Game management plans

The Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission adopted the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife’s first Game Management Plan (GMP) in 2002. The plan was revised/supplemented in 2009 and again in 2015. These plans were in effect for six years. In 2020, the Department elected to extend the timeline of the existing GMP by two years, ending June 30, 2023, to align the GMP process with the three-year season setting process. 

In June 2023, the Commission asked Department staff to draft a new Game Management Plan which will undergo a new and separate SEPA review process.  Until the new GMP is completed, the old GMP will serve as guidance for season setting. The new GMP will not have a set revision schedule and will be revised as needed when new information is available.

WDFW currently anticipates completing the new GMP in December 2024. This timeline is subject to change. For the latest updates and information about this plan development, please visit our Game management plan development process and timeline webpage.

Game management plans

Elk herd management plans

Game harvest

Game status and trends