Wildlife Area Management Planning Framework (2021)

Introduction

The mission of WDFW is to preserve, protect and perpetuate fish, wildlife and ecosystems while providing sustainable fish and wildlife recreational and commercial opportunities. WDFW's vision is conservation of Washington's fish and wildlife resources and ecosystems, where conservation is defined as: protection, preservation, management, or restoration of natural environments and the ecological communities that inhabit them. Conservation includes management of human use for public benefit and sustainable social and economic needs.

Purpose of the Framework

WDFW manages over 1 million acres of land across the state, to provide fish and wildlife habitat and maintain recreational opportunities for the citizens of Washington. Every ten years, WDFW develops a process for updating management plans for each of the 33 WLAs.

This document provides the framework for statewide WLA management and summarizes the statutory, regulatory, and funding requirements followed when managing them. It includes internal guidance for integrating multiple management initiatives, including how WDFW addresses and prioritizes management actions for species, habitats, and recreation. It also provides transparency to the public and interested stakeholders and outlines how WDFW manages facilities and equipment in a cost-effective manner. The Wildlife Area Advisory Committees (WAACs) provide input during WLA plan development. WAAC members represent a range of stakeholders with an interest in management activities on a wildlife area. Development of each WLA plan will be guided by this document, be consistent with the statewide WLA goals in this document, and identify goals, objectives, and performance measures specific to each area’s unique resources and features.

The WLA planning process integrates the priorities of the Wildlife, Fish, Habitat, and Enforcement programs. An interdisciplinary process engages WDFW personnel at WDFW headquarters in Olympia and resource specialists and decision-makers in each of WDFW’s six regions, which facilitates dialogue regarding priority resource issues and addresses potential conflicts among competing objectives of WDFW programs. Ultimately the final plan is delivered to the WDFW director for approval.