Subject of Possible Rule Making: The agency is considering rule making to address changes to the numbers of unspecified commercial crewmember licenses allowed to be held by holders of certain commercial fishing licenses.

Statutes Authorizing the Agency to Adopt Rules on this Subject: The authority to adopt fishery specific rules related to the number, period of validity, use, possession and display of such licenses was delegated to the Washington fish and wildlife commission in HB1437 during the 2021 session of the legislature when RCW 77.65.610 was amended.

Reasons Why Rules on this Subject may be Needed and What They Might Accomplish: The Washington department of fish and wildlife proposes to add a new section to chapter 220-351 WAC, Commercial fisheries—Permits/licensing. This rule making will be used to identify the number of unspecified commercial crewmember licenses above the current allowance (of two) which can be held by a commercial fishing license holder for specific fishing licenses.

Interested parties can participate in the decision to adopt the new rule and formulation of the proposed rule before publication by contacting Kirt Hughes, phone 855-925-2801 (project code 3783), TTY 1-800-833-6388 or 711, email CrewmemberLicenses101@PublicInput.com, website https://publicinput.com/CrewmemberLicenses, contact for comments; or Kelly Henderson, phone 360-480-2421, TTY 1-800-833-6388 or 711, email Kelly.henderson@dfw.wa.gov, website https://wdfw.wa.gov/fishing, contact for questions.