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http://www.wa.gov/wdfw

Mission
The mission of the Department of Fish and Wildlife is sound stewardship of Fish and Wildlife. In pursuit of this mission, the Department of Fish and Wildlife will strive to achieve these goals:

• Department-wide leadership that is effective, efficient and results in public confidence in Department management.
• An environment of respect and trust within the Department fostering quality management and decision making
• Recruitment, development and retention of a diverse effectively deployed and well-trained workforce
• An informed public, participating in policy development and contributing to quality decision making.
• Partnerships with public and international entities, tribal leaders, public volunteers and service groups to share responsibility for fish, wildlife and their habitats.
• Effective practices and partnerships with landowners and land use decision-makers to maintain and enhance habitat.
• Maximum fishing, hunting and non-consumptive recreational opportunities compatible with healthy, diverse fish and wildlife populations.
• Sustainable management of marine resources to maintain the economic well being and stability of the State's fishing industry and to enhance recreational and commercial fishing in state and offshore waters.

Primary Programs/Projects
WDFW has four broad programs to provide sound stewardship of the state's fish and wildlife resources: Fish Management and Fish Hatcheries; Wildlife Management; Habitats and Lands; and Enforcement. These programs carry out a broad range of functions including: Basic research; Stock assessment; establishing harvest numbers and seasons; habitat protection; habitat restoration and creation; inventory and require maintenance on fishways; identify and track priority habitats and priority species; hatchery production of fish, shellfish, and birds; ownership of over 800,000 acres of land for the recreational enjoyment of fish and wildlife; public access to state waterways; regulate land-use activities that effect fish and wildlife; and enforce Fish and Wildlife regulations.

Within the Skagit Basin, WDFW is a major landowner. It provides hunting areas, and has a game farm. WDFW has a salmon hatchery and steelhead rearing facilities, and provides several public boat launch sites. WDFW has been inventorying potential salmon habitat enhancement sites and has been conducting enhancement projects in the basin since 1981. WDFW also has a District Office located in the basin that all four major programs work out of.

Reason for Participating on the Skagit Watershed Council

• A firm foundation for the protection and restoration of habitat in the basin.
• Sustainable returns of native wild salmonids in the basin.
• Improved relationships with individuals, groups, and organizations in the basin.
• Consistency between WDFW goals in the basin and the goals of the Council.
• Providing a connective link between the Council and other watershed planning efforts, both within the Skagit Basin, and to other watersheds throughout the state.