Fish and Wildlife Commission to decide whether to retain pocket gopher status Friday

The Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission will hear a briefing and public comment on a recovery plan and status review of the Mazama pocket gopher Friday, and could take action on a recommendation for the gopher to stay on the state’s threatened species list.

In a draft of the recovery plan and status review, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) staff writes that the gopher should stay on the list, where it was first listed in 2006, and the draft includes objectives to meet before down-listing to “sensitive” status and, ultimately, de-listing should be considered.

The objectives include how many reserves should be established in seven specific geographic areas — five of which are in Thurston County, one in Pierce, one in Mason — and the size of gopher populations most of those reserves should support before considering down-listing and de-listing.

After a presentation on the plan and recommendation slated to start at 3:50 p.m. Friday, a meeting agenda shows the commission plans to take public comment.

The commission could make its decision on whether to retain the gopher’s current status as a threatened species in the state as recommended by the department at Friday’s meeting, according to Hannah Anderson, WDFW Diversity Division Manager.

As The Olympian previously reported, this is the first state status review since 2006, when the Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission first listed the gophers, which live on prairies in Thurston, Pierce and Mason counties and in sub-alpine areas of Olympic National Park.

The recovery plan isn’t regulatory, Anderson told The Olympian in December. Rather, it will guide conservation and recovery efforts. A final plan will be posted online after the commission makes its decision, she said this week, and will include public comment and responses to public comment and some minor tweaks to the original draft — though no major content changes — in addition to the commission’s decision.

Friday’s meeting will be recorded and available to watch online later, according to a WDFW news release.

This story was originally published June 11, 2020 at 10:56 AM.