New Fish-Wildlife director to be named Saturday

WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT — The Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission is scheduled on Saturday to select one name from candidates being considered to succeed retiring Department of Fish and Wildlife Director Phil Anderson .

The agenda also calls for adopting new sportfishing rules during the meeting set for Friday-Saturday, Jan. 9-10, at the Comfort Inn Conference Center in Tumwater.

The new director will inherit a long list of issues, including wolf recovery, wild steelhead litigation affecting Puget  Sound, a list of saltwater issues, elk hoof disease in southwestern Washington, and a years-old internal rift stemming from the merger of the state Fisheries and Game departments.

The final recommendations for sportfishing proposals were presented to the commission Dec. 12-13  after comments were received on revised proposals in November.