2022 Supplemental Operating Budget Request

This is the 2022 Supplemental Budget Request for the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (Department), as approved by the Fish and Wildlife Commission. We have developed this request to maintain current service levels and to deal with high priority budget and policy challenges we face after the development of the 2021-23 biennial budget. The Department has limited our requests to activities central to protection and preservation of the state’s fish and wildlife resources and recreational opportunities.

The state's fish and wildlife resources are central to the economy of the state. Fishing, hunting, and wildlife watching activities contribute over $4.5 billion each year in economic activity, and nearly $350 million per biennium directly to the state general fund. Commercial fishing supports thousands of jobs and many millions in personal income. The packages included in this request will reap economic benefits for local communities as well as enhance our ability to conserve fish and wildlife and provide sustainable opportunities.

The 2022 supplemental package includes Columbia River fishery reform items requested by Governor Inslee in his letter from June 8, 2021. The package contains options which will either sustain responsible fisheries, recover salmon, or both.