Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife
From Salish Sea Wiki
Workgroups are collaborative communities, often within an organization that complete efforts
- Salish Sea References
- Wiki Rules
- Wiki text does not reflect the policy or opinion of any agency or organization
- Please adhere to our Social Contract and Style Guide
- Complain here, and be nice.
The Washington Department of Fish and Wildife is a State Agency with a director that reports to the Fish & Wildlife Commission, which is composed of nine governor-appointed members who serve 6-year terms. Around 1500 employees work out of 6 regions and a headquarters. WDFW
Notes
- Three programs represent the varied work and history of the agency.
- Fish is larger than the other two combined, and negotiates harvest and issues fishing licenses, operates hatcheries, manages shellfish resources, and provides a science basis for fish population management.
- Wildlife - manages game for hunting and 900,000 acres of land, and supports biodiversity planning for non-fish species.
- Habitat - is the smallest program, and manages restoration funding and manages regulatory authorities, primarily administration of HPA. Its science section is focused on habitat management.
- Enforcement - includes around 140 commissioned officers that enforce regulations.
- Business Services - manages a wide range of administrative functions like information technology, sales, facilities, human resources, fiscal management, procurement, and the like.
- Each program has a science section. The Habitat Program provides technical assistance to other agencies and local governments in implementation of habitat protections under Growth Management Act, Shoreline Management Act, and Forest Practices Act, and thus is often a principal source of Best Available Science.
- WDFW has provided state-wide guidance on Riparian Buffers
- The agency operates out of six regional offices. Each office has a regional director. Within the regional office, there are much stronger connections among the three programs compared to headquarters. Headquarters is located on the 4th and 5th floors of the Natural Resources Building in Olympia.
Chronology
- 1994 - the legislature merges the Department of Fisheries and the Department of Wildlife to form WDFW.
Important Programs of Interest
- Priority Species and Habitats - data concerning distribution of surveyed species
- Salmon and Steelhead Habitat Inventory and Assessment Program - data framework supporting salmon management
- Puget Sound Nearshore Ecosystem Restoration Project -
- Estuary and Salmon Restoration Program - in the habitat
- Fish Passage] - WDFW has an fish passage engineering shop, completes policy, has regulatory oversite through HPA and administers state money through the Brian Abbott Fish Barrier Removal Board.
Efforts and Products in WDFW
Efforts
- Coordinated Investment
- Crescent Harbor Lagoon Restoration
- Culvert Replacement Regulatory Coordination
- Estuary and Salmon Restoration Program (ESRP)
- Feeder Bluff Mapping
- Fir Island Farm Restoration
- French Slough Drainage Management
- High Resolution Aerial Imagery Change Detection
- Integrated Nearshore Priorities Project
- Jimmycomelately Restoration
- Predicting Rates of Channel Development
- Puget Sound Marine and Nearshore Grant Program
- Puget Sound National Estuary Program (NEP)
- Puget Sound Watershed Characterization Project
- Salmon Creek Estuary Fill Removal
- Science Sprints to Support Regulation
- Skagit Delta Tidegates and Fish Initiative
- Skagit Farm, Fish and Flood Initiative
- Smith Island Restoration
- Social Marketing to Reduce Shoreline Armoring
- Tidal Channel Reference Model
- Washington Water and Salmon Fund Finder
Products
One document in WDFW
1 websites in WDFW
