Unfortunately the lines don't just run up and down. There are functions/responsibilities that run laterally. Simply put, is a Regional Director making decisions on and responsible for everything in his/her region?

Where did Burley Go????

Larry

The regional structure is a carry-over from Game. In that model, each Region was autonomous; the Regional Director ran the region.

I believe that the current model is that the programs all report directly too Olympia. The Regional Manager, in the case of R6 Mr. Phillips, coordinates the activities within the region but I don't think he has the power to simply over-rule a program's Olympia decision.

If someone's missing check the break room.
They are most likely there or out in the courtyard smoking.

He took Kelly Cunningham's old position.

Kelly C. - Director Fish Program (formerly Ron Warren)
Craig B. - Deputy Director Fish Program (formerly Kelly C)
Kirt H. - Fish Management Division Manager (formerly Craig B)
Vacant - Steelhead and Salmon Manager (formerly Kirt H)

Looks like WDFW has been playing musical chairs....
SF

And the music has not yet stopped.

Probably because they don't know where the stop button is.

Bunch of morons.

Lot of outrage over the Steelhead shut down and my phone has my ears are on fire. So this, yes the returns to Wynoochee trap and Lake Aberdeen are above average and the Skookumchuck is way above previous years. Now the but thing, if the QIN had continued fishing the numbers would have been much lower at the facilities. So numbers are way up to be sure but minus normal tribal harvest both QIN & Chehalis tribe which are charged to non treaty ( us ) not QIN.

Now that said looking to the 2016/ 2017 run reconstruction the ten year average Wild Steelhead is 94 mortalities due to C&R ( some years much more some years lower it is a average ) for the REC fisheries. Also on average the REC fisher harvest more Steelhead due to selective fishing ( more when you add in Summerrun ) but their impact on Wild is much lower.

So the question I got the most was more or less this, " If C&R purpose is to allow Rec fishers to minimize wild impacts all the time in both good years and bad why when you have a down year are we being penalized because both tribal fisheries are non selective as Gillnets cannot minimize Wild impacts but the Rec can." I honestly do not know but I do believe that the preseason forecast is a load of BS just as in the Springer forecast that came twice plus numbers forecast. I imagine this shutdown is like the Springer fiasco and it is Chad Herring up through the Harvest Policy line in Olympia that made the decision. Mr. Losee does not do harvest in GH & Willapa since they created Mr. Herrings position before he got the Regional Manager position.

This link is to the hatchery escapement reports and you can pull up
this and previous years to see for yourself.
https://wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/management/hatcheries/escapement

I would add that the State and Tribes will do whatever they can to prevent an ESA listing in GH. If they keep beating down steelhead (wild) somebody might sue for listing.

Again the Rec fishery has very limited impact. Year after year it is the tribal net harvest, both QIN & Chehalis tribe, that are major impact on wild escapement.

FYI, GH steelhead are part of the Southwest Washington DPS/ESU so Willapa tribs and low lower Col R tribs (approx Cathlamet downstream) would be part of the status evaluation for ESA listing.

The Nooch has more than enough hatchery fish for their egg take and it is only February. The Skookumchuck has their egg take also and have closed the trap so no more fish can enter the hatchery. No recycling because fishing is closed. With little impact by recs on wild fish and using selective gear rules to harvest excess hatchery fish. fishing could be open on these streams. it would also alleviate the problem of the possibility of hatchery fish breeding with wild fish which is why they put the mandatory killing of any hatchery fish caught on some of the rivers some years ago. But I suppose the tribe(s) would put the kibash to reopening the rivers back up for recs. BTW, I don't know the present count of fish at Bingham on the Satsop because on the WDFW website hatchery escapement list they haven't updated it since Jan. 30.

Thanks, the Dept. of Game genesis explains the Regional organizational chart.

So, do Regional Directors and Program Managers always play well together???

Well the Regional Director position influence can vary is my experience. R-6 has had two that were very active and others you just did not see other than some public function. Mr Philips, the current regional Director, is one of the very active ones. Cause and effect on issues? I think you would have to ask the Director as that is who he reports to but it is a PR / facilitator position primarily.

Petition to change the website to: NOTfishingthechehalis.net

The preseason forecast meeting for Grays Harbor and Willapa are close at hand for those that want to attend.


Listed below are meeting dates pertaining to Grays Harbor (GH):Meeting Date Location/Time

GH & WB Forecasting 2/27/2020 Montesano City Hall, 112 N. Main St., Montesano - 6 pm to 8 pm

GH NOF Public Mtg. 3/24/2020 Montesano City Hall, 112 N. Main St., Montesano - 6 pm to 8 pm

GH Advisory 4/2/2020 Montesano City Hall, 112 N. Main St., Montesano - 6 pm to 8 pm

The preseason forecast meeting for Grays Harbor and Willapa is history and talk about two totally different outcomes. So here are the harvestable numbers but one must remember this, these numbers are prior to marine harvest so the actual fish available for harvest will be less than these numbers. How much? No idea but it makes a difference on seasons. Also the REC harvest GHMP guidelines are 73% freshwater & 27% bay fisheries and we share impacts with NT Commercial and Chehalis Tribal.

So Grays Harbor First.

Chehalis:
Spring Chinook: 1236 wild which is below escapement so zero opportunity.

Fall Chinook: Wild 11,144 Hatchery 2037 As wild adults are the limiter they are the number one watches and wild escapement goal is 9753.

Coho: Wild Coho 46,115 Hatchery 29,753 Again as wild adults are the limiter they are the number one watches and wild escapement goal is 28,506.

Chum: Wild Chum is 30,324 Hatchery is 2325 Unlike Coho and Chinook Chum are managed to the aggregate of both Chehalis and Humptulips. Rec impacts are almost entirely fresh water.

Now these are bulk numbers and harvest will include NT commercial and the REC portion is 73% fresh water & 27% bay.

Humptulips:
Chinook: Wild Chinook are 3,857 Hatchery is 6307 and wild escapement goal is 3573. GHMP rules have harvest impacts of 78% freshwater and 22% 2-2 which includes Area C.

Coho: Wild Coho are 3850 Hatchery is 12,573 and escapement goal 6894. The Humptulips wild Coho have not made escapement 3 out of 5 years which means the non treaty harvest impacts on wild Coho is 5% of the returning adults.

I will do the Willapa numbers a bit later but needless to say they do not resemble anything like GH.

Well that did not take long. The question as to seasons and actual numbers is difficult to say. The Coho numbers say a decent season similar to last year but bag limits a question. The Chinook numbers available are better than a lower ones but after you take QIN, NT commercial and REC together that does not leave many REC impacts available. It should allow for enough C&R Chinook mortalities so Chinook do not limit the Coho seasons bay or freshwater.

PFMC has just released the Preseason Report I for the upcoming Council meeting. Tables I-1, I-2 provide summaries of CA to WA Chinook and coho forecasts. I am pretty sure the coastal Chinook forecasts are in terms of terminal run size (ie after ocean fishing) and the coho forecasts are in terms of ocean abundance (before ocean fishing).
Unfortunately, GH Chinook has some holes in the numbers.




https://www.pcouncil.org/documents/2020/02/2020-preseason-report-i.pdf/