Endangered Species - Protections and Prohibited Actions - Washington

(1) Subject to limitations and conditions established by the commission, the owner, the owner's immediate family member, the owner's documented employee, or a tenant of real property may trap, consistent with RCW 77.15.194, or kill wildlife that is threatening human safety or causing property damage on that property, without the licenses required under RCW 77.32.010 or authorization from the director under RCW 77.12.240.

(2) The commission shall establish the limitations and conditions of this section by rule. The rules must include:

(a) Appropriate protection for threatened or endangered species...

(3) In establishing the limitations and conditions of this section, the commission shall take into consideration the recommendations of the Washington state wolf conservation and management plan.

Citation: West's RCWA 77.36.030.

The following information relating to fish and wildlife is exempt from disclosure under this chapter:...

(2) Sensitive fish and wildlife data. Sensitive fish and wildlife data may be released to the following entities and their agents for fish, wildlife, land management purposes, or scientific research needs: Government agencies, public utilities, and accredited colleges and universities. Sensitive fish and wildlife data may be released to tribal governments. Sensitive fish and wildlife data may also be released to the owner, lessee, or right-of-way or easement holder of the private land to which the data pertains. The release of sensitive fish and wildlife data may be subject to a confidentiality agreement, except upon release of sensitive fish and wildlife data to the owner, lessee, or right-of-way or easement holder of private land who initially provided the data. Sensitive fish and wildlife data does not include data related to reports of predatory wildlife as specified in RCW 77.12.885. Sensitive fish and wildlife data must meet at least one of the following criteria of this subsection as applied by the department of fish and wildlife:

(a) The nesting sites or specific locations of endangered species designated under RCW 77.12.020, or threatened or sensitive species classified by rule of the department of fish and wildlife...

Citation: West's RCWA 42.56.430.

...(2)(c) Nothing in this subsection shall be construed to prohibit the director from issuing a permit or memorandum of understanding to a public agency, university, or scientific or educational institution for the use of a dog or dogs for the killing of black bear, cougar, or bobcat, for the protection of a state and/or federally listed threatened or endangered species.

Citation: West's RCWA 77.15.245.

(1)(a) All applications for reservoir permits are subject to the provisions of RCW 90.03.250 through 90.03.320. But the party or parties proposing to apply to a beneficial use the water stored in any such reservoir shall also file an application for a permit, to be known as the secondary permit, which shall be in compliance with the provisions of RCW 90.03.250 through 90.03.320. Such secondary application shall refer to such reservoir as its source of water supply and shall show documentary evidence that an agreement has been entered into with the owners of the reservoir for a permanent and sufficient interest in said reservoir to impound enough water for the purposes set forth in said application. When the beneficial use has been completed and perfected under the secondary permit, the department shall take the proof of the water users under such permit and the final certificate of appropriation shall refer to both the ditch and works described in the secondary permit and the reservoir described in the primary permit. The department may accept for processing a single application form covering both a proposed reservoir and a proposed secondary permit or permits for use of water from that reservoir...

(7) This section does not apply to facilities to recapture and reuse return flow from irrigation operations serving a single farm under an existing water right as long as the acreage irrigated is not increased beyond the acreage allowed to be irrigated under the water right.

(8) In addition to the facilities exempted under subsection (7) of this section, this section does not apply to small irrigation impoundments. For purposes of this section, “small irrigation impoundments” means lined surface storage ponds less than ten acre feet in volume used to impound irrigation water under an existing water right where use of the impoundment:

(a)

(i) Facilitates efficient use of water; or

(ii) promotes compliance with an approved recovery plan for endangered or threatened species; and

(b) does not expand the number of acres irrigated or the annual consumptive quantity of water used. Such ponds must be lined unless a licensed engineer determines that a liner is not needed to retain water in the pond and to prevent groundwater contamination. Although it may also be composed of other materials, a properly maintained liner may be composed of bentonite. Water remaining in a small irrigation impoundment at the end of an irrigation season may be carried over for use in the next season. However, the limitations of this subsection (8) apply. Development and use of a small irrigation impoundment does not constitute a change or amendment for purposes of RCW 90.03.380 or 90.44.055.

Citation: West's RCWA 90.03.370.

...(2) The department may, when requested, provide to volunteer groups its available professional expertise and assist the volunteer group to evaluate its project. The department must conduct annual workshops in each administrative region of the department that has fish stocks listed as threatened or endangered under the federal endangered species act, 16 U.S.C. Sec. 1531 et seq., in order to assist volunteer groups with egg rearing, share information on successful salmon recovery projects accomplished by volunteers within the state, and provide basic training on monitoring efforts that can be accomplished by volunteers in order to help determine if their efforts are successful.

Citation: West's RCWA 77.100.050.

The definitions in this section apply throughout this title or rules adopted under this title unless the context clearly requires otherwise.

...(62) “To take” and its derivatives means to kill, injure, harvest, or capture a fish, shellfish, wild animal, bird, or seaweed.

(65) “To trap” and its derivatives means a method of hunting using devices to capture wild animals or wild birds...

Citation: West's RCWA § 77.08.010.