HB 1698 — Providing flexibility for the department of fish and wildlife to collaborate with local governments to manage gray wolves.

H-1355.2H-0789.1 SUBSTITUTE HOUSE BILL 1698 State of Washington 68th Legislature 2023 Regular Session By House Agriculture and Natural Resources (originally sponsored by Representatives Kretz, Chapman, Lekanoff, Dent, Maycumber, Springer, Morgan, and Eslick)Eslick READRead FIRSTfirst TIMEtime 02/17/23.02/01/23.

Referred to Committee on Agriculture and Natural Resources.

amending RCW 77.12.020;

adding a new section to chapter 77.36 RCW;

1 SHBHB 1698 counties that have successfully recovered gray wolf populations to focus their efforts on other animals in danger of extinction.

(1) The department of fish and wildlife shall manage the gray wolf as if it has been removed from state designation as protected or endangered under RCW 77.12.020 within any county where the gray wolf is not designated under the federal endangered species act as threatened or endangered in the county or portion of the county and the following criteria are met:

and (b) There are at least three documented breeding pairs in the county or portion of the countycounty; where the gray wolf is not designated under the federal endangered species act as threatened or endangered.

(2)and When(c) theThe criteriagray identifiedwolf inis subsectionnot (1)designated ofunder this section are met, the legislativefederal bodyendangered ofspecies theact countyas mustthreatened provideor noticeendangered toin the fishcounty andor wildlifeportion commission and to the director of the department of fish and wildlife that the gray wolf no longer meets the criteria for state designation as endangered under RCW 77.12.020 in that county.

(3)(2) AfterWhen athe countycriteria actsidentified underin subsection (2)(1) of this section,section theare countymet, mustthe enterlegislative intobody anof interlocalthe agreementcounty withmust theprovide departmentnotice ofto the fish and wildlife commission and anyto tribes within the jurisdictiondirector toof collaboratively comanage the graydepartment wolfof infish accordanceand withwildlife athat regionalthe plangray developedwolf pursuantno tolonger sectionmeets 3the ofcriteria thisfor act,state includingdesignation collaboratingas withprotected localor lawendangered enforcementunder toRCW receive77.12.020 andin investigatethat reportscounty. of problem animals.

NEW(3) SECTION.After a county acts under subsection (2) of this section, the county must enter into an interlocal agreement with the department of fish and wildlife and any tribes within the jurisdiction to collaboratively comanage the gray wolf, including collaborating with local law enforcement to receive and investigate reports of problem animals.

ARCW new77.12.020 sectionand is2014 addedc to202 chapters 77.36302 RCWare each amended to read as follows:

(1) OnceThe adirector countyshall actsinvestigate underthe sectionhabits 2(2)and distribution of this act, the departmentvarious shallspecies formof awildlife worknative group to developor aadaptable regionalto plan for gray wolf management in the countyhabitats or portion of the countystate. that meets the criteria in section 2(2) of this act.

(2)The Memberscommission ofshall thedetermine workwhether group must include representatives of county cattlepersons organizations, representatives of county governments, a representativespecies fromshould abe regionalmanaged nonprofitby organizationthe thatdepartment operatesand, rangeif ridingso, andclassify otherit year-roundunder wolfthis andsection. livestock p.

2(2) SHBThe 1698commission conflictmay avoidanceclassify tacticsby inrule northeastwild Washington,animals andas agame representativeanimals fromand agame conservationanimals nonprofit.as fur-bearing animals.

Thep. department shall invite affected Indian tribes to participate and shall give affected Indian tribes the opportunity to review drafts of the plan before it is completed.

2 HB 1698 (3) The departmentcommission ismay encouragedclassify toby inviterule representativeswild ofbirds theas Unitedgame Statesbirds forestor service.predatory birds.

TheAll departmentwild shallbirds hirenot anotherwise outsideclassified third-partyare neutralprotected facilitatorwildlife. to ensure effective functioning of the work group.

(3)(4) AtIn aaddition minimum,to those species listed in RCW 77.08.020, the plancommission mustmay addressclassify by rule as game fish other species of the followingclass objectives:Osteichthyes that are commonly found in fresh water except those classified as food fish by the director.

(a)(5) IncreasedThe cooperationdirector withmay inputrecommend fromto countythe governments,commission cattlepersonsthat associations,a andspecies localof organizationswildlife providingshould rangenot ridingbe andhunted otheror conflictfished. deterrence efforts with respect to the methods and approaches to minimizing impacts to livestock production;

(b)The Minimizationcommission ofmay livestockdesignate lossspecies andof economicallywildlife costlyas stressprotected. on livestock and minimizing the need for lethal control of wolves;

(c)(6) ImprovedIf responsivenessthe fromdirector determines that a species of wildlife is seriously threatened with extinction in the departmentstate onof planningWashington, proactivethe deterrencedirector formay ranchers;request its designation as an endangered species.

(d)The Fastercommission responsemay timedesignate froman theendangered departmentspecies. when lethal control is required;

(e)(7) HabitatIf improvementthe fordirector ungulatedetermines populations;that a species of the animal kingdom, not native to Washington, is dangerous to the environment or wildlife of the state, the director may request its designation as deleterious exotic wildlife.

(f)The Ancommission improvedmay livestockdesignate lossdeleterious andexotic damagewildlife. compensation program;

and(8) (g)Upon Maintainingrecommendation recoveryby objectivesthe anddirector, anthe overallcommission stablemay wolfdevelop populationa inwork theplan region.to eradicate native aquatic species that threaten human health.

(4)Priority Theshall departmentbe shallgiven completeto andwater implementbodies that the regionaldepartment planof withinhealth sixhas monthsclassified andas mayrepresenting revisea threat to human health based on the planpresence periodicallyof asa conditionsnative change.aquatic species.

If(9) When the workcommission groupreceives doesnotice notas reachdescribed agreementin onsection 2 of this act, the regionaldirector must confirm that the county has attained the criteria and develop a management plan for gray wolves within sixthat months,county aor minorityportion reportof mustcounty bewhere included.the criteria have been met.

Within six months of the receipt of notice, the director must recommend to the commission a management plan developed in collaboration with the county and any tribes within the county.

The management plan must include collaboration with local law enforcement to receive and investigate reports of problem wildlife, ongoing monitoring of the population by the department, and a conflict management plan.

The wolf advisory group and the northeast Washington wolf-cattle collaborative must be given an opportunity to review and provide comment on the plan.

3 SHBHB 1698