 8 am Friday for Friday’s comment periods and at 8 am on Saturday for Saturday’s comment periods.  
  • Open Public Input is for comments on matters not found elsewhere on the agenda with separate public comment periods. 
  • Registrants will be called upon and have three minutes to speak. 

In-Person Participation: 
If you want to provide testimony in-person, please complete a "Public Testimony" form (available at the meeting registration table)  before starting that agenda item. Submit your completed form to the Commission representative at the registration table before that agenda item. When registering to testify, please provide your first and last name, what topic you would like to speak about, a valid email address, and a phone number. 

To listen to the meeting or provide online testimony, please access it here or by phone at the following phone numbers below. 
 
1-253-215-8782 or 1-833-548-0276 (Toll-Free) and enter in Webinar ID: 867-1886-4047

Additional information on verbal and written comments can be found here. 

8:00 am

1. Call to Order
Commissioner's Discussion
Meeting Minutes Approval
 - October 27-29, 2022, Hybrid Meeting Minutes (PDF)
 - November 18, 2022, Hybrid Meeting Minutes (PDF)
Committee Reports

8:30 am

2. Open Public Input
The Commission is a direct link between the citizens of Washington and the Department of Fish and Wildlife. Comments on Department programs and topics of concern are welcome during this meeting portion. NOTE: During this portion of the meeting, the public is encouraged to comment on issues that do not already have public input time on the agenda.

9:30 am

3. Director's Report
The Director will brief the Commission on various items.

10:00 am

4. Shoreline Armoring Rule Making (SSB 5273) - Decision 
Staff will ask the Commission for a decision on the amendment to WAC 220-660-370 Bank Protection to align with Substitute Senate Bill 5273 (SSB 5273), passed by the legislature in 2021.  

- Summary Sheet (PDF)

Staff Report: Theresa Nation, Environmental Planner, Habitat Program, and Margen Carlson, Director, Habitat Program  

10:10 am

5. Lands 20/20 – Briefing
Staff will provide a briefing on the Lands 20/20 process which is used to consider potential land acquisition projects and an overview of the 2022 slate of projects under consideration, including a summary of public comments on these 15 projects.

- Summary Sheet (PDF)
- Presentation (PDF)

Staff Report: Cynthia Wilkerson, Lands Division Manager, and Lisa Coffman, Lands 20/20 Coordinator, Wildlife Program
 
11:10 am - Break
 
11:25 am - This item has been postponed until the January meeting. 
 

6. Columbian River White-Tailed Deer Periodic Status Review – Briefing, Public Hearing, Decision
Staff will brief the Commission and ask for a decision on the recommendation to downlist the status of the Columbian River White-Tailed Deer.

- Summary Sheet (PDF)
- Presentation (PDF)

Staff Report: Taylor Cotten, Conservation Assessment Section Manager, and Jeffery Azerrad, Environmental Planner

 
11:55 am
 

7. Blue Sheet: Beaver Management – Briefing 
Staff will provide a briefing on beaver management in Washington state.

- Blue Sheet (PDF)
- Summary Sheet (PDF)
- Beaver Relocation Pilot Program Report (PDF)
- Presentation (PDF)

Staff Report: Eric Gardner, Wildlife Program Director, Margen Carlson, Habitat Program Director and Jeff Davis, Conservation Director

12:55 pm - Lunch

1:40 pm

8. UW-WDFW Predator-Prey Project – Briefing
University of Washington Ph.D. students and WDFW staff will present preliminary findings from the WDFW-UW cooperative predator-prey project conducted in northcentral and northeastern Washington.

- Summary Sheet (PDF)
- Presentations

Staff Report: Lauren Satterfield, Ph.D. Candidate University of Washington, Taylor Ganz, Ph.D. Candidate University of Washington,  Dr. Sarah Bassing, University of Washington, Donny Martorello, Chief Scientist, Wildlife Program, and Eric Gardner, Wildlife Program Director
 
2:40 pm
 
9. Coastal Steelhead Proviso Plan – Briefing, Public Comment, Decision

Staff will provide a briefing to the Commission on the status of the Coastal Steelhead Proviso Plan.

- Summary Sheet (PDF)
- Presentation (PDF)
- Fish Committee Recommendation on the Coastal Steelhead Proviso Implementation Plan and Supplemental Budget Request (PDF)

Staff Report: James Losee, Region 6, Fish Program Manager, and Toby Harbison, Region 6, Research Scientist

Public Comment – This Item Only

3:40 pm - Break 

3:55 pm 

10. Protecting Southern Resident Killer Whales from the Effects of Vessels– Briefing (This item has been postponed to a January meeting.)
Staff will provide the Commission with an update on a process to evaluate the effectiveness of statutes and regulations designed to protect Southern Resident Killer Whales (SRKW) from the effects of vessels, including the licensing of commercial whale watching and the regulation of recreational and commercial viewing of SRKW.

- Summary Sheet (PDF)
- Presentation (PDF)

Staff Report Julie Watson, Killer Whale Policy Lead

4:25 pm

11. Guide Logbook Rule Proposal – Briefing, Public Hearing (This item has been postponed to a January meeting.)
Staff will present an amendment to rules regarding reporting requirements for freshwater game fish guides, food fish guides and combination game fish and food fish guides.

- Summary Sheet (PDF)
- Presentation (PDF)

Staff Report: Raquel Crosier, Special Assistant to the Director of Fish Program, Chris Donley, Region 1 Fish Program Manager, and Captain Jeffrey Wickersham, Enforcement

Public Hearing – This Item Only

5:25 pm - Recess
 

Saturday, December 10, 2022 – Regular Meeting

Virtual Participation: 
If you are interested in providing verbal public comment, please pre-register here. The following pre-registration deadlines are in effect: 

  • Pre-registration public comment closes at 8 am Friday for Friday’s comment periods and at 8 am on Saturday for Saturday’s comment periods.  
  • Open Public Input is for comments on matters not found elsewhere on the agenda with separate public comment periods. 
  • Registrants will be called upon and have three minutes to speak. 

In-Person Participation: 
If you want to provide testimony in-person, please complete a "Public Testimony" form (available at the meeting registration table)  before starting that agenda item. Submit your completed form to the Commission representative at the registration table before that agenda item. When registering to testify, please provide your first and last name, what topic you would like to speak about, a valid email address, and a phone number. 

To listen to the meeting or provide online testimony, please access it here or by phone at the following phone numbers below. 
 
1-253-215-8782 or 1-833-548-0276 (Toll-Free) and enter in Webinar ID: 867-1886-4047

Additional information on verbal and written comments can be found here. 

8:00 am
 
12. Open Public Input
The Commission is a direct link between the citizens of Washington and the Department of Fish and Wildlife. Comments on Department programs and topics of concern are welcome during this meeting portion. NOTE: During this portion of the meeting, the public is encouraged to comment on issues that do not already have public input time on the agenda.
 

9:00 am

13. Regional Directors Report
The Regional Director will brief the Commission on various items.

9:30 am

14. Annual Columbia River Fishery Salmon Management (C-3630) Report – Briefing
Staff will provide the annual report for C-3630.

- Summary Sheet (PDF)
- Presentation (PDF)

Staff Report: Dr. Charlene Hurst, Columbia River Management Unit Lead, and Ryan Lothrop, Columbia River Fishery Manager
 
10:00 am
 
15. Meeting Debrief and Future Meeting Planning
The Commission will discuss items immediately before, during, or after the meeting and consider future agenda planning.
10:45 am 
 
16. Executive Session (This item has been postponed until a later date)
Pursuant to RCW 42.30.110(1)(i) and RCW 42.30.110 (1)(g), the Commission will meet in an executive session. Accordingly, no action will be taken during the executive session, and the public is not permitted to attend.
 
12:45 pm - Adjourn