Director’s Bulletin | Nov./Dec. 2024
As we close out 2024, I am reflecting on all we have accomplished for fish and wildlife conservation this year.
The highlight for me was implementing the biodiversity funding to keep common species common and provide new resources for residents and local governments to conserve and improve the quality and quantity of habitat that benefits Species of Greatest Conservation Need. If you haven’t seen it yet, you can view our recently launched Biodiverse Washington video series on YouTube.
We’ve also made strides on our State Wildlife Action Plan, holding public meetings and a scoping public comment period this year. The plan will be completed in October 2025.
We launched the recruitment process for Regional Engagement Committees in the North Puget Sound and North Central Washington regions. We provided fishing and hunting opportunities statewide, from clams, crab, and halibut off the coast to lingcod and shrimp in Puget Sound, to salmon, steelhead and sturgeon in the Columbia River as well as hunting for deer, elk, turkeys, waterfowl, and much more. And we collaborated with hundreds of agencies, tribes, partners, and members of the public on fish, wildlife, and habitat conservation efforts.
As we move into 2025, I continue to be impressed by the dedication and knowledge of our staff. They work diligently to meet our mission and enhance the lives of all Washington residents and visitors.
I am proud to lead this agency, and I am proud of the work we have accomplished this year. I hope you have a happy holiday and a wonderful new year!
Sincerely,
Kelly Susewind, Director
Record-breaking sockeye year in North Central Washington
This year marked a record-breaking season for sockeye salmon in North Central Washington, with 190,117 fish counted at Tumwater Dam on the Wenatchee River — 73,723 more than the previous record and nearly double the preseason forecast. Since records began in 1999, the numbers have surged from just 1,172 fish to this historic high, showing the resilience of the Wenatchee sockeye population. Part of the broader Columbia River run, these fish benefited from favorable ocean conditions and high river flows during their juvenile stage, which boosted survival rates. The Bonneville Dam also set a new record, with more than 755,000 sockeye counted, influencing escapement success throughout the Upper Columbia Basin. However, rising river temperatures in tributaries like the Okanogan River remain a concern for future escapement goals.
The White River, a vital tributary of Lake Wenatchee, also saw significant sockeye returns this year, thanks to improved river conditions and habitat restoration efforts. While the strong sockeye returns have increased fishing opportunities and brought optimism to the region, challenges remain for other species. For instance, the planned summer Chinook season on the Wenatchee River was canceled due to low hatchery and natural-origin returns. Despite these challenges, 2024 has been a great year for sockeye in North Central Washington!
Restoring abalone in Washington: the road to recovery
Restoring Abalone in Washington: The Road to Recovery
Pinto abalone are Washington’s only native abalone species, and they’ve been an essential part of the ecology, culture, and economy of the Pacific Northwest for many generations. While abalone harvest in Washington dates back at least one hundred years, abalone began to be overharvested and illegally poached over many decades, leading to the collapse of their populations in Washington.
Since 2002, WDFW, Puget Sound Restoration Fund, and many other partner organizations have been working to help bring this iconic marine species back from the brink of extinction in Washington. Thanks to critical biodiversity investments by the legislature, the abalone restoration project is reaching new milestones and continuing to see growing success, with more than 37 different recovery sites across the Salish Sea, and expanding teams conducting outplanting of genetically diverse, hatchery-raised juvenile abalone to these recovery sites. You can learn more about these efforts by watching our new video Restoring Abalone in Washington: The Road to Recovery.
Recruit, retain, and reactivate (R3) plan update
In June 2022, WDFW published its R3 — Recruitment, Retention, and Reactivation plan.
In the last two years, we’ve hosted nearly 30 family fishing events and shared the joy of angling with ~10,000 people. These events would not be possible without our dedicated partnerships with cities, counties, parks, numerous organizations, and volunteers.
We’ve implemented educational hunting seminars and clinics in Washington communities, including on Joint Base Lewis-McChord where we reach servicemembers who are new to Washington. We’ve also implemented a new “Learn to hunt” program with the University of Washington.
Through our partnerships with First Hunt Foundation, the National Wild Turkey Federation, and Pheasants Forever, R3 staff and volunteers have held successful mentored hunting camps and clinics for spring and fall turkey, and pheasant, as well as the annual Chris Christensen Memorial Youth Deer Camp for first-time hunter education graduates. These events have helped many first-time hunters overcome the common barriers to hunting.
In 2023, ~1,000 volunteer instructors certified 11,000 hunter education students. An additional 8,200 students will be certified by year’s end.
Coastal steelhead season announced
Coastal steelhead fishing seasons were announced last month following extensive public engagement including two town halls with anglers, fishing guides, and community and conservation leaders as well as discussions with commissioners, tribal co-managers, and Olympic National Park. Most major coastal steelhead fishing rivers are scheduled to be open through March 31, with several exceptions.
The steelhead, a sea-going rainbow trout that can exceed 30 pounds, is the official State Fish and a highly regarded game fish. Washington and other western states have both winter-run and summer-run steelhead populations, depending on the river and habitat conditions. Coastal steelhead hold significant value for recreational anglers, tribal co-managers, river ecosystems, and local communities and economies. WDFW strives to balance conserving this species with providing meaningful fishing opportunities.
Season dates and regulations, including gear requirements, are available in our news release. Additional emergency fishing rule changes could occur throughout the season. Early-winter hatchery steelhead fisheries are also underway in many rivers across Western Washington; visit our hatchery steelhead smolt stocking webpage for places to go.
WDFW seeks funding to rebuild Elliott Bay Fishing Pier
For decades, the Elliott Bay Fishing Pier served as a community institution linking the city of Seattle with Puget Sound, from jigging for squid to casting a line for salmon or lingcod. The pier, which is owned by WDFW and has been cooperatively managed with the Port of Seattle, was built in 1980 and has been closed since 2016 due to structural concerns.
After years of planning, this fall we released the draft design for a new pier and held a 32-day public input period, including a webinar which was recorded and posted online.
In November, WDFW crews from our Capital & Asset Management Program (CAMP) removed benches, shelters, light posts, and other furnishings from the old pier to clean-up the site and ready it for demolition.
WDFW is now seeking $15 million from the state legislature during the 2025–2027 biennium for construction of a new Elliott Bay Fishing Pier. The project is a top lands priority in our Capital Budget request. More information is available in this fact sheet. A final design for the new pier is scheduled for late 2025. If funded by the legislature, we hope to begin construction in the upcoming biennium.
Stocked trout provide fishing opportunities on Black Friday and year-round
WDFW’s annual Black Friday Fishing event took place Nov. 29. As an outdoor experience and alternative to Black Friday shopping, 24 lakes across the state were stocked with rainbow trout in the late fall.
Even though Black Friday has passed, the stocked lakes remain open for tight lines and fishing fun throughout the season. There are still jumbo rainbow trout in these lakes, measuring 15–16 inches and weighing up to three pounds! That’s in addition to stocking efforts at other lakes earlier in the year, making for a great angling opportunity lasting well past the holiday season. Visit our catchable trout plants webpage to see which lakes are stocked and be sure to check the Fish Washington mobile app or fishing regulations as not all lakes are open year-round.
Using prescribed fire for habitat restoration on WDFW-managed lands
From Western Washington prairies and meadows to Columbia Basin wetlands and Eastern Washington pine forests and shrubsteppe, many ecosystems throughout the state benefit from prescribed fire.
WDFW and partners use prescribed fire in Eastern Washington to reduce wildfire fuel and severity. Statewide, including where wildfires are less frequent, the team uses prescribed fire to improve habitat, control invasive plants, and promote native species, including on WDFW-managed lands.
Prescribed fire is the most natural land management tool we have, and it benefits wildlife ranging from endangered birds and butterflies to big game species like deer and elk. Learn more about how WDFW uses prescribed fire for habitat restoration in our blog post.
Hatchery changes lead to new fishing opportunity at Banks Lake
To support fishery management goals and provide additional opportunity for anglers, WDFW recently released 93,500 juvenile steelhead into Banks Lake in central Washington. The lake, selected for its size, habitat suitability, and existing sport fishery, provides an ideal non-anadromous environment for the fish.
The action comes as part of modifications to Mitchell Act and SAFE hatchery programs in southwest Washington. These include discontinuing the Skamania Hatchery’s segregated winter steelhead program on the Washougal River to better support WDFW’s conservation goals for wild fish. Moving forward, the program will transition to an integrated approach that uses natural-origin steelhead as broodstock.
While the long-term focus is on aligning hatchery practices with conservation goals, this release ensures the juvenile steelhead are put to beneficial use in a new setting, reflecting WFDW’s commitment to balancing conservation and fishing opportunities during this transition.
Additional chronic wasting disease cases confirmed in white-tailed deer in northeast Washington
We have recently confirmed four new cases of chronic wasting disease (CWD) in WDFW’s Eastern Region, including one case in a new game management area (GMU) where it hadn’t been found previously.
Deer, elk, and moose hunting seasons in WDFW’s Eastern Region have wrapped up for the year, but if you salvage road killed deer or elk in this region, you are required to have it tested for chronic wasting disease (CWD). We also ask you to report sick or dead deer, elk, moose, and other wildlife to help prevent the spread of CWD. As of early December, WDFW had tested more than 1,700 samples from deer, elk, and moose harvested by hunters, salvaged after being hit by vehicles, or found dead. While results are still coming in, to date there are six positive cases of CWD confirmed in Eastern Washington since August 2024. WDFW’s CWD web page has information on those positive detections and extensive information on the disease and how you can help to prevent its spread.
Invasive zebra mussels detected on Marimo moss balls prompts collaborative response
In August, a Renton fish wholesaler spotted suspicious mussels in a shipment of Marimo moss balls. They were quickly identified as highly invasive zebra mussels — a prohibited aquatic invasive species (AIS). The report activated a WDFW AIS early detection monitoring team who arrived the same day to collect samples — a rapid response made possible by $3.62 million in additional funding from the Washington State Legislature and federal partners to increase prevention and monitoring efforts for invasive mussels.
The response effort, now viewed as a national model for future incidents, was a collaborative effort between industry, WDFW, Washington Department of Agriculture, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture. All contaminated moss balls shipped to Washington were accounted for and destroyed. First identified in Washington, eventually at least 19 states and parts of Canada were identified as receiving the illegally imported moss balls harvested and exported from the mussels’ native Ukraine.
Zebra mussels and their close relative, quagga mussels, pose an imminent threat to Washington’s economy, environment, agriculture, health, and critical infrastructure with mitigation and management costs estimated to cost hundreds of millions annually should they become established in here. WDFW has requested continued support from the Washington State Legislature and federal partners to support and strengthen prevention, monitoring, and readiness efforts.
WDFW scientist receives top honor for raptor research
WDFW Raptor Research Scientist Jim Watson was recently honored with the top honor for raptor researchers worldwide, the Fran and Frederick Hamerstrom Achievement Award. Presented by the Raptor Research Foundation, this is a non-monetary award that recognizes individuals who have contributed significantly to the understanding of raptor ecology and natural history.
Watson’s long-term ecological studies, devotion to the work, and wide body of publications on raptor topics made him a shoo-in for the award, according to the Hamerstrom award committee. Read more in our blog post.
Watson has worked with raptors for WDFW since 1986, but first started studying them as a pre-teen with his father in the 1970s. He has since made raptor studies a family affair with his own sons.
