Community members focused on how to increase fishing and hunting opportunities when new Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife Director Kelly Susewind visited Selah on Wednesday night.
During a nearly two-hour question-and answer session with Susewind and department staff, people raised concerns and complaints about fishing regulations, threats to big game, and banned hunting practices such as chasing cougars with dogs. All of those issues make it more difficult to find success, and Susewind said he’s looking for a balanced, holistic approach when possible. About 60 people attended the session.
“We’ve got a big challenge in this agency, this state,” Susewind said in his introductory statement at the Selah Civic Center. “We as an agency haven’t communicated very well.”
Hunters spoke of the area’s shrinking elk and deer populations, wondering when the recently instituted spike-only program on elk might come to an end. They pointed out perceived threats such as cattle grazing hurting habitat, Yakama Nation hunting and the expanding footprint of thriving northeast Washington wolf populations.
The Wildlife Department’s regional wildlife program manager, Scott McCorquodale, said treaties prohibit any efforts to limit Yakama hunters. Although the tribe doesn’t report its harvest, McCorquodale said enforcement officers have found no evidence of Yakamas doing enough to seriously damage herds.
He also stressed the management decisions on elk come from precise winter counts when herds come down to feeding sites, although those didn’t take place due to last year’s mild temperatures. Susewind, who already has made some controversial decisions to kill wolves responsible for attacking livestock, said management options are limited until packs reach the state’s recovery goals.
“Right now we’re in a pretty, frankly, hysterical approach on both sides,” Susewind said.
Fishing Regulations
Frustrations came from all sides of the spectrum regarding the state’s complex fishing rules, which local habitat specialist Perry Harvester said can’t be simplified too much without reducing opportunity. While some complained about the department’s lack of limits to address the overpopulation of bass and walleye, others asked for more hatchery production to help the state’s ailing salmon runs.
Kelly said hatchery production could be increased, so long as it’s done carefully to avoid past mistakes that harmed native salmon runs. He also addressed concerns about other threats such as growing populations of seals and sea lions, as well as agreements with Alaska and Canada.
“What really scares me is we’re one bad ocean cycle away from really panicking,” Susewind said. “But it’s not gone.”
Budget
The lengthy discussion came amid the background of a proposal to raise hunting and fishing fees by 15 percent with caps for bundled packages, which will go to the Legislature next year. Assistant director for technology and financial management David Giglio said a report from an outside firm showed inflation is the agency’s biggest problem as it seeks $63 million in additional funds for the new biennium.
But Susewind knows it will take work and additional resources to repair distrust, which was evident from meeting attendees at times Wednesday.
Giglio echoed Susewind’s goals for acquiring more money from the general fund and communicating with everyone, including the conservationists and other interest groups who Giglio acknowledged have considerably different views than many hunters east of the Cascades.
“I think that’s part of the story is the 6 million people that don’t hunt and fish, but you care about being able to see elk outside your window when you’re driving,” Giglio said. “But you’re not paying for it.”
