Ask the WA Fish & Wildlife Commission to Adopt a Strong Policy Placing Conservation First.

Dear Claire,

Please join us in urging the Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission to stick to its principles and approve a strong policy that places “conservation first.”

Conservation should not be controversial. Yet for more than two years, the Commission has been locked in a tug-of-war over a modest policy declaring that the “top priority” of the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) is “the conservation of Washington’s fish, shellfish, and wildlife for the benefit of all state residents, current and future.”

That principle seems self-evident, since WDFW’s mandate is to “protect, preserve, perpetuate, and manage” our wildlife in the public trust. Indeed, since WDFW is the state’s first line of defense against accelerating threats to biodiversity, it is alarming that it does not already understand that conservation must be its primary responsibility. Nevertheless, the proposed conservation policy has provoked virulent backlash from national extremist groups seeking to sow division and discord by inflaming their members with the lie that the policy’s goal is to eliminate hunting and fishing. Unfortunately, these campaigns have had some effect, leading the Commission to delay adoption of the policy and dilute its provisions.

At long last, the Commission is set to take a final vote on the draft policy at its next meeting, to be held in Olympia on Friday, January 26, 2024. However, the current draft of the policy has dropped some important provisions, such as any hint at the so-called “precautionary principle,” which would counsel WDFW to err on the side of conservation when making decisions about wildlife management in the face of uncertainty. Precautionary language has been replaced with a vague statement that only requires WDFW to “seek to identify and account for risks” when making management decisions.

This Commission’s conservation policy could have far-reaching consequences for future management decisions, and we need your voice to help get a meaningful policy across the finish line. Please urge the Commission to stand strong and adopt a policy that makes clear that, when in doubt, WDFW should place the interests of our wildlife first.

Please take these steps to help secure a strong conservation policy:

1. Write to the Commission before Tuesday, January 23. Please use this form to quickly send a message to the Commission supporting a strong conservation policy, taking a few minutes to modify the language to express your personal sentiments. You can also send an email to commission@dfw.wa.go v.

2. If possible, please join us in Olympia on January 26 to defend “conservation first.” We are expecting anti-conservation interest groups to turn out in force once more to try to bully the commission, so we need to make another strong showing on behalf of fish and wildlife. Please email us to let us know you plan to join us at the meeting on Friday, January 26, and register here to testify in person about the conservation policy that morning (select Agenda Item 2, open public input, beginning at 8:30 a.m.).

The meeting will be held at the Natural Resources Building, 1111 Washington Street SE, in Olympia.

3. If you cannot join us in Olympia, please register to testify via Zoom. If you cannot make the trip to Olympia, you can register to testify remotely—however, since the Commission hears in-person testimony first, you may not be called upon to speak before the time for public testimony runs out. If you are joining by Zoom, click here at 8:30 a.m. on January 26 and wait for your name to be called.

Whether testifying remotely or in person, your remarks will probably be limited to no more than two minutes. Please remember to tell Commissioners who you are and where you are from, remain courteous and respectful, and thank them for all their hard work.

Talking Points

Washington Wildlife First worked with members of our coalition to develop extensive talking points about the conservation policy, but here are few important issues you might touch upon in your testimony or written comments:

The Commission needs to approve the draft conservation policy to eliminate any doubt that WDFW should place “conservation first” when making fish and wildlife management decisions.
The people of Washington care about our fish and wildlife, and it is WDFW’s primary responsibility to protect, preserve, and perpetuate that wildlife on behalf of current and future generations. The Commission should not back down from that responsibility as the result of pressure from out-of-state groups that are deliberately using inflammatory and inaccurate rhetoric to create division and sow mistrust.
Our wildlife is facing unprecedented threats to its survival in a rapidly changing world that is full of uncertainty. The Commission should amend the current draft of the conservation policy to insert strong language instructing WDFW that when it is faced with risks and uncertainty, it should err on the side of decisions to protect and preserve our wildlife.

Thank you for speaking out for Washington’s fish and wildlife!

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Washington's fish and wildlife policy has been controlled by special interests for far too long. Washington Wildlife First is working to bring our policies into harmony with the values of the people of Washington, who understand the importance of healthy ecosystems in confronting mounting threats to biodiversity. Your donation will help us bring Washington's wildlife management into the 21st century!

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