The following is an e-mail concerning possible action to be taken against Washington Trout. It looks like some powerful groups will be banding together to oppose this extremist animal rights group. Hopefully all of us who think WT is taking an extreme and misguided approach to the challenges we face in protecting our salmon and steelhead will write our legislators and WDFW to show our collective support for the mounting opposition.

This issue looks like it may finally unite many of us to move ahead in a unified front.

-----Original Message-----
From: Buck, Rep. Jim [mailto:buck_ji@leg.wa.gov]
Sent: Thursday, March 27, 2003 7:30 AM
To: 'Dave Croonquist'
Subject: ALERT FROM ED OWENS

Washington Trout and the Native Fish Society filed a lawsuit yesterday to
try to stop the state from releasing hatchery coho salmon and steelhead into
streams that enter Puget Sound. They have also filed a motion with the
courts that seeks an injunction against the state for the release of
hatchery-raised coho and steelhead. If the court were to implement that
motion it would require WDFW to destroy half of the coho salmon now in
production at state hatcheries and all of the steelhead.

I have been advised that the Tribes intend to intervene. It is in the
interests of sport and commercial salmon fishing groups to also participate
in this suit. Many of you expressed an interest in participating in a
united effort several months ago when we first learned of the possibility of
Washington Trout seeking to shut down Puget Sound coho production. I will
be having discussions throughout the day today related to pursuing
intervention in this lawsuit on the side of the department and will advise

I may not agree with the tactics that WT is using but if you are going off things the Jim Buck is telling you watch out. He isn't a friend of wild fish. He ran the old Wildlife commissioner out because he wanted to error on the side of the fish not the commerical fisherman.

Jim Buck isn't a friend of wild fish at all at least this is my opinion.

JJ

Ed Owens is on top of it again!

I sat in a hearing on Tuesday, where Jim Buck was on the Committee and watched shut down many a anti ! It was good!

Efforts from the likes of Ed, Jim and many others. The AR groups have had to spend millions in combating, which in turn means less money they have to spend on the new fanatical stuff.

I spoke to one of the leaders of Paws and HSUS, along with NARN on Tuesday. I posed the question to them why I had yet to see a schedule for the 3rd. annual Animal Rights conference in Seattle? They all said that they didnt have the money for it this year

Get on board and get invlved!


Unified Sportsmen of Washington

Was not leaning toward WT but after watching Ed Owen and Jim Buck in action many times in the past few years WT must be on the right side of this issue. Both Ed and Jim have forever made their voice heard and always against wild steelhead. I fear that the dark ages are upon us again.

Just what has Ed Owens done negatively to wild fish?

Go ahead and buddy up to a HSUS endorsing Anti loving group!
So will you be representing WT at the next Anti conference?

I had my words with Jim Buck in the past as I used to see him as an enemy. I have emailed back and forth lately and have seen some of the good things he has done for FISHING. If your barometer is what has someone done for ONLY wild fish then I guess WT is your group. Don't forget to join PETA and ALF (animal liberation front) . After all the hooks you use to catch and release all those "wild" fish cause tremndous pain to the fish....gimme a friggin break here.....Once you admit to yourself that every stake holder at the table has a voice and a right to fish you will realize that no one cause is absolute. Rep Jim Buck has alot of constituents to represent including commercial fishermen, sports fishermen and non-fishermen. Jim has helped and is helping causes that will benefit fishing and fish. The tribes have a big say in whatever happens to fishing of all kinds,too. The sooner we all broaden our horizons and get along for a middle ground the sooner our stocks of salmon will recover across the board. The extremely narrow animal rights agenda and the protests and lawsuits that come with it need to be exposed for the garbage that they are and vehemently opposed.

Jim Buck is also sponsoring and co-sponsoring many bills to gut the Hydraulic Code and prevent WDFW from protecting fish habitat. Among the more insidious of these is a bill to exempt tide gates for agriculture and flood control from the requirements of fish passage, so if this one passes any farmer and diking district can now tide gate any river or dike off any wetland any time they want. How would you like to see a tide gate across the Snohomish River? No one inthe state will be able to prevent it.

Of course he is on the side of hatchery fish, he feels that wild fish are a nuscience species that inhibit wholesale development of our shorelines. Don't get me wrong, WT is dead wrong on this issue, for one thing there are many studies where stomachs of hatchery coho and steelhead have been sampled that show that hatchery fish don't eat wild fish in wild conditions - hell, most of the hatchery fish die in the first two weeks after release from starvation and predation - they have no idea what to eat or how to get away from predators and wild fish do. But Buck isn't on the side of the fish, he's on the side of the developers, and hatchery production has always been the develpers answer - dam up a river and build another hatchery, right?

Here's one more angler who is not a fan of Buck ... fish would be much better off with him gone!

Even if it included the future of the Sol Duc broodstock program Bob? Politics usually comes down to the devil you will tolerate....would you tolerate one that favored Washington Trouts agenda? Which will eventually include that most dear to you. Your area of wage earning includes Bull Trout a listed species....alls they have to do is claim those broodstock fish are impacting the future of those fish.

Spawnout while I tend to agree with you....do you really think the Army Corps Of Engineers and NOAA Fisheries would permit a tidegate across the Sno? Answer is a resounding "NO." Bit too much "the sky is falling" in your posts sometimes. BTW the Hood Canal spot prawns seem to be doing just fine ......the "sky didn't fall" there either. :p

Politics plays a huge role in our fishing issues whether we like it or not. A politician like Rep Buck isn't a friend to every issue for every person. He is someone to work with against extreme animal rights groups like Washington Trout. On other issues you can work against him without alienating him for future debates. Fishing people are so quick to make enemies and hold grudges that we exclude ourselves from the real debate too often.

Isn't this the same Rep Jim Buck who a year and half ago introduced a bill to strip the Wild Life Commision and put their responsiblities into the hands of the politicians, luckly it died. And you think WT has a special interest, No-thank-you Jim Buck!

BTW, I don't personally agree with WT on this issue, but to have such a gut or knee jerk reaction and put them into the same camp as PETA and other radical groups, I think is a little extreme. If you do not agree with their latest hatchery stance tactics I support your right to disagree, but wouldn't you at least agree that WT has done great habitat work and research and done some good for the fish and in the end your opportunity, because this is really what this beef is all about, isn't it?

DH, Jim Buck haters and animal rights whackos:

The Commission could use some gutting in my opinion. Some of the most recent decisions coming out of that body are so biased and so devoid of science and attention to what would be best for the resources that I think it should be scrapped or atleast live up to its intent which was to have a cross section of stake holders on the commission making even handed decisions about our fish and wildlife. Right now it is a sham of special interests.

I don't think the idea of scrapping the commission can be laid at the feet of Jim Buck..the effort was to give the powers back to the governor 100%...right now that pathetic moron in the governor's mansion appoints the commissioners and wants all the power...he and his side kick Curt Schmitch.

Finally, Washington Trout is NOT a fishing organzation..they are an environmental and animal rights group in trout's clothing. They have done some good things that may have helped habitat and fish in the short run but in the long run they want fishing stopped around here. I don't, so I oppose their agenda and I am not fooled by their name or their pronouncements. I form my opinion by their actions which so far are mainly focussed on lawsuits against WDFW.

Gooose ... Perhaps if we had politicians looking to curtail harvest rather than trying to boost it on both sport and tribal sides for our Sol Duc fish, we wouldn't need a broodstocking program!

This is hardly pro WT's stance in this, a simple reaffirmation that I feel Buck is not a good friend of wild fish on the coast!

Bob...I am not cheerleading for Jim B..I just see him trying to help on more issues than the WT lawsuit at the present time....I haven't heard any specific current complaint to rally me against him... A few jabs and generalities...Any politician that you favor on fishing issues? They're the ones making the laws not WDFW.
Bob Oke is a hard worker for fishing interests. Anyone else? I suppose, also, if you get right down to it and are real honest you are no friend to fish either...afterall you catch a ton of them don't you ? Even with C&R you still have a huge impact on the wild fish with the mortality at say 10%. If you really want to be a "friend" to wild fish why don't you just stop fishing?

Grandpa, You seem close to going over the edge here. Are you speaking for PSA or just for yourself?

Jerry

Right now I am speaking for myself trying to get folks to atleast think about the issues surrounding Washington Trout's barrage of lawsuits. Sometimes I do get close to the edge ,as you put it, but I am engaaged on this issue and I am collecting all the facts I can so as to be more well informed. You know, most of us have professions other than fishing but sometimes it seems like fishing issues can consume the most time. There are many ,many of us out here working in the best ways we know how to improve the state of habitat and fisheries.

One more thing.....I do get sarcastic sometimes..thanks for reminding me.

Passion can be a good thing grandpa.

Sometimes it is best to use a politician when you need to. I am no big fan of Rep. Buck, but if his influence can be used to help fight this issue then use it! You don't have to sign up to help on his re-election campaign, and you don't have to support his efforts you don't agree with, but use the guy if its benificial to your cause and dump him if its not. The politicians have been using us when they need to and dumping us when its no longer beneficial for years.