Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife
Washington state governmental department
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) is a department of the government of the state of Washington, established in 1994.[1]
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- Washington Department of Fisheries
- Washington Department of Wildlife
47°02′14″N 122°53′52″W
Logo of the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife | |
 | |
| Agency overview | |
|---|---|
| Formed | 1994 |
| Preceding agencies |
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| Jurisdiction | State of Washington |
| Headquarters | Natural Resources Building, Olympia, Washington, U.S. 47°02′14″N 122°53′52″W |
| Employees | approx. 2,250 (2024)[1] |
| Annual budget | $723.8 million (2023-25)[2] |
| Agency executive |
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| Key document | |
| Website | wdfw |
The WDFW manages over a million acres of land, the bulk of which is generally open to the public, and 475 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]
WDFW is headquartered in Olympia, Washington and has 6 regional offices in Washington. In 2024, the agency collected approximately $59 million and $6.6 million from the sales of recreational and commercial licenses, respectively.[1]
History
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]