Commission Draft Conservation Policy Public Comment

[Torrent50]

The commission released their draft Conservation Policy for the next 25 years and are taking public comment (I know, I know...).  Some scary stuff in it.  I am currently trying to digest it all before making my comments, but the language in the first section seems to be straight from the playbook of the Center for Biological Diversity.

The draft can be found here.  https://wdfw.wa.gov/sites/default/files/2023-04/conservation-policy-draft-15-publicreview-final.pdf

The comment form is located here.  https://publicinput.com/draftconservationpolicy

[Longfield1]

Why is social science a factor in determining fishing and hunting? Does that overrule actual science based off F&W bios?

[timberfaller]

"the Center for Biological Diversity." quote from Torrent

They should be named, The Center for Doing Away With Hunting!    They are the biggest threat to hunting and Conservation.

As Dr Fauci is to Covid,  CBD is to Conservation!   Just another group of "political" Scientist, who don't accept FACTS or REAL science.

[hunter399]

Isn't conservation in the Webster's dictionary.

[Special T]

I have not read it, but will.  I would like to read some thoughts on  potential problems. This is certainly some inside baseball stuff... and I wouldn't be surprised if they are trying to redefine what conservation is.

[Humptulips]

IMO the Commission should be taken to task for wasting time and resources writing this. RCW 77.04.012 spells out their mandate in clear terms. This is an attempt to obfuscate that clear directive, so that they can go off on their own agenda.

[BigVinn]

Everyone should comment and make their voice heard. It is really easy to comment and the more comments that oppose this the better.

[pianoman9701]

Comment: "In Section 4 of the principles, it states: "Knowledge and science — WDFW actions and decisions shall be based on objective, science-based knowledge. Scientific efforts to inform the WDFW must be sufficiently broad and multi-disciplinary, combining all related scientific fields (e.g., biological, ecological, economic, and social). Adaptive management is a critical and required step to implement actions learned from monitoring the decisions and actions against the results. Adaptive management thus informs necessary changes to meet the desired outcomes." Why then did the Wildlife Commission permanently end the spring bear season when retaining it was the recommendation of the biologists on the ground? Why were comments supporting the season not listened to by Lorna Smith? This is counter to the 4th Principle."

[GWP]

Ya got to remember that nowadays there are Doc’s and scientists that state men can have babies, and other amazing ‘facts’ they come up with.
I am pretty sure a person could say nearly anything and mine up ‘facts’ to support any claim a person would want to make to support an agenda.
It seems pretty clear what path this State is veering toward.   

[MeepDog]

This proposal is riddled with loopholes that allow them to cancel opportunity for any reason they please. This whole idea of this being the guiding document of our wildlife agency makes me want to vomit.

"Scientific efforts to inform the wdfw must be sufficiently broad and multi-disciplinary, combining all related scientific fields(e.g. biological, ecological, economic, and social)."
Sorry you can't hunt deer this year because we haven't run enough economic studies and our social science says we don't like it. This document is a true conservation tragedy.

[Skyvalhunter]

Everyone needs to go in and make a comment. Make yourself heard its easy

[CarbonHunter]

If policies are going to be driven by “social science” does that mean wolves can identify as coyotes and us state residents can start to identify as tribal hunters?

[HillHound]

If policies are going to be driven by “social science” does that mean wolves can identify as coyotes and us state residents can start to identify as tribal hunters?

Of course it does. Why would that logic not apply to wolves like the rest of our society. I sure know our country will never have another successful draft. As long as women are not eligible for the draft I am sure we will all identify as women if and when one comes up. They’ve already proven we don’t have to have any of the correct anatomy whatsoever so why would a wolf? For that matter I could probably go shoot a moose and say it was identifying as a coyote. Since our kids get to decide it their pets or toasters or whatever that they decide they feel like that day Then I don’t see a problem with that at all

[buckfvr]

They are doing this because they see no risk involved with their actions.  It may not always be this way.   

[WAcoyotehunter]

section 6, "precaution" is a dangerous one.  Smith and Rowland have both used this strategy already, is essentially what stopped our spring bear hunt.  They argue that there is not enough data to support something, we we need to err on the side of caution. 

"we don't know EXACTLY how many bears there are, so we better not hunt them in the spring"