THE FOLLOWING IS A PRESS RELEASE FROM THE WASHINGTON DEPARTMENT OF FISH AND WILDLIFE
The Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission will hold a hybrid meeting in Bellingham from Aug. 14 to 16 to hear updates on a local collaboration and new management plan for the Skagit Wildlife Area, decide on legislative session and supplemental budget requests, and vote on Commission Chair and Vice chair positions.
The meeting will be held at the Bellingham Oxford Suites (4051 Meridian St, Bellingham, WA 98226) and will be live streamed online.
Thursday, Aug. 14, will begin with Big Tent, Habitat, Fish, and Wildlife committee meetings. The first agenda item will be an update from a panel of Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) regional leaders and local partners on a collaboration with Bellingham Technical College, Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission, the Lummi Nation, and Nooksack Indian Tribe to raise hatchery Chinook salmon that return to Whatcom Creek in downtown Bellingham, supporting prey for Southern Resident killer whales, tribal, youth, and recreational fisheries, and vocational training for students interested in careers in fisheries and aquaculture.
Additional committee agenda items on Thursday include updates on fishways rule making, beaver habitat management, the proposed Resident Native Trout Harvest Policy, and progress on hatchery monitoring and evaluation. Committee members will also hear a request to delegate changes to the lowland lakes fishing season in the Eastern Region to the WDFW Director, as well as briefings on biodiversity investments, and work by WDFW’s Private Lands team.
The full Commission will assemble on Friday, Aug. 15 for an open public input opportunity followed by a report from North Puget Sound Regional Director Brendan Brokes. The Commission will also receive a briefing on the Skagit Wildlife Area Management Plan as well as decide on potential agency request legislation for the 2026 legislative session and supplemental budget proposals.
The Commission meeting will continue Saturday, Aug. 16, for an open public input opportunity followed by meeting debrief and future meeting planning before moving into executive session.
The full meeting agenda and details about attending virtually will be available soon on the Commission webpage.
