Contact Information

Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission:

Barbara Baker, Commission Chair (At-large position, Thurston County)

Molly Linville, Vice Chair (Eastern Washington position, Douglas County)

James “Jim” R. Anderson (At-large position, Pierce County)

John Lehmkuhl, Ph.D. (Eastern Washington position, Chelan County)

Donald “Don” McIsaac, Ph.D. (Western Washington position, Clark County)

Tim Ragen, Ph.D. (Western Washington position, Skagit County)

Melanie Rowland, J.D. (At-large position, Okanogan County)

Lorna Smith (Western Washington position, Jefferson County)

Kim Thorburn (Eastern Washington position, Spokane County)

Kelly Susewind, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife Director

Washington Waterfowl Advisory Group

The Washington Waterfowl Advisory Group (WAG) was formed by WDFW in early 2003 to increase citizen involvement in the management of Washington’s waterfowl resources This group has members from a broad representation of waterfowl hunters throughout the state. Meetings are scheduled to provide advice to the department on a variety of topics, including planned expenditures of state migratory bird stamp revenues, waterfowl seasons, public access, and other topics. To learn more about the WAG, obtain meeting minutes, or contact a representative in your area, please contact the WDFW Waterfowl Section at (360) 902-2515 or please visit the website at https://wdfw.wa.gov/about/advisory/wwag . If you have comments to pass on to a WAG representative in your area, please email them to [email protected] State that the comments are for WAG, and note your county of residence. Thank you to those past members for dedicating your time and providing your insights to help shape waterfowl conservation and management here in Washington.

Your Turkey Tag Dollars At Work!

Middle Wind Wildlife Habitat Improvement Project

The Middle Wind River Project is being implemented in collaboration with the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, the National Wild Turkey Federation, and the U.S. Forest Service. This project is set to enhance 132 acres of Merriam’s wild turkey habitat on the Gifford Pinchot National Forest on the Mount Adams Ranger District. The project area has acreage classified as winter range habitat for use by big game and has year-round use by Merriam’s turkeys. The objectives of this work are 1) to increase available forage and year-round, diversified habitat, and 2) to encourage redistribution of Merriam's turkeys from private lands adjacent to the project area to public lands.

The project will be implemented in phases. The first phase is set to begin in late spring/early summer and includes the abatement of noxious weeds on the 132 acres. The second phase will occur in the fall and will include planting native grass seed as well as native plants in the treated area.

Report Wild Turkey and Upland Bird Sightings

Help manage Washington's game bird populations by reporting your observations of wild turkeys and upland birds. In July and August, brood surveys that count the number of chicks or poults with hens will help monitor productivity. The rest of the year, your observations will help monitor distribution: where birds are located, what habitats they're using, and how they might move seasonally.

Look for a webpage coming soon with a reporting form and more information on wdfw.wa.gov.