In the short time since the ZOOM NOF Grays Harbor I and others have been in a rather substantial debate via email. It has always been my preference that these conversations remain private but a couple of the guys disagreed so I agreed to post up some of their thoughts.

WDFW does not have Grays Harbor Advisers which simply means and actual in-depth discussion of a harvest issue is not possible. You should think of public input as like submitting comments in APA process. Your thoughts are on the record but little else. How one could have a real discussion of a season proposal several of us are not sure. You could email staff directly and try that as Mike Scharpf at Mike.Scharpf@dfw.wa.gov has always tried to communicate and be accessible.

I personally do not feel that we are returning to the days that the agency set the seasons with APA (setting a WAC) before the public even had input or really had any idea what is going on. I do think it is going to look like we are back in the days when groups or individuals with connections lobbied for their seasons out of public view. The ZOOM process being used is scripted and controlled to put forth the view the agency wants and it is definitely not intended for a real discussion of any part of the NOF process.

The issue of Mr. Losee being upset about a participant calling staff lazy for not doing something had some bolt upright in their chairs! So guys this, Mr. Losee is not Steve Thiesfeld who could go toe to toe with anyone, not blink, he listened and required that we also listen to what he had to say! Steve was one of the best WDFW staffers GH ever had and we lost a good friend and our best manager ever with his passing. Mr. Losee is new and will develop his own style and processes but he is not Steve so as I put it to the guys “get over it.“

This comment I am not sure about as the individual is an agency employee but I was asked to let fly so here goes. At present WDFW as a whole is operating in a bunker mentality mode. It is reacting to issues and processes in a defensive manner not proactive manner. The virus has restricted interaction in a one-to-one manner and had the unintentional effect of reinforcing the tendency of WDFW to isolate itself from the public. To add to the public’s misery staff does not even realize just how far down the isolation slope they have gone or if they do have little desire to reverse the process. I have been around WDFW in one form or another for over 40 years and I find that statement from an employee so very sad.

I will put some more of the guys thoughts up later but I think this is enough for now.