View the CR-102 Rule Proposal and Wac Text

Note: If you have already commented on this rule in 2022, you do not need to resubmit your comments.

Reasons supporting proposal:

On Oct. 7, 2022, the Fish and Wildlife Commission voted to downlist the American White Pelican to a sensitive species as recommended by agency staff. Because of a procedural issue, we need to reinitiate rule making with a new vote on this species. The information presented is the same information presented in the fall of 2022 and agency staff are still recommending a downlisting from threatened to sensitive for the American White Pelican.

The western population of white pelicans has recovered substantially and given the size of the Badger Island colony and number of non‐breeding white pelicans in Washington during the past several years, a change in listing could be considered.

The species remains somewhat vulnerable, however, as only the single colony regularly forms in Washington, and white pelican colonies are highly sensitive to disturbances; adults will desert and/or leave eggs and young exposed to predation following disturbances. We recommend the species be down‐listed to Sensitive. A Sensitive species is, “vulnerable or declining and is likely to become endangered or threatened in a significant portion of its range within the state without cooperative management or removal of threats” (WAC 220‐610‐110).