WDFW Commission meeting

PLEASE call in and testify virtually or come to Olympia in person to testify. We have four initiatives to protect wildlife, but the opposition is strong and will show up in full force this meeting.

Sign up to testify virtually or in person here (it is important to sign up ASAP!): https://wdfw.wa.gov/…/commission/meetings/public-testimony

Below is how to testify and what we need testimony on:

1. Public comment will be from 8:45 to 10:15 a.m. on Friday (input agenda item 2) and 8:00 to 9:30 a.m. on Saturday (input agenda item 11).
The wolf rulemaking petition will be heard and decided starting at 11:30 a.m. on Saturday, October 28. There is no public comment on that agenda item, but people can speak about it during the public comment periods on either Friday or Saturday.
Please ask the Commission to approve our petition protecting Wolves from the livestock industry.
Since 2012, 41 Wolves have been killed using taxpayer dollars at the request of the livestock industry. Due to rancher demand, WDFW has eliminated entire wolf families and killed pups.
NARN and partner members of the wildlife reform coalition filed a petition asking the Commission to adopt rules to end the practice of WDFW catering to rancher/producer demands.
This rule would make it the producer’s responsibility to protect their own Cows, Sheep, and other “livestock,” from Wolves, making it harder to do nothing and simply rely on WDFW to kill for them. The petition would also prevent WDFW from targeting entire wolf families, shooting wolf pups too young to hunt, and killing wolves in our public forests.
You can also write a comment in support of the Wolf petition using this link if you are unable to testify: https://actionnetwork.org/…/tax-payer-dollars-used-to…

2. There will be a briefing and hearing on the proposed black bear timber rule starting at 1 p.m. on Friday, and that agenda item has its
own public comment period (input agenda item 6). Please state that you would like the commission to deny any hunting permits. The timber and hunting industries are trying to kill more Bears, stating that deaths are needed in order to “protect” timber harvests.

3. The Gray Squirrel is on the agenda for a briefing and public hearing at 10:45 on Saturday and has its own public comment period (agenda item 13). Please tell the commission to list the Gray Squirrel as endangered. The timber industry is also against listing, as it believes timber harvests will be affected.

4. The conservation policy is set to be discussed during the big tent committee meeting starting at 8 a.m. on Thursday. Even though it is not an action item on the full Commission agenda, we are expecting high turnout to oppose it during testimony. We REALLY need a strong conservation policy at WDFW. Please call in during general public testimony on Friday or Saturday morning in support of the policy and thank the commissioners for drafting one!

Location is the
Natural Resources Building
1111 Washington Street SE
Olympia WA 98501 – Room 172

Virtual participation is encouraged for those who cannot make the in-person meeting, Instructions for joining virtually listed in agenda

Agenda here: https://wdfw.wa.gov/…/meetings/2023/26-28oct2023-agenda
Zoom link for the virtual meeting here: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/82438651829