Department of Fish and Wildlife

  Average Annual FTEs Near General Fund State Other Funds Total Funds
  (Dollars in Thousands)
Current Budget 1,829.1 322,813 400,977 723,790
2023-25 Maintenance Level 1,835.4 326,238 400,934 727,172
Difference from 2023-25 Original 6.3 3,425 (43) 3,382
% Change from 2023-25 Original 0.34% 1.1% (0.0%) 0.47%

2024 Policy Other Changes

Emergency Fire Supression Recovery 0.0 (250) 0 (250)
Deer and Elk Damage Compensation 0.0 686 0 686
Biodiversity and Species Recovery 0.0 (625) 0 (625)
Salmon ESA Regulatory Compliance 1.9 1,927 0 1,927
Critical Infrastructure Maintenance 1.5 1,476 0 1,476
Coastal Salmonids Management 6.1 2,139 0 2,139
Post-wildfire Habitat Recovery 0.70 1,657 0 1,657
Forest Health and Fuel Reduction 0.0 0 2,000 2,000
Fish Health and Marking 1.0 403 0 403
Predatory Fish Suppression 0.0 700 0 700
Safety & Training Program Expansion 4.5 3,597 282 3,879
Support of Tribal Hatcheries 0.0 (481) 0 (481)
Whidbey Basin Ecosystem Recovery 0.0 0 13,410 13,410
2024 Policy Other Changes Total 15.7 11,229 15,692 26,921

2024 Policy Comp Changes

Body-Worn Camera Compensation 0.0 5 4 9
State Employee Benefits 0.0 79 95 174
Fish and Wildlife Officers Guild 0.0 133 124 257
DFW Teamsters 760 Enf Sgts 0.0 27 27 54
Pension Rate Month of Death Bill 0.0 33 35 68
2024 Policy Comp Changes Total 0.0 277 285 562

2024 Policy Central Services Changes

Archives/Records Management 0.0 1 0 1
Audit Services 0.0 1 0 1
Legal Services 0.0 621 0 621
Administrative Hearings 0.0 1 0 1
CTS Central Services 0.0 361 0 361
DES Central Services 0.0 22 0 22
OFM Central Services 0.0 2,629 0 2,629
GOV Central Services 0.0 24 0 24
2024 Policy Central Services Changes Total 0.0 3,660 0 3,660
Total Policy Changes 15.7 15,166 15,977 31,143
2024 Policy Level 1,851.1 341,404 416,911 758,315
Difference from 2023-25 Original 22.0 18,591 15,934 34,525
% Change from 2023-25 Original 1.2% 5.8% 4.0% 4.8%

Policy Changes

Audit Services

Adjustments are made for each agency's anticipated cost of audits performed by the State Auditor's Office. (General Fund - State)

Legal Services

Adjustments are made for each agency's anticipated cost of legal services provided by the Attorney General's Office. Because legal services expenditures are based on consumption, funding provided in the central service model is not all inclusive. The methodology to estimate consumption is a two-year average and allows for analysis to incorporate unique agency circumstances. (General Fund - State)

CTS Central Services

Adjustments are made to reflect each agency's anticipated share of charges from Consolidated Technology Services (CTS) for the Office of the Chief Information Officer, Office of Cybersecurity, state network, enterprise and small agency IT services, enterprise architecture and data management, Microsoft 365 licenses, and other items. (General Fund - State)

DES Central Services

Adjustments are made to reflect each agency's anticipated share of charges from the Department of Enterprise Services (DES) for Capitol campus costs; real estate, risk management, and small agency services; the Perry Street and Capitol Campus child care centers; enterprise applications, and other items. (General Fund - State)

OFM Central Services

Adjustments are made to reflect each agency's anticipated share of charges from the Office of Financial Management for existing statewide applications, the One Washington program, and other central services. See Chapter 11 of the 2023-25 OFM Budget Instructions for allocation methodologies. (General Fund - State)

Emergency Fire Supression Recovery

The agency receives an annual appropriation to pay for emergency fire suppression costs. The relatively low costs for fire suppression in 2023 allow for a one-time reduction in the fiscal year 2024 appropriation. (General Fund - State)

Deer and Elk Damage Compensation

The department will propose legislation to raise the deer and elk commercial crop damage claim amount and make technical updates to the governing statute. This item supports the increased claim threshold and provides an additional one-time amount to clear the current backlog of pending claim payments. (General Fund - State)

Biodiversity and Species Recovery

The agency received funding in the 2023-25 biennium to protect, recover, and restore biodiversity and threatened and endangered species. As the agency builds capacity, one-time vacancy savings are assumed through a reduction in the fiscal year 2024 appropriation. (General Fund - State)

Salmon ESA Regulatory Compliance

Under the Endangered Species Act, the federal government produces biological opinions on current hatchery operations to determine if additional measures must be taken to minimize impacts to listed species and critical habitat. Funding allows the department to continue operating at current hatchery production levels by meeting new federal terms and conditions. (General Fund - State)

Critical Infrastructure Maintenance

The department oversees 80 hatcheries statewide, many of which are aging. Years of deferred critical infrastructure maintenance have created unsafe conditions for staff and increases the risk of a catastrophic fish loss. Additional dedicated funding allows the department to build a more proactive approach to preventative maintenance, resulting in better facilities and fish stocks. (General Fund - State)

Coastal Salmonids Management

Salmon and steelhead have declined in the Olympic Peninsula, Strait of Juan de Fuca, and southwest Washington rivers. Lack of vital information in planning and implementation of these fisheries is identified as a critical gap in maintaining these stocks. The agency will address this gap by adding to existing monitoring programs and expanding evaluation capacity to inform fisheries policy decisions. (General Fund - State)

Post-wildfire Habitat Recovery

Wildfires in 2023 caused extensive damage to habitat and facilities in several WDFW-managed lands. Recovery is achieved by reestablishing native vegetation, preventing noxious weed infestations, and restoring infrastructure in impacted areas. The department will undertake vital habitat recovery and restoration work starting in the fall of 2023 through fiscal year 2024. (General Fund - State)

Forest Health and Fuel Reduction

Forest health and fuel reduction is a program that supports multiple state management plans by reducing wildfire risk, enhancing biodiversity, and increasing forest resiliency. This item raises program funding up to the level needed for the agency to meet its 20-year treatment goals. (Natural Climate Solutions Account - State)

Fish Health and Marking

Expanded hatchery production requires additional fish health services and mass marking of hatchery salmonids. This funding supports two new positions that will support statewide fish health through veterinary services and maintenance support for the marking trailer fleet. (General Fund - State)

Predatory Fish Suppression

Juvenile salmon mortality in the Cedar River has increased due to predation. Partial funding was provided in the biennial budget for a demonstration project to contribute to rebuilding salmon runs in the Lake Washington basin through suppression of predatory fish species. Additional funding is provided to achieve the original project scope. (General Fund - State)

Safety & Training Program Expansion

The department will rapidly scale its safety and training program to ensure staff are trained and prepared for high-risk job tasks. Funding will provide additional safety capacity in each region, development of a technological solution to track employee safety and training, increased support for remote employees, and a third-party review of the agency's safety program. (General Fund - State, Fish, Wildlife and Conservation Acc - State, Limited Fish and Wildlife Account - State)

Support of Tribal Hatcheries

In the 2021-23 biennium, one-time funding was provided for the Lummi Nation to make infrastructure updates at the Skookum Hatchery. Project costs occurred in the current and previous biennium. This reduction in appropriation aligns funding with final project expenditures. (General Fund - State)

Whidbey Basin Ecosystem Recovery

Federal expenditure authority is provided for the transformational Chinook recovery projects in the Whidbey Basin watersheds from a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act grant. The projects will result in pass-through dollars to Snohomish County, the Tulalip Tribes, The Nature Conservancy, American Rivers, Skagit River Systems Coop, and the Stillaguamish Tribe of Indians. (General Fund - Federal)

Body-Worn Camera Compensation

This item provides compensation of a one-time lump sum payment of $2,000 for enforcement lieutenants no sooner than July 1, 2024. The payment will follow the same requirements as agreed upon with FWOG and Teamsters 760, which include donning of the body worn cameras and the completion and adoption of the body worn camera policies. (Fish, Wildlife and Conservation Acc - State, General Fund - State)

State Employee Benefits

Funding is provided to increase the retiree health insurance subsidy, adjusting the cap from $183 to $193 per month and raising the base subsidy percentage from 50 percent to 60 percent. The insurance funding rates are set at $1,145 per month for fiscal year 2024 and $1,158 per month for fiscal year 2025. (Fish, Wildlife and Conservation Acc - State, General Fund - State, General Fund - Federal, other funds)

Fish and Wildlife Officers Guild

Funding is included for a memorandum of understanding that provides a lump sum payment of $2,000 per officer in consideration and recognition for the employee efforts upon implementation and use of body worn cameras through June 30, 2025. (Fish, Wildlife and Conservation Acc - State, General Fund - Federal, General Fund - State, other funds)

DFW Teamsters 760 Enf Sgts

Funding is included for a memorandum of understanding that provides a lump sum payment of $2,000 per officer in consideration and recognition for the employee efforts upon implementation and use of body worn cameras through June 30, 2025. (General Fund - State, Fish, Wildlife and Conservation Acc - State, General Fund - Local, other funds)

Pension Rate Month of Death Bill

Funding is provided for contribution rate impacts associated with proposed legislation that ensures the continuation of benefit payments through the end of the month in which a retiree or beneficiary dies. (General Fund - State, Fish, Wildlife and Conservation Acc - State, General Fund - Federal, other funds)

Archives/Records Management

Adjustments are made for each agency's anticipated share of charges for archives and records management services provided by the Secretary of State's Office. (General Fund - State)

Administrative Hearings

Adjustments are made for each agency's anticipated cost of hearings performed by the Office of Administrative Hearings. (General Fund - State)

GOV Central Services

Adjustments are made to reflect each agency's anticipated share of charges from the Office of the Governor for the Office of Equity. (General Fund - State)