Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife

Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife
Logo of the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife
Agency overview
Formed1994 (1994)
Preceding agencies
  • Washington Department of Fisheries
  • Washington Department of Wildlife
JurisdictionState of Washington
HeadquartersNatural Resources Building, Olympia, Washington, U.S.
47°02′14″N 122°53′52″W / 47.03722°N 122.89778°W / 47.03722; -122.89778
Employees1,001-5,000 (2023)[1]
Annual budget515.5 million (2021-23)[2]
Agency executive
  • Kelly Susewind, director
Key document
Websitewdfw.wa.gov

The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) is a department of the government of the state of Washington, United States of America. The WDFW manages over a million acres of land, the bulk of which is generally open to the public, and more than 500 water access sites.[3] Many of the sites are termed "wildlife areas" and permit hunting during the hunting season, typically in the autumn and early winter for birds, but all year round for coyotes.[4] Due to declining participation, the department has a hunter and angler recruitment, retention and reactivation plan.[5] A Discover Pass is required to park in the wildlife areas.[3]

The department's history starts with the appointment of a fisheries commissioner in 1890 by Governor of Washington Elisha P. Ferry.[6] The department is overseen by a director appointed by the Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission; Kelly Susewind was appointed to the position in June 2018.[7] Hunting and fishing license sales and income from the Discover Pass recreational access fee make up about one-quarter of the department’s budget.[5]

  1. ^ "Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife", About Us, Linkedin, retrieved September 10, 2023
  2. ^ "Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife", WDFW's Operating Budget, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, retrieved September 10, 2023
  3. ^ a b "WDFW Lands Page". Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. August 22, 2020. Archived from the original on August 23, 2020. Retrieved August 23, 2020.
  4. ^ "Summary of Hunting Seasons". Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. Retrieved August 24, 2020.
  5. ^ a b Flatt, Courtney (May 8, 2022). "Decline in number of hunters causing funding problems for Northwest fish and wildlife agencies". Oregon Public Broadcasting. Retrieved May 10, 2022.
  6. ^ "About the Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife". Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. Retrieved September 11, 2016.
  7. ^ Francovich, Eli (June 22, 2018). "Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife names Kelly Susewind new director". The Spokesman-Review. Retrieved February 5, 2020.