Learn How to Speak for Washington’s Fish and Wildlife

We encourage Washingtonians to immediately become more involved in learning about what is happening inside the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW), and to start to speak out on these issues regularly. Here are some resources that can help you get started.

About the State Fish and Wildlife Commission

The Fish and Wildlife Commission includes nine members who are appointed by the governor to serve six-year terms. These members are paid a minimal stipend of $100 per work day, and come from across the state and from diverse backgrounds, which are often unrelated to wildlife management. Once appointed, the Governor has very little control over the Commissioners, and they are not subject to recall by the voters. The Commission is charged with overseeing WDFW and establishing “policies to preserve, protect, and perpetuate fish, wildlife, and ecosystems while providing sustainable fish and wildlife recreational and commercial opportunities.”

The Commission has several committees, including committees that focus specifically on wildlife, fish, habitat, and wolves. The Commission and its committees meet regularly to discuss WDFW policies, receive reports and updates from WDFW staff. The Commission is also required by the state Administrative Procedure Act to hear public testimony about proposed rules, which it is required to consider before approving new rules to regulate state fish and wildlife issues.

The Commission generally meets once or twice a month: You can check the calendar and the agendas for upcoming meetings here. All  meetings of the Commission and its subcommittees are open to the public, unless the Commission calls an executive session. The Commission takes public comment at almost all of its meetings. You can watch past Commission meetings through links provided here.

If you would like to follow the Commission, we suggest that you go to the WDFW website here, and sign up to be on the WDFW mailing list for alerts about Commission activities. However, you will also want to check back frequently on Commission meeting schedules and agenda items, as they can change with little notice.

How to Comment at a Commission Meeting

One of the best ways to be heard is to attend and offer public comment at Commission meetings. You may register to provide comment on a specific agenda item or talk on any issue during open comment periods.

During the COVID-19 Pandemic, Commission meetings have been held via ZOOM. WDFW will post links to attend upcoming commission meetings here, generally a few days before the meeting is held. Meetings will continue to be held via ZOOM throughout 2021, but may start to be held live in 2022, at venues throughout the state. Meetings held in Olympia will continue to allow public comment via ZOOM, however meetings at different locations may only allow comment from those in attendance.

The Commission has a guide for testifying at its meetings here. Open public comment is taken in the morning prior to the start of the agenda. There are also opportunities to comment on specific issues throughout the day. To comment at a meeting via ZOOM, you must visit the Commission website, click on the Agenda for the meeting at which you wish to offer comment, specify the Agenda item on which you wish to comment, and follow instructions to register.

For in person meetings, there will be an information table set up with supporting materials for items on the agenda when you arrive, and a sign-up sheet for open public comment and a sheet for issue specific comment. There will be a WDFW staff person to assist and answer questions.

Public comment is limited to three minutes per speaker. It is a good idea to plan your comment in advance and adjust it to get your points across in the allotted time.

Suggestions for Effective Public Comment

• Write out what you want to say in advance and rehearse it to make sure that you can complete your comments within the three-minute comment period. However, be aware that on topics of high interest, the Commission may sometimes cut comment time down to two minutes, so you may need to adjust on the fly.
• If you are speaking during open public comment, be sure to begin your comment with the issue you plan to address.
• Always be polite and cordial.
  • Thank the Commissioners for the opportunity to provide comment. Remember they have a tough job. They are largely volunteering their time, and meeting days can be long and grueling. Many of the Commissioners are doing their best, but they are presented with a wide array of issues about which they are expected to make informed decisions—and are often hearing from angry citizens on both sides of an issue.
  • Although we hope people will be passionate, never make threats or use profanity or abusive language. Your point will be lost, and these tactics will taint everyone else speaking on your side of the issue.
• Introduce yourself, say where you are from (especially if you are a Washington resident) and talk about your background, if it is relevant to the comment you are providing. If you have experience or expertise that is important to your position, please make that clear.
• State your position at the beginning of your comment and reiterate it at the end of your comment, so the Commissioners are clear on where you stand.
  • If your comment is associated with a proposed rule, include a reference to the proposed rule number, and state whether you support or oppose the rule, and why.
• If an issue affects you personally, include your personal perspective, and communicate why it is so important to you.
• If you are commenting on a factual or scientific issue that WDFW has misinterpreted, make sure that you have your facts straight. We will provide you with clear facts to use in your comments in our Action Alerts.
• Thank the Commissioners for the opportunity to provide public comment.

Submit Written Comment to the Commission on Proposed Rules

Whenever the Fish and Wildlife Commission considers a new rule, they must provide an opportunity for public comment. They also accept letters on other subjects. If you are writing to comment on an upcoming Agenda item, the Commission asks you to submit your comment by 8 a.m. on the Thursday before the day of the meeting, so that Commissioners have time to consider it.

Through its rulemaking process, the Commission addresses many vital issues throughout the year: it  sets hunting rules, restrictions, and seasons for all game species in the state; determines which species will be listed on the state endangered or threatened species list; sets regulations and seasons for fishing activities; and can establish new programs or make changes to existing WDFW policies and programs.

You can keep track of all the proposed rules coming before the Commission here.  This page lists both rules that are pending review, and those that are in a “preproposal” stage, in which WDFW must request public feedback before it develops a proposed rule. Each rule or preproposal will have specific instructions about how to provide comment, as well as a deadline for doing so.  It is important that you meet this deadline if you want your comments to be considered by WDW and the Commission and included in the public record for that rule decision.

The best way to keep track of new proposed rules is to visit the WDFW website and sign up for alerts about new rulemaking, here.

Write a Letter to the Commission, WDFW Management, or Governor Inslee

Writing a personal letter or email can be one of the most effective ways for communicating with decision makers. Depending on the issue, you might want to address your letter to the Commission, WDFW Management, Governor Inslee, your state legislative representatives, or sometimes other state officials.

With each Action  Alert, we will give you suggestions as to where it might be most effective to direct your concerns.

If you choose to write a letter or email, many of the same principles apply as for giving public testimony.  Your letter should include the following basics:

• Clearly identify the purpose of your communication at the top of your letter or in the subject line of your email.
• Introduce yourself, say where you are from (especially if you are a Washington resident) and talk about your background, if it is relevant to the comment you are providing. If you have experience or expertise that is important to your position, please make that clear.
• State your position at the beginning of your comment and reiterate it at the end of your comment, so the Commissioners are clear on where you stand.
  • If your comment is associated with a proposed rule, include a reference to the proposed rule number, and state whether you support or oppose the rule, and why.
• Generally, address just one issue in each letter, and when possible, keep your letter succinct. Unless you are detailing complicated facts, it is usually a good idea to keep your letter to one page.
• Make clear what action you are asking the government official to take. State your position at the beginning of your letter and reiterate it at the end of your letter.
  • If your letter is associated with a proposed rule or legislation, include the associated rule or number if there is one, the subject matter of the bill or rule, and whether you support or oppose the bill or rule and why. Again, this is a good place to personalize the letter.
• Always be polite and cordial.
  • Never make threats or use profanity or abusive language. Your point will be lost, and these tactics will taint everyone else speaking on your side of the issue.
  • Avoid using all caps, which are the letter equivalent of yelling, and can make your letter very difficult to read.
  • Underline and bold sparingly. If whole paragraphs or pages are underlined or bolded, that you have lost the opportunity to emphasize any particular point.
• Organize your letter. You might want to make an outline first. Letters that are long and rambling are often ignored.  You want to make your points clearly and in a way that will make sense to someone reading your letter in a hurry.
• If an issue affects you personally, include your personal perspective, and communicate why it is so important to you.
• If you are commenting on a factual or scientific issue that WDFW has misinterpreted, make sure that you have your facts straight. We will provide you with clear facts to use in your comments in our Action Alerts.
• Sign your letter with your full name and return address.

Phone calls

Interested citizens can make the time to make a phone call, even if they cannot write a letter or email. Public officials will usually record the number of calls they have received on a particular subject. However, remember that a phone call does not create a permanent record in the same way as a letter or a comment, and your messages are unlikely to ever be heard by the intended official.

If you make a phone call, be prepared to leave a very brief message on a voicemail, or to succinctly convey to the person answering the phone why you are calling.  Many of the same suggestions apply as for oral testimony or written comment:

• Introduce yourself, say where you are from (especially if you are a Washington resident) and talk about your background, if it is relevant to the comment you are providing. If you have experience or expertise that is important to your position, please make that clear.
• Identify why you are calling. Make clear what action you are asking the government official to take.
• Be clear and succinct in your comments.
• Always be polite and cordial.
  • Remember that even if you are angry about something, that you are not angry with the person answering the phone.
  • Your comments will be taken more seriously if you are calm and reasonable.
  • Never make threats or use profanity or abusive language. Government officials will, and should, take any threats against them or their staff seriously.
  • Provide information where you may be reached,

Contact Information for Key State Officials

Fish and Wildlife Commission

Written comments can be emailed to the Commission at commission@dfw.wa.gov, or sent by postal mail to:

       Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission
       P.O. Box 43200
       Olympia, WA 98504-3200

WDFW Director Kelly Susewind

Written comments or letters can be emailed to the Director at  director@dfw.wa.gov; Kelly.Susewind@dfw.wa.gov or sent by postal mail to:

       Director Kelly Susewind
       Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife 
       Natural Resources Building
       1111 Washington St., SE
       Olympia, WA 98501

You can reach Director Susewind’s office by phone at: 360-902-2200.

Governor Inslee

You can reach Governor Inslee’s office by phone at: 360-902-4111

You can send emails to the Governor: governor.JayInslee@gov.wa.gov

You can also contact the Governor’s office through this portal: https://www.governor.wa.gov/contact/contact/send-gov-inslee-e-message.  We suggest that you always keep a copy of a communication you send this way, and record the date and time on which you sent it.

You can send a letter to the Governor by postal mail here:

      Governor Jay Inslee
      Office of the Governor
      P.O. Box 40002
      Olympia, WA 98504-0002

 Contact your local legislators

Many of the issues that affect our state’s wildlife and wild lands begin with laws passed by the legislature. We will alert you to opportunities to reach out to the legislators who represent you to ask them to take action, and you can also work to develop a relationship with them to make sure that they know the issues that you care about, and the matters that will affect your vote.

This link will help you to find out who represents you in the state House and Senate, and to find contact information to allow you to reach them:   https://app.leg.wa.gov/DistrictFinder/