With all the people you are contacting, is the White House among them? I suspect, just based on recent track record, that WH does not have warm and fuzzy feelings for the Tribes and might be interested in tilting the scales back to level.

Haven't reached out to the WH yet. This does bring up an interesting point though.

I think we are at a juncture in our fight (with substantial numbers and exposure) that we are ready to "ramp up" our efforts and for supporters to start contacting agencies and even the WH to bring this issue to light. Frankly, the more sportsmen are reaching out locally and nationally the better! Efforts by contacting the media, legislatures, Tribal groups and local sporting clubs are a good start. Forming local groups and appearing at WDFW and other public meetings to voice support in having the citizen sportsmen a vital part of fisheries management. Contacting friends in the advertising and public relations fields to print articles, flyers and signs for use at the various meetings.
These are just a few of the things sportsmen can do to advance the fight.

We only ask to keep the message focused on the issue of: "closed door meetings barring any public oversight and removing the non-tribal citizen from any meaningful role in our fisheries management."

There are so many ways to get involved above the signature support on the petition.

If anyone is interested in a more specific role, please contact us through our email at: OpenNOF@Gmail.com

Be careful what you ask for. I very much doubt that the White House would respect your wanting to keep the matter focused solely on the issue of who gets to attend meetings. rather, I expect that you would get an ally in the White House to subvert treaty rights, after which you would find that there is no legal basis for maintaining either natural or hatchery production of salmon. If destroying the tribal fishery at the expense of your own makes you happy, the go to the White House. Otherwise, I would avoid them like the plague.

Twodogs, your point is well taken. Once the storm is unleashed, controling the collateral damage is impossible. That's exactly why we have repeatedly asked the Tribes and the leadership of WDFW to engage in a meaningful dialogue on restoring the largest stakeholders (recreational fishermen) in the management process. Unfortunately, instead of working with us, they discount and ignore us, all the while continuing to make secret deals then shove the results down our throats!

I say they brought this on...and they can fix it. It's simple.

Allow a live video feed, un-edited and complete of the meetings.

It is true that without the treaties WA would blow away its salmon to worship the Almighty Development Dollar. But, if the choice is development or the tribes get the fish.......

I think if the mindset would shift to manage the fisheries for recreational/tourist dollars, there would be a fundamental change to the tribes and the recreational fishermen's relationship. After all, the tribes and the recreational fishermen have the same goal in mind. To enhance the environmental conditions to maximize survivability of the fisheries.

What puts us at odds, is that tribes are very fearful of losing treaty rights, and therefor are reluctant to reach out to the hand we've extended to work together.

It isn't a matter of one or the other. The treaties have been tested in courts, they are not going away. I personally don't think expending energy to fight the treaties is worthwhile or productive. I also think "playing the victim" all the time is damaging the tribes credibility.

We need to move past the past and start working together, in a true partnership to save our fisheries!

The Tribes also view a fish is a fish is a fish. They don't "play with their food". They kill it and eat it.

They are actually more in tune with the NI commercials because they have the same purpose. Kill 'em all.

Also, the recs and nets don't "play well together". Hence the closures on rivers for netting. I think it is for two reasons. One is safety as a drift net kinda sweeps the river without regard for the angler standing there. The second is all those eyes watching them as pike get tossed, chum get egged, and fish that get caught with fewer showing up in accounting.

And some folks in the rest of the world don't consider all fish as food. What the tribes do with their catch is their business. What I do with the fish I catch is not their business.

I support the tribe's right to catch fish, but no more than I support the right of everyone else to also catch fish. I also think that all catchers of fish have a responsibility to do so in a sustainable manner and an obligation to respect the methods of others that use the resource.

What is needed is a Recreational Anglers Association to lobby for those of us that do not wish to kill every single fish we catch and to lobby for our "right" to catch fish as a basic human right, in common with other nations.

Well stated! We have several "Sportsmen's organizations" already. Some very large and some very influential, yet we are still in this mess of dysfunctional duel-management and collusion to keep the sport fishermen out of the management decisions! If we want REAL CHANGE, we need to do it ourselves, with the support and power of the organized groups.

Imagine if the large groups like CCA and PSA organized rallies to support having the NOF meetings open. That, coupled with the large number of petition supporters would be very powerful indeed!

If you take a hard look at the current situation, it becomes VERY CLEAR, that the motivation to change is not there. In any system, where money, greed and power have taken hold, real change will not happen unless those in power are MADE to change.

The sports fishermen, for far too long, has been the cash supply for the Department, and has been easy to manipulate and disregard due to lack of organization as a lobby and in-fighting.

Having the Tribal NOF meetings broadcast live, is a first start for the paying public to see, first hand the way the sportsmen is disdained.

We have over 3000 signatures on the petition. It should be well over 30,000. This is the first time in a long while the sport fishermen and women have started joining together to make real change. We need to keep the momentum going, the numbers speak to the politicians and to the tribes.

WE ARE NOW ON TWITTER!

Here is our link to our twitter account:

Twitter: Open the North of Falcon Meetings

Share this with your contacts and tweet us.

Today the public is welcome to attend "The WDFW Charade Show!"

Sponsored by:

Secrecy
Distrust
Dysfunction
Mis-direction

Don't miss your chance for WDFW to put a check mark in their "Transparency and Public Input" box!

OR, you can show up and let them know we're not buying the BS anymore!

The Department got an earful today, but probably not what they intended. Of the sportsmen that turn out, all spoke against secret meetings and how they are destroying the publics trust in the Department leadership!

Since you've been beating this drum for a while now, you must have formulated all sorts of ideas and scenarios of what is going on in these "Secret Meetings". Let's hear 'em!

Anything I would say is pure speculation, since I can only go on what those that have been in attendance have told me, and they got kicked out some time ago. I think the better question should be, what are they so afraid of us finding out today?

It has been my experience that those that work hard to keep secrets, have something to hide!

I can tell you that once we get inside these meetings, things will start going better for sport fishermen.

I'd be interested to hear from anyone with first hand experience who can add to this information.

Since starting this thread, and petition back in Dec of 2016, I have been "beating this drum" doing my best to engage "Joe Fishermen" to get educated, open his eye's and take a good hard look at what is going on.

I have said over and over that only through the power of numbers and people working on this issue will we be successful. The politicians and officials will not change, unless they are made to change.

Us old timers can tell you, we have slowly and methodically lost more opportunities, access and role in management every year.

They are being taken away. Slowly and in a small piece here, another there, but rest assured, they ARE being taken away. And once gone, forever gone!

Over this last seven months, I cannot tell you how many times I've heard or read statements like:
"What you need to do..." or "You should..."

We are all busy, I get it. We have jobs, families, commitments. We have life going on, and trying to take anything else on seems impossible.

So, I'm curious. Is this just not important enough for anyone else to get involved beyond signing a petition or sending out an email or two?

Where are the "you's" in the statements.

Now, more than ever, we need groups to make appointments to speak to your district representatives. Get a commitment from them to help. Contact and meet with the WDFW Commissioners, the Senior Leadership at WDFW. Call the Governors office and ask for an appointment to speak with him. Call the NWIFC and request a meeting with Chair Loomis. Get involved.

Let us know at: OpenNOF@Gmail.com on what your doing and the progress your making so we can share it with the other supporters.

Only through community action can we combat big money and politics.

THE SHADOW OF DISASTER vs THE COMMUNITY OF ACTION
SEP 1, 2017 — The recent flooding tragedies in Texas have highlighted how quickly and unexpectedly our lives and our lands can experience catastrophic damage.

Our prayers and thoughts go out to the communities and to the wildlife impacted by these deadly floods.

Take a moment with us and say a prayer for those who have lost so much, and if you have the means, please make a donation to the charity of your choice to aid the victims.

It is easy for us to see the massive destruction caused by these storms, not only to the homes and lives of our fellow citizens, but also to the lands, habitats and wildlife of the area.

In our State, we are fortunate to usually have mild climate and are rarely threatened by sudden dramatic weather conditions. We are however faced with something that may be more sinister, the gradual destruction we are facing in our waters.

Many of you will agree that our salmon and steelhead populations are declining overall. It only takes a look back at the abundance that was recorded in the not so distant past and it becomes pretty obvious what we have already lost and the pale situation we are now left with.

This tragedy has taken place relatively slowly, consequently many of our fellow citizens, particularly non-sportsmen, have paid the decline little attention.

There are many factors impacting our salmon to be sure, but it seems the politics and debates over the blame, causes and remedies have all but stalled any real action to save our fish. Salmon numbers have continued to decline and our sport is continually impacted by emergency closures, increased restrictions and reduced take.

One thing that the recovery efforts we’ve witnessed in Texas have shown is that when a community comes together to tackle a problem, a fantastic thing happens. Politics, color, gender and philosophies are set aside and things are taken care of.

Just as a sudden disaster musters the best in us, so must the creeping disaster like the one we are experiencing here, in our own waters. We cannot wait, we cannot hope someone will fix it. We must come together, with a singularity of purpose as a community to put in every effort before we lose everything.

This IS the core of our fight!
To regain our vital role in the fisheries management. To again be the voice of reason and clarity of true conservation and preservation at the negotiation table. Not relying on a “government agency” to represent us, but to represent ourselves. We, as citizen sportsmen have the inherent right and responsibility as a community of single purpose to be part of the solution, not a silent, ignored by-stander outside a locked door!

We want to thank all our supporters, both those that have placed their names boldly on this petition and those that are working hard beside us for being a part of the community who will no longer stand idle and wait for others to do something to save our fish.

Now, more than ever before, we ask you to dig deep. Contact your fellow citizens. Educate them about the situation of our waters, the politics that are preventing our efforts to save our beloved fish and our sport. Reach out to those that cannot see the shadow of disaster that is creeping up to our doorsteps. Ask them to join our fight, to add their voice and to be a part of the solution. They do not need to be sportsmen, they only need to care, and in order to care, they must be informed.

We are the community of action.

In our meetings with the senior leadership of WDFW on Oct. 26th, (see petition update of Nov 5, 2017) we were told that open and transparent meetings in all process’ of the North of Falcon are vital, important and even necessary to trust and cooperation.

We were also told, short of asking the tribes for cooperation in allowing public oversight, there is nothing else WDFW can do. We know through public records and by admission of staff, the Department has repeatedly “asked” the tribes cooperation for years now.

Since they say there are no other options, we asked Director Unsworth and Chair Smith of the Commission to once again send a letter to Chair Loomis, asking her for cooperation in the spirit of building trust so we can move past this friction and start working together to save our fish.

Here is a copy of the letter which the Department says they sent.

November 15, 2017

Lorraine Loomis
Chair, Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission
6730 Martin Way East
Olympia, WA 98516

Dear Chair Loomis:
As I have discussed with you in the past, state constituents continue to request public participation or observation at North of Falcon meetings between the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) and the Treaty Tribes. We have explained to those constituents repeatedly that federally-recognized tribes are legally sovereign governments, and as such are not subject to the state’s Administrative Procedures or Open Public Meetings Acts. WDFW undertakes our own extensive rule-making and public meetings process each year as part of North of Falcon, to make sure we meet the requirements of state law. In spite of that public process, there is mistrust from some of the public because our state-tribal co-managers meetings are not open to the public. I recognize that the tribes are reluctant to open meetings because of past experiences.

WDFW has raised the idea of allowing more public participation several times, and we continue to be interested in finding a solution agreeable to the tribes. Many of our constituents have expressed the desire to work cooperatively with WDFW and the tribes, but are frustrated that they cannot do so if excluded from our meetings. I am asking you to consider allowing participation by the public during our state-tribal North of Falcon meetings. WDFW’s suggestions to increase public participation include holding a plenary state-tribal meeting with public attendance and/or providing the public with audio or video recordings or broadcasts of the meetings. The simplest approach, and one that has worked in the past, is to allow a select number of observers in our meetings, using mutually agreeable ground rules for their involvement. Please consider trying this approach again or initiating some form of audio or video documentation to help us gain trust with the public.

Thank you for considering my request, and I look forward to working with you through North of Falcon again in 2018.

Sincerely,

James Unsworth, Ph.D.
Director


Although WDFW HAS sent similar letters in the past, they have not resulted in any positive progress. So, we wait. Wait and hope that this time the Tribal Leadership will recognize just how important we, the thousands of citizen sportsmen of Washington State hold open and transparent government and how vital trust and cooperation are to the recovery of our fisheries.

Chair Loomis and our tribal partners, we await your reply.