Ok, folks, I'm in the mood to expend my energy on haranging our elected officials instead of each other - how about the rest of you

Here is a letter that I have set up to send to the representative/senator of your choice, along with an article pointing out what the problem is. In it I make a suggestion for a legislative ammendment to the fisheries code to allow our Fish Commission to allocate quotas based upon return to the economy. I also included at the end of the article a quick list to local legislators phones, faxs, and e-mails. If you like this idea send this letter, or one like it with your own points would be even better, to you local elected official.

Lets put this board energy to positive use

Jerry or other moderators, if this is OK could you stick it at the top of the board for awhile? Thanks


Dear Representative/Senator:

I would like you to read the first part of the following September 18, 2003 Columbian article carefully. It points out a fatal flaw in WDFW’s ability to manage salmon harvest for the maximum benefit of the people of the State, and for the maximum return to the economy of money generated from harvest of the resource. The policy and/or law that has led to this position by the Fish and Wildlife Commission simply has to be changed. In this day of extreme economic plight in the Pacific Northwest, every effort needs to be made to maximize economic return from State activities, including fish and wildlife management. There is no excuse not to divert the majority, if not all, of the salmon produced in State hatcheries, at considerable expense to taxpayers and purchasers of fishing licenses, to the group that returns the most money per fish to the economy. Many authoritative studies show that a sport caught salmon returns many times more dollars to the economy than a commercially caught salmon. More studies show that the average value of a commercially caught salmon falls far short of the cost to the State to raise one, while the value of a salmon caught by a sportsman dramatically exceeds this cost. Finally, the effort that sports fishermen expend in trying to comply with wild fish release regulations is entirely wasted when these same wild fish wind up dead in gillnets, along with all sorts of other non-target species. In this day and age it is entirely possible in many areas for sportsmen to selectively utilize almost every hatchery salmon available while protecting wild salmon, steelhead, sturgeon, and other fish and wildlife. It will never be possible for a gillnetter to do this.

I would like to suggest that you sponsor a bill to amend the “legislative mandate” that Commissioner Ozment refers to. The amendment should be a simple one: Give the Commission the authority to set seasons based upon best science for managing and perpetuating salmon runs while providing the highest value to the economy of the State from each salmon harvested. In fisheries were there is sufficient sport effort to effectively harvest the quota, no commercial fishing should be allowed. In fisheries where it is not possible to do this, and wild fish returns are healthy enough to sustain fishing pressure, then commercial fishing may be appropriate. The results of such a management system will ensure that wild salmon have the best chance to recover and prevent further ESA listings and curbs on development. It will also allow our State to become one of the most desirable sport fishing destinations in the world, and go a long way towards reversing the economic downturn that our State has recently suffered.

Thanks for listening and for taking action.

Sincerely:


Columbian:
Notebook: Commission member says net fishery here to stay

Thursday, September 18, 2003
ALLEN THOMAS, Columbian staff writer

At almost every meeting involving sports fishing for salmon or sturgeon in the lower Columbia, sooner or later someone suggests the elimination of gillnetting, claiming it's a leftover from decades ago and fails to generate the economic activity of recreational angling.
Indirectly, state wildlife Director Jeff Koenings fueled the fire back in July when he said in a speech that fish-and-wildlife-related recreation generate $4 billion in spending in Washington while the state's commercial fleet hauls in nearly $300 million in wholesale and retail sales.
But Ron Ozment of Cathlamet, vice chairman of the state Fish and Wildlife Commission, delivered a much different message to the Vancouver Wildlife League earlier this month.
In a nutshell, Ozment told the sport group to learn to live with the gillnetters because commercial fishing in the lower Columbia River is not going to go away.
No one on the nine-member commission, which sets policy for the state Department of Fish and Wildlife, is of a mindset to eliminate commercial fishing, Ozment said.
"The Department of Fish and Wildlife has a very clear legislative mandate to provide both commercial and recreational opportunity for fishing,'' he said. "Right now I don't think there's a commission member who won't agree with the mandate and doesn't take that mandate very seriously.''
Fish allocation decisions are not made totally by the size of the sport and commercial fleets or their economic influence, Ozment said.
"While the commercial fishers are fewer and far between, and ultimately their take is a significantly lower number, they are the representative of the general, fish-consuming public who do not choose to go out on the water,'' he said.
"The commission has never adopted the stance the fishery emphasis should be strictly predicated on the economic numbers,'' he said. "And I will tell you, the commercial industry will really dispute those numbers of $4 billion versus $300 million. I cannot argue one way or another on that. I don't know. I'm not an economist.''
Ozment did say the jury is still out on tangle nets in the lower Columbia.
Tangle nets are small-mesh nets used during spring chinook season the past two years. They are designed to catch salmon by the jaw, not the gill. Wild salmon caught and released from tangle nets have a much better survival rate than those caught in gillnets.
In 2002, the tangle nets caught a lot of steelhead, although far fewer in 2003.
"There's a lot of uncertainty, obviously,'' Ozment said. "I would emphasize it is, at this point, an experimental fishery,'' he said. "I don't know if it will eventually be deemed viable, feasible or not.''
The tangle nets will be used again in 2004, he added.

On other topics
Ozment said if Klickitat Salmon Hatchery is transferred to the Yakama Indian Nation he wants assurances the chinook, coho and steelhead produced will have a clipped adipose fin, thus available for harvest as the move through the Columbia River.
Federal money for operating Columbia River hatcheries keeps waning, and the Yakamas might be able to access other government financing sources which the state cannot, he said.
The transfer is still under negotiation with a decision likely in 2004 or 2005, he added.
Smelt license: Ozment said he has a problem with suggestions from the Department of Fish and Wildlife to require a license to dip smelt.
Granted, smelt management has become much more costly than it once was, but some things in life should remain free, he said.
Marine mammals: Seals and sea lions are thriving in the lower Columbia River and they no longer need the strong protection they receive under the federal marine mammal legislation, he said.
Ozment lives up the Elochoman River valley, near the former Beaver Creek Hatchery. He said he has seen marine mammals as far upstream as his property.


Quick List for Local Legislators
Last Updated: September 18, 2003

2nd Dist. 19th Dist. 20th Dist. 22nd Dist. 23rd Dist. 24th Dist.
25th Dist. 26th Dist. 27th Dist. 28th Dist. 29th Dist. 30th Dist.
31st Dist. 35th Dist.

2nd LEGISLATIVE DISTRICT: Pierce County, including McKenna, Roy, Ft. Lewis, DuPont, Spanaway, Parkland, Fredrickson, So. Prairie, Prairie Ridge, Orting, Graham, and N of Eatonville

Sen. Marilyn Rasmussen (D)
Olympia: (360) 786-7602
Fax: (360) 786-7520
Home: (253) 874-3276
(253) 847-2168
E-mail: rasmusse_ma@leg.wa.gov

Rep. Roger Bush (R)
Olympia: (360) 786-7824
E-mail: bush_ro@leg.wa.gov

Rep. Tom Campbell (R)
Olympia: (360) 786-7912
E-mail: campbell_to@leg.wa

19th LEGISLATIVE DISTRICT: Pacific, Wahkiakum and portions of Grays Harbor and Cowlitz counties

Sen. Mark Doumit (D)
Olympia: (360) 786-7636
Fax: (360) 786-1999
Home: (360) 795-3063

Rep. Brian Hatfield (D)
Olympia: (360) 786-7806
E-mail: hatfield_br@leg.wa.gov

Rep. Brian Blake (D)
Olympia: (360) 786-7870
E-mail: blake_br@leg.wa.gov

20th LEGISLATIVE DISTRICT: All of Lewis and S Thurston Counties

Sen. Dan Swecker (R)
Olympia: (360) 786-7638
Fax: (360) 786-1999
E-mail: swecker_da@leg.wa.gov

Rep. Richard DeBolt (R)
Olympia: (360) 786-7896
E-mail: debolt_ri@leg.wa.gov

Rep. Gary Alexander (R)
Olympia: (360) 786-7990
E-mail: alexande_ga@leg.wa.gov

22nd LEGISLATIVE DISTRICT: N Thurston County, including all of Olympia and portions of Lacey and Tumwater, and the unincorporated communities of Johnson Point, Cooper Point, Tanglewilde, Thompson Place, and Boston Harbor

Sen. Karen Fraser (D)
Olympia: (360) 786-7642
Fax: (360) 786-1999
Home: (360) 491-4223
Fax: (360) 491-4222
E-mail: fraser_ka@leg.wa.gov

Rep. Sandra Romero (D)
Olympia: (360) 786-7940
E-mail: romero_sa@leg.wa.gov

Rep. Sam Hunt (D)
Olympia: (360) 786-7992
E-mail: hunt_sa@leg.wa.gov

23rd LEGISLATIVE DISTRICT: Kitsap County, including Bainbridge Island, Silverdale, Poulsbo, Kingston, and portions of Bremerton

Sen. Betti L. Sheldon (D)
Olympia: (360) 786-7644
Fax: (360) 786-1999
E-mail: sheldon_be@leg.wa.gov

Rep. Phil Rockefeller (D)
Olympia: (360) 786-7934
E-mail: rockefel_ph@leg.wa.gov

Rep. Beverly Woods (R)
Olympia: (360) 786-7842
E-mail: woods_be@leg.wa.gov

24th LEGISLATIVE DISTRICT: Clallam, Jefferson, and portions of Grays Harbor Counties

Sen. Jim Hargrove (D)
Olympia: (360) 786-7646
Fax: (360) 786-1999

Rep. Jim Buck (R)
Olympia: (360) 786-7916
E-mail: buck_ji@leg.wa.gov

Rep. Lynn Kessler (D)
Olympia: (360) 786-7904
E-mail: kessler_ly@leg.wa.gov

25th LEGISLATIVE DISTRICT: Cities of Puyallup, Milton, and portions of Fife and Edgewood, and the communities of Midland and Summit/So. Hill

Sen. Jim Kastama (D)
Olympia: (360) 786-7648
Fax: (360) 786-1999
E-mail: kastama_ji@leg.wa.gov

Rep. Joyce McDonald (R)
Olympia: (360) 786-7948
E-mail: mcdonald_jo@leg.wa.gov

Rep. Dawn Morrell (D)
Olympia: (360) 786-7968
E-mail: morrell_da@leg.wa.gov

26th LEGISLATIVE DISTRICT: Parts of Pierce and Kitsap Counties. Major Cities: Port Orchard, Gig Harbor, Key Peninsula, parts of Bremerton

Sen. Bob Oke (R)
Olympia: (360) 786-7650
Fax: (360) 786-7651
E-mail: oke_bo@leg.wa.gov

Rep. Patricia T. Lantz (D)
Olympia: (360) 786-7964
E-mail: lantz_pa@leg.wa.gov

Rep. Lois McMahan (R)
Olympia: (360) 786-7802
E-mail: mcmahan_lo@leg.wa.gov

27th LEGISLATIVE DISTRICT: Portions of Tacoma and Fife in Pierce County

Sen. Debbie Regala (D)
Olympia: (360) 786-7652
Fax: (360) 786-1999
E-mail: regala_de@leg.wa.gov

Rep. Dennis Flannigan (D)
Olympia: (360) 786-7930
E-mail: flanniga_de@leg.wa.gov

Rep. Jeannie Darneille (D)
Olympia: (360) 786-7974
E-mail: darneill_je@leg.wa.gov

28th LEGISLATIVE DISTRICT: Fircrest, University Place, Lakewood, Steilacoom, Tillicum, and West Tacoma, Anderson, Ketron, and McNeil Islands

Sen. Shirley Winsley (R)
Olympia: (360) 786-7654
Fax: (360) 786-1999
E-mail: winsley_sh@leg.wa.gov

Rep. Gigi Talcott (R)
Olympia: (360) 786-7890
E-mail: talcott_gi@leg.wa.gov

Rep. Mike Carrell (R)
Olympia: (360) 786-7958
E-mail: carrell_mi@leg.wa.gov

29th LEGISLATIVE DISTRICT: So. Tacoma, Parkland, and portions of Lakewood and University Place

Sen. Rosa Franklin (D)
Olympia: (360) 786-7656
Fax: (360) 786-1999
E-mail: franklin_ro@leg.wa.gov

Rep. Steve Conway (D)
Olympia: (360) 786-7906
E-mail: conway_st@leg.wa.gov

Rep. Steve Kirby (D)
Olympia: (360) 786-7996
E-mail: kirby_st@leg.wa.gov

30th LEGISLATIVE DISTRICT: Federal Way, Milton, Algona and Pacific. Major Cities: Federal Way and part of SW King County

Sen. Tracey Eide (D)
Olympia: (360) 786-7658
Fax: (360) 786-1999
E-mail: eide_tr@leg.wa.gov

Rep. Mark Miloscia (D)
Olympia: (360) 786-7898
E-mail: miloscia_ma@leg.wa.gov

Rep. Skip Priest (R)
Olympia: (360) 786-7830
E-mail: priest_sk@leg.wa.gov

31st LEGISLATIVE DISTRICT: So. King County and NE Pierce County, including Auburn, Bonney Lake, Buckley, Edgewood, Enumclaw, Greenwater, Sumner, and Lake Tapps

Sen. Pam Roach (R)
Olympia: (360) 786-7660
Fax: (360) 786-1999
E-mail: roach_pa@leg.wa.gov

Rep. Dan Roach (R)
Olympia: (360) 786-7846
E-mail: roach_da@leg.wa.gov

Rep. Jan Shabro (R)
Olympia: (360) 786-7866
E-mail: shabro_ja@leg.wa.gov

35th LEGISLATIVE DISTRICT: Mason and portions of Grays Harbor, Kitsap, and Thurston Counties

Sen. Tim Sheldon (D)
Olympia: (360) 786-7668
E-mail: sheldon_ti@leg.wa.gov

Rep. Kathy Haigh (D)
Olympia: (360) 786-7966
E-mail: haigh_ka@leg.wa.gov

Rep. William Eickmeyer (D)
Olympia: (360) 786-7902
E-mail: eickmeye_bi@leg.wa.gov

Cutting and pasting I e-mailed all of my legislators in 15 minutes. Technology is a wonderful thing

Sorry to rain on your parade but lobbying the legislature to do away with commercial fishing is a waste of time. Not gonna happen. The commissioners are appointed by the Governor. That would be Governor Grid-Locke. The commission is so corrupt with commercial fishing bias it is a cruel joke. The law we need is one to do away with the commission itself. It was designed to provide for a balanced voice across the spectrum of user groups including sports fishing. We have no sports fishing voice on the WDFW commission. They all hide behind the legislature when confronted about commercial bias. They start public meeting with the stern caveat that they pay no attention to which sector brings in more money to the state. Take a look at the shrimp allocations for a stunning example. A huge percentage of shrimp harvest was given to a miniscule number of commercial shrimpers. The commission went against public opinion and even the WDFW biologists to hand over another natural resource to a handful of people who contribute very very little to the state.

Start by throwing the bums out of the state house. The socialists have run things around here long enough. Vote every chance you get.

Grandpa (Eyore) has pretty much stated the current state of things.

But I like to believe government is in constant flux. I actually heard of a rep in P.A. expounding on the financial benefits to the state from rec vs comm fishing.

I disagree that writing our representitves is a waste of time. I will be forwarding Spawnout's letter.

Slab (Eyore) The state actually made its own study public showing without question that sports fishing brings in way more money that commercial fishing. I think even the tribes use their commercial fishing money for things other than the necessities of life... But the problem is that the commission , aided by the governor, does just the opposite. I am in no way saying not to wrtie letters. I am saying attack where is counts.

Grandpa, notice that the Govs contact info is not on there. I never intended anyone to write to him, he's a lame duck anyway . Write to the folks that want the votes. And I'm also preparing signed letters to fax to all of mine. This is still a democracy, if enough talk they will listen

Grid-Lockes email cannot be added onto an email list. You have to approach it directly and on its own. I was at the meeting in Mount Vernon with Grandpa and qute a few other PSA members on the shrimping issue. The commision is fully corrupt. Before we had our chance to speak on the shrimping issue the commision slammed the door on us and thwarted every thing we had to say before it was said. My foot still hurts where it was in the door. They must have read our emails that time. We did jamb up their phone lines, email boxes and mail boxes. They had top listen. Instead they did all of the talking. Grandpa is right. You have to go over the commissions head. I like the idea of the commission, but it has turned against us. Its like Bill Cosby said about the kids tonsils in the " We're gonna have ice cream" segment, the tonsils have joined the other side. Write those letters and most of all get Locke replaced with someone who cares about our great state.

Grandpa, I agree getting rid of the present commission, or figuring out how to load it with recreation-minded people, is the way to go.

Aside from that, what is a better solution other than the commission? Which state has a good model program?

Perhaps we could point that out to our respective respresentitives so we offer them a solution instead of just complaining about what is.

There's a lot of really smart individuals here when it comes to fisheries. I'll bet collectively this board could come up with more than one workable model that could be presented to the state for consideration.

The commission idea was great upon its inception. It has been the implementation that is so corrupt. When the governor appoints the members it isn't much better than if the governor just ran the whole show. Politics is so deeply seated in the system with all the graft of special interests that it can't be taken seriously. Somehow it should be possible to force the governor to adhere to the spirit of the law creating the commission and get a sports advocate in the mix.

Ok all.... Here is my CIVIL post....... Grandpa2, I believe that the above attitude (which is the norm for most touchy laws nowadays) is flat wrong. Sure, it seems hopeless, but the ONLY reason it is hopeless is that not enough people come together on the issue. Believe me, in politics, votes count, and if enough mad as hell people get together on an issue..... IT WILL CHANGE!!!!!

Not to start another argument here, but even things "set in stone" like treaties or protectionism laws can be changed if enough people holler loud enough to change it. Problem is, politicians want the bickering and discord, because then there is no organization, and without organization things do not get done.....
Hell, if they can modify the constitution of this country a zillion times (which is the premier law of the land), anything can be modified. The difference is how organized the effort to change the law or status-quo is.

Look how just one Dad was able to get the supreme court to rule that the "pledge of allegiance" was unconstitutional. It took organization and a lot of work by lawyers to get it done. May be overturned BECAUSE THEIR WAS SUCH AN OUTCRY FROM THE MASSES!!!! Now, they decided it was unconstitutional... That was their decision.... But they run and hide after 80% of America was outraged and inflamed by that "constitutional" decision... Changing their minds fast.....

Again, all it takes is a larger, louder group, and the high $$ groups loose a lot of their appeal.
The one thing you can always count on besides politicians being sleazy, is that they are bought for the highest $$ or the highest vote count. Without the votes, the $$ will not get them into office or keep them there......

Great letter!!!!


MC

I need to clarify what I meant. When I said shutting down commercial fishing ain't gonna happen I did not mean that we should not work to scale it back or even eliminate it. What I meant was that zeroing in on elimination of one harvest method (netting) to benefit another (sports fishing) always comes across as self serving because it is. The net ban initiative that I worked with so many others on was a flop partly because it was self serving...AND because most folks I talked to refused to support it as long as the indians didn't have to abide by it. What's the point they would say. I had to agree.

I am all for engaging the elected officials as I ,myself, have done for years. Just be smart and make your requests doable and reasonable. Hopefully this next time around we will elect a governor who cares about fishing issues.

One idea I like is this: Take pictures every chance you get of abuses concerning our fisheries. Publicize them and send them to your elected officials. Take an elected official out fishing. Voice you opinions in letter form and not email.

Why letters instead of email? Better chance of being read?

Letters always get more attention than emails. One time I thought the governor actually wrote a thoughtful response to one of my letters. As a member of the governors salmon advisory board I was bragging about the response letter to a friend only to find out that he had the exact (word for word) letter in response to a completely different issue. But even the form letter responses are meaningful. Most all of the elected officials I talk to say letters carry much more weight. Especially if you include your name , address and a phone number.

Emails are better than nothing though and much easier to accomplish. Phone calls are real effective too. I spend a fair amount of time on the phone with legislators and find that very interesting.

I didn't realize that.

Letters are a pain in the butt to compose, write, then finally mail compared to email. What would be nice is if there were a selection of form-type letters available online that one could choose from, print, sign, then mail.

Someone that's really good with HTML could design a letter, and in the body there could be drop down menus with selections for location, species, ideas, etc., plus menus for who to address it to. A person could choose a letter, make their selections, print, sign, and mail. With three or four different bodies to choose from, with different options in each one, it wouldn't appear like a simple form letter mass mailing.

If it was made easier for the average sportsperson to get a letter into the mail, we could have a louder voice in the legislature.

Whereas every email, letter, and phone call DO count. the form letters and cut/paste items hold the least accord. Its the same thing as signing the whatever petitions outside k-mart. And they are just as easy to answer with a form letter. But send them any way if that is all the time you have; and attend every meeting you possibly can.

A non-corrupt system would allow ALL voices to be heard at their public meetings. And just as G'pa (I think) stated, the commercial industry has a huge financial backing. If the commercial fishermen were the only ones backing their style of "fishing", the laws would have been changed years ago. However, they are backed by the business world (canneries, distributors, supermarkets, etc.) who already have ties in the political ring and a lot more money than the weekend fisherman.

Until an outdoor loving, ethical, rich fisherman (or woman) can afford to take-on the corrupt political arena, we'll continue to be stuck in this hell hole.

It just hurts the soul to KNOW what our economy could be like if an emphasis was put on the sustainability of the fish. Every port on the coast and straits has the capability of looking like Sekiu does from June til October. But hell, the government doesn't need the money......

I have the perfict places. Take a official to the Hoodsport Hatchery, on a week day, during late November and show them the thousands of Chum carcases floating around dead left by the Indians, please don't make this a Native issue, or show them a "Goast Net" full of dead animals.

I just sent off letters to all of my officials. I urge all of you to do the same. Let's make a difference!

Dose anybody know of a rich or powerful person that would be willing to "sponser" rec. fishermen?

Hi Bob,

You can bet I will be sitting down to write my letters and do my share this weekend.

Hope all is well with you and family.

Good work here.

Spawnout

I am with you 100%!

The letter is just a starting point I am amazed that with all the great minds that our board has that no one as yet thought of the most effective way to make these much needed changes. There are probably 2 different methods that we could use to achieve our goal 1) Initiatives 2) referenda to voters - (read RCW 29.79.110
Referendum petitions – Form)

If the referendum was well thought out, and well written, it could be the key to changing the laws and bypassing many of the corrupted officials and parties that have the power and money to block any legislative changes.

The key is in writing a well thought out Initiative or Referendum that will not offend the public, but yet would force the commercial into a corner. It can be done if enough members on this board and other boards join forces and efforts for the same common goal! It will take a few key minds that will be able to foresee what the commercials will do to counter our referendum or initiative. We have failed in the past only because we have not used our foresight.

I for one would volunteer my time and efforts if called upon…what about each one of you? If not your time, would you consider donating your financial support?

I know that we have several members who are attorneys that could help in this process, so if we could all get our act together, who known what we could achieve!

With the power of today's email, most of the ground work could be accomplish without driving miles to meet and discuss our strategies

Does anyone have any better ideas?


Cowlitzfisherman

http://www.savefish.com/

Go to the RFA (REcreational Fishing Alliance) website and see the Freedom To Fish Act. Coming to our area very soon