OLYMPIA – The Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission is scheduled to hear updates on wolf, cougar, and bear management, and a number of proposed revisions to fishing regulations at its October meeting.

The commission, a citizen panel appointed by the governor to set policy for the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife will meet Oct. 18-19 at the Natural Resources Building, 1111 Washington St. SE in Olympia.

Fish managers will brief the commission on a number of proposed changes to fishing regulations, including opening a section of the Colville River to year-round fishing, updates to recreational sturgeon fishing, and the latest round of the department’s rule simplification proposals affecting marine fish, shellfish, and forage fish.

Commissioners will also hear an update on the implementation of House Bill 1579, which directs WDFW to adopt rules liberalizing the bag limits for bass, walleye, and catfish in many waters throughout the state. This language was passed in part to implement task force recommendations meant to increase the abundance of Chinook salmon for the endangered Southern Resident Killer Whale population.

The commission will hear public testimony on all of these proposals; the public can also comment electronically at wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/regulations/season-setting.

On Friday, the commission will take public comment on proposed land transactions to protect fish and wildlife habitat and to enhance public recreation opportunities. The land transactions include the 560-acre final phase of the Grayland Property in Grays Harbor County and a 900-acre addition to the Cowiche property in Yakima County.

The commission will also hear a briefing and public comment on proposed amendments to the spring black bear rule (WAC 220-415-080). The proposed amendments include minor permit adjustments in southeast Washington GMUs, mandatory check in of bears harvested, and some boundary clarifications.

During Saturday’s meeting, staff will brief the commission on current cougar management. The briefing will include how the department currently manages cougars, the science behind it and comparison to neighboring states.

A full agenda is available online at wdfw.wa.gov/about/commission/meetings. TVW will live stream the meetings at tvw.org/watch/?eventID=2019101048 (Friday) and tvw.org/watch/?eventID=2019101051 (Saturday).

WDFW is the state agency tasked with preserving, protecting and perpetuating fish, wildlife and ecosystems, while providing sustainable fishing and hunting opportunities.