From Hans Dunshee state Rep 39 district.
I am working to get the funding. Have you had a conversation with Paul Shin,
a good guy, about this yet? The senate budget writer, Valoria Loveland has yet to be convinced. Also Renee Radcliff could request Reiter ponds money from the Republican co-chair of the capital budget, Mary Ann Mithchell. Both those calls would help the prospects of success. We can save Reiter if both those chairs are convinced.
Hans

I have talked with Mike Stensen from the 31st district and he is behind Reiter and is working to gain support fron others. We need a final push to the heads of the committees that have the power to change things. Lovelands E mail is LOVELAND_VA@LEG.WA.GOV
She is the head of the ways and means committee and controls the money strings. There is a special session next week and we need to let her know that we want Reiter funded. The following are the E mail addresses for the committee heads that have a say in the funding of our wildlife programs. The more of them you E mail now the better.

Reiter Ponds Hatchery is on the verge of being eliminated because of funding problems. We have one last chance to save it, but only if our legislators believe that their voting constituencies think it's a priority. Our lawmakers won't know unless we TELL them! Please, take just a minute to write these folks an e-mail (see list following this note). Let them know how important Reiter is to the future of the Puget Sound steelhead sport fishery (and how much money sports fishing generates). Reiter is the main steelhead egg-taking facility for central Puget Sound streams. It is the ONLY summer run egg-taking facility. That means, if Reiter goes, there go our summer runs on all Puget Sound streams. They won't be able to reintroduce them at a later date because of 2 reasons:

1) Summer runs aren't native to Puget Sound streams and the Wild Salmonid Policy forbids their introduction into areas where they're not present

2) Summer run run timing has been developed over many years to not coincide with wild winter runs. If the program at Reiter is stopped, it would take many years for the run timing to be "retimed" since they would have to start with wild stock again.

Please pass this on to those who might help.

JACOBSEN_KE@LEG.WA.GOV
REGALA_DE@LEG.WA.GOV
BUCK_JI@LEG.WA.GOV
CHOPP_FR@LEG.WA.GOV
SNYDER_SI@LEG.WA.GOV
ANDERSON_DA@LEG.WA.GOV
SUMP_BO@LEG.WA.GOV
SOMMERS_HE@LEG.WA.GOV
HUFF_TO@LEG.WA.GOV
Write one letter and send it to each of these folks this week and we have still got a good chance of saving things. Do it now!!!!!




[This message has been edited by takedown (edited 05-13-99).]

[This message has been edited by takedown (edited 05-13-99).]

Here's what I sent to each of the legislators on the list above. Feel free to cut and paste if you want to get something off ASAP.
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Dear Sirs and Madames:

I have been writing my legislators the entire session to pass along my concern about the possible closing of the Reiter Ponds steelhead rearing facility. Thousands of fishermen like myself fish the Skykomish almost year-round because of the opportunities this facility provides. And we spend a lot of money each year on licenses, tackle, food, gas and lodging in the small towns along the Skykomish. Without Reiter, this valuable resource will dry up and so will the money literally thousands of people like myself spend in these towns and on licenses.

So please restore the meager funding Reiter needs to operate. You'll get back a lot more than what you put in. And you stand to lose a lot more than what you think you can save by closing the facility.