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Public comment sought on management plan

By The Columbian
Published: January 16, 2016, 5:48am

Vancouver — The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife Commission is seeking public comment on salmon and sturgeon management on the lower Columbia River during the meeting Jan. 22 and 23 in Vancouver.

The commission is the governing body that sets policy for the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. During the meeting members will receive a briefing and accept public comments on the status of the northern spotted owl, snowy plover, western gray squirrel and greater sage-grouse — all protected species in Washington.

On both days, the meeting begins at 8 a.m. at the Heathman Lodge, 7801 N.E. Greenwood Drive in Vancouver.

The salmon management agenda item will focus on progress made toward goals outlined in the Columbia River Basin Salmon Management Policy, which the Washington and Oregon fish and wildlife commissions adopted jointly in 2013.

WDFW fish managers will give a briefing on that topic and a public comment period will take place shortly afterward.

The salmon policy was designed to restructure fisheries and conserve wild salmon below Bonneville Dam through a number of steps, including a push to shift non-tribal gillnet fisheries to off-channel areas, and the development of alternative commercial fishing gear.

Also on that morning, state fishery managers will update everyone on white sturgeon populations in the lower Columbia River, where fishing has been limited to catch-and-release since 2014.

A complete agenda for the meeting is available at wdfw.wa.gov/commission/meetings.html.

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