Fish & Wildlife Commission to discuss budget, legislative requests, ferruginous hawks, drought at Aug. 6 meeting
The Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission is expected to make decisions on land acquisitions and what new funding and legislation the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) will seek from the state Legislature in 2022 during its Aug. 6 virtual meeting.
On Friday morning, the commission will consider supplemental operating and capital funding request priorities including approximately $16.5 million in emerging needs and additional expenditure authority, $8.8 million in maintenance funding needs, and $77 million in capital project needs.
Also, up for consideration are four proposals for agency legislation, such as licensing changes to support the department’s ability to promote youth hunting and angling opportunities, allow customers the convenience of printing licenses from home, and align with other state agencies on Discover Pass Free Days.
The Commission’s meeting on Friday will also include briefings and public comment on the status of ferruginous hawks and Steller sea lions.
WDFW staff are recommending that due to habitat impacts, the commission consider a change to the hawk’s status in the state from threatened to endangered. The commission will also take final action to determine if Steller sea lions should continue their delisted status in Washington.
On Friday afternoon, the commission will hear from WDFW staff on current drought conditions across Washington and review steps the department has taken so far – and may yet need to consider – to protect fish and wildlife populations during the current extreme weather conditions.
To support COVID-19 social distancing guidelines, this meeting will be conducted online and be available to the public to watch or listen via webinar or conference call. As part of new public comment guidelines, those who wish to comment on any portion of the meeting must be registered by 8 a.m. on Friday.
Find more information on how to comment and view the meeting at wdfw.wa.gov/about/commission/meetings, as well as further agenda details. The meeting will be recorded and posted online afterwards so people can also watch at their convenience.
