Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife director to visit Spokane

The new director of Washington’s wildlife management agency will hold an open house in Spokane on Nov. 5.

“The department’s work is fundamental to people’s quality of life and livelihoods in Washington,” said Kelly Susewind, the Washington Department of Fish and WIldlfie director in a news release. “Our work to conserve fish and wildlife and provide sustainable opportunities affects everyone. Whether you’re an active outdoorsperson or you’re someone that buys locally caught seafood at the market, the public expects us to be good stewards of these resources and the public has a say in how they are managed.”

The Spokane meeting is the first of a statewide tour Susewind is conducting.

The open houses will run from 6:30-8:30 p.m. at CenterPlace Regional Event Center, 2426 N. Discovery Place, Spokane Valley.

According to the WDFW release, the open houses will “give the new director an opportunity to discuss the agency’s long-term plans to conserve fish and wildlife and promote outdoor recreation.”

Susewind started as the director of WDFW on Aug. 1. Prior to that, he worked at the Department of Ecology for more than 20 years

His first several months on the job have been tumultuous with starving southern-resident killer whales, wolves and WDFW budget concerns all grabbing headlines.