Washington Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit

The Washington Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit (WACFWRU) is one of 34 Units that are combined Fish and Wildlife Research Units. Two additional units are Wildlife Research Units, and four others are Fishery Research Units. WACFWRU will celebrated its 30th anniversary in 1998. The Unit was formed as a fisheries research unit in 1967, and became a combined fish and wildlife research unit in 1989. Base funding for operations is provided by the Unit's cooperating agencies: USGS; the University of Washington (School of Fisheries); and the Washington Departments of Ecology, Fish and Wildlife and Natural Resources. Effective working relationships with Washington State University and other academic institutions, other Federal and State agencies and private conservation organizations help the Unit meet its goals. In addition to maintaining productive research programs in their own areas of expertise, Unit staff seek funds fro research by other scientists at the University of Washington, Washington State University and the cooperating State agencies. During the last five years, WACFWRU has received an average of $1.3 million in new research dollars per year from federal, state, and private sources. These funds have supported 27-33 graduate students per year in the program. WACFWRU has maintained a consistent record of completed student theses and dissertations, and technical publications of high quality. WACFWRU students and staff have received numerous awards for scientific excellence.

With only five permanent staff (Unit Leader, Assistant Leader-Fisheries (vacant), Assistant Leader-Wildlife, Program Manager, and Program Assistant) located within the School of Fisheries at the University of Washington, Unit staff must work effectively with other scientists at the University of Washington, in the Department of the Interior, and in the Washington State Departments of Ecology, Fish and Wildlife, and Natural Resources. Effective working relationships with Washington State University, other academic institutions, and private conservation organizations also help the Unit meet its goals. Unit funds are used to support research by highly qualified graduate students with their training an integral component of the overall Unit research program.