AACK!!! It's a conspiracy. I need some of Grandpa's foil (where is Grandpa anyway?) Bruce, here's a response from Double Haul in another thread that may have missed your notice. I think it clears up some of the questions that you are asking.

Hairlip, The WSC has nothing to hide nor does it have concearns to"back pedal". You can go to the website and look over our action/business plan and our mission statement is simply who we are. We do need to update our officers, trustees and reps link as well as a few others, but that's what happens with free help =).

Bob is our Regional Rep for the West Oly Pen area.

I must of missed the inquiry for membership numbers, The WSC has approximately 150 members and many supporters, hence a Coalition. Our membership cuts across the cloth of steelhead fishers and is very diverse geographically. I believe the strength of the organization is it is an educational/learning organization that works very hard to uderstand the issues that are affecting wild steelhead. Also, for the record again, We are not anti-hatchery, but we believe in hatchery reform.

What's interesting, in light of the Forks topic, in the composition part of our mission statement it reads-
"The WSC is comprised of concerned citizens determined to reverse the factors that have negatively impacted wild steelhead, and in so doing, restore healthy and viable populations of wild steelhead to the Pacific Northwest. In so doing, wild salmon and other salmonids will also benefit. The WSC represents conservationists, recreational fishermen, businesses that depend upon wild steelhead for their livelihoods, and citizens who seek to preserve the future of the Pacific Northwest's greatest resource."

I am one of the founding board members and was the VP of Membership, now I am the President of the organization. If you are interested in becoming a member, send me an address and I will be happy to send you a membership packet. I can also email you the recent online version of the adipose (our newsletter) if your intersted.

We also host the bi-annual Steelhead Summits where diverse groups are working together on Pacific NW Steelhead issues. We are not just a WSR organization.

I am one of the few who update the website and the only thing that has been added recently is the WSC Wild Steelhead Facts Sheet, nothing else has been deleted as far as I know.

The Forks fish in disclaimer was to simply clairify to readers that the WSC is not organizing the fish in, but I am sure there will be a few members or supporters there to show support for the Forks community.

[ 03-05-2004, 09:45 PM: Message edited by: Double Haul ]
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Sincerely,
Rich
http://www.wildsteelheadcoalition.com/

" Will we allow ourselves to be foresightful & preserve the healthy wild steelhead runs now by applying fishing methods that can help preserve future fishing opportunities?"
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"You're not a g*dda*n looney Martini, you're a fisherman"

R.P. McMurphy - One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest

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