Comments sought on Columbian white-tailed deer status

CENTRALIA — The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife will be seeking public input on rule making for Columbian white-tailed deer and the Cascade red fox until Jan. 24. The announcement came in a news release from the department Thursday.

“The Department is recommending re-classifying the Columbian white-tailed deer from endangered to threatened based on encouraging conservation gains and population growth, but continued vulnerability,” WDFW said in its statement.

The Columbian white-tailed deer were listed as threatened under the federal Endangered Species Act in 1973 and as an endangered species by Washington in 1980. Since then, the size of the deer population has fluctuated from as low as 545 deer in 2002 to 1,296 this year.

WDFW is also seeking to reaffirm the classification of the Cascade red fox as endangered. The Fish and Wildlife Commission voted to list the Cascade red fox as a state endangered species in October, citing its vulnerability to threats such as climate change, a small population and competition from other carnivores.

“We previously conducted rule making on Cascade red fox in 2022,” said Taylor Cotten, WDFW conservation assessment section manager. “The Commission voted to classify Cascade red fox as endangered over the initial recommendation to classify as a threatened species.”

The higher level of protection requires changing a rule and the WDFW is therefore conducting further rule making to gather new public comment and will ask the Fish and Wildlife Commission to reaffirm their decision to classify the fox as endangered after considering that input.

The Fish and Wildlife Commission is scheduled to hold a public hearing and make its decision at its Jan. 27 and 28 virtual meeting.

For more information, visit wdfw.wa.gov/species-habitats/at-risk.