WDFW staff brief commission on species‑listing process, timelines and workload
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Summary
A department presenter told the wildlife committee that Washington has 49 state‑listed species and 70 candidates, outlined the multi‑step listing workflow governed by WAC 2 26 10 1 10, and said proposed rule efficiencies aim to shift staff time toward recovery work.
The Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission’s wildlife committee heard a primer from staff about how species become listed and what the public can expect in coming months.
Hannah, a department presenter, told commissioners the agency currently lists 49 state species — 38 classified as endangered, four as threatened and seven as sensitive — with 70 additional species on a candidate list. "We have currently 49 state listed species, 38 classified as endangered, 4 classified as threat threatened, and 7 classified as sensitive," she said. She cited WAC 2 26 10 1 10 as the administrative rule that guides classification and periodic reviews.
The presenter walked through the agency’s multi‑step workflow, noting that staff produce foundational documents (status reports and periodic status reviews), these undergo peer and internal review, and a 90‑day public comment period follows for drafts that move forward. "It can take 18 months or more to usher a species all the way through all these steps," Hannah said. Headquarters biologists write the foundational documents and, on average, spend roughly 40% of their time on that work.
Hannah outlined near‑term scheduling: a lynx briefing and decision (Jeff Lewis leading) is expected in June as a maintain recommendation; a horned lark briefing (Krista LeGrand) in August is likewise expected to be a maintain recommendation; and staff will bring a two‑step recommendation for the burrowing owl in September and November (Jerry Hayes will lead those briefings and hearings). She said maintained‑status recommendations that do not change legal listing status are being consolidated into an abbreviated, one‑step briefing to the commission when appropriate.
Commissioners pressed staff on how the agency will balance time between listing work and recovery actions. Chair Lorna Smith said the "real work happens" after listing, when recovery plans are prepared and on‑the‑ground conservation begins. Hannah responded that the agency is considering targeted WAC amendments to create efficiencies: "We think that there are efficiencies that we can generate there that will allow us to pivot important resources...towards recovery and conservation action while still maintaining the appropriate level of understanding of status."
The committee was given a schedule of upcoming PSRs and told when the public comment periods and peer review steps will occur. The presenter said timelines can shift, but commissioners should expect briefings, public hearings and final decisions to be scheduled as documents complete peer and public review.
The committee did not take formal votes on any listings during the meeting. The agency will circulate documents before the scheduled briefings and post final documents and recommendations on its website.