Anyone know if we got enough to get it on the ballot?

Bruce, The following article:

Voters to get chance to ban non-Indian netting

Bob Mottram; The News Tribune

Washington voters apparently will decide this fall whether to ban most non-Indian commercial fishing nets
from state waters.

Tom Nelson, head of Ban All Nets, said Tuesday that his volunteer organization would deliver about
230,000 signatures Thursday to the Secretary of State's office, and an additional 5,000 or 10,000 on
Friday. He said 180,000 valid signatures are required to win a spot on the general election ballot.

Nelson said his group had used paid signature-gatherers to obtain about 10,000 of the signatures, and
volunteers gathered the rest. More than 1,500 persons participated, he said.

The proposal, which if validated by the Secretary of State will become Initiative proposal 696, would have
no effect on tribal netting. That is governed by federal treaties.

- Bob Mottram

© The News Tribune

June 30, 1999

Yes! Now they need $ for advertising.

Congratulations and thank you to all who participated in the signature gathering process, now continue your support with the cash to see this become law. The comercial fishermen will be willing to spend at least a million dollars to try to defeat this one in November. I was told this by one of the purse seiners while gathering signatures at the Eagle hardware store in Everett. Save all of your loose change and any money you can spare to donate to this one or else be ready for even more closures and less opportunity to catch fish. To all who don't agree that the net ban will work take note of what happened in California, they are having their largest salmon returns in over 30 years. Visit the ban web site and get informed and then inform your friends and tell them to inform their friends about the facts. Even people who don't fish have a stake in this one with the ESA listing and the cost that it will add to our taxes, power and water bills. So get informed and spread the word. Web address is www.banallnets.com

Okay guys ... I'll step up to bat on this one ... I'm going to auction off a trip here for two guys for winter steelhead next season (sorry, already full for salmon) ... whatever the winning bid is ( I do take credit cards!!), it'll be passed on to BAN ... just post your bids below. We'll give it a week from the day / time this is posted ... BATTER UP!!!

$100, Hey, someone has to get it started.

[This message has been edited by Rich (edited 07-02-99).]

Okay, how about $300.00.

Do I hear $350

Congrats Eric ... and thanks!!! I'll talk with you soon to get things set up!

The Bellingham Herald jumped in the Ban Issue(Initiative 696) today with an EDITORIAL & Picture against BAN, urging people to vote it down saying the The Sierra Club and Northwest Ecosystem Alliance doesn't support it, so, neither do they. They are saying the issue is based on HYPE , not science. I guess you can tell where they do their fishing. They are always the freshest at Safeway.
The Nooksack Chinook are on the endangered species list and will stay there until they get the nets out of the river. I have lived around and fished the Nooksack for the last 30 years and you can sure tell when the nets are in the river or across the mouth at Bellingham Bay.