Umpqua wild Steelhead need help

[steelheadjunky]

Umpqua Wild Steelhead Need Your Help!

On Monday May 5th 2008 Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) announced their proposed changes to the 2009-2012 Oregon Sport Fishing Regulations. Please visit the ODFW website and download a copy of the “2009 Oregon Sport Fishing Regulation Development: A Public Process May Meeting Packet”: http://www.dfw.state.or.us/news/2008/may/050508.asp or contact Rhine Messmer of ODFW for a copy (phone: (503) 947-6214 email: rhine.t.messmer@state.or.us). There are eight different proposed regulations that would allow for the harvest of wild winter steelhead on the Umpqua system. A very vocal, organized group is doing their best to get the 1 wild steelhead/day, 5 wild steelhead/year kill regulation re-instated. We need all advocates of wild steelhead from far and wide to speak out strongly and in large numbers against the proposed kill regulations if we are to see the current wild steelhead release regulation stay in place on the Umpqua. ODFW adopts the sport fishing regulations through a “public process”—it is up to the public to let ODFW know which regulations they support or oppose. This is your opportunity to speak loud and clear to ODFW regarding your stand on killing Umpqua wild steelhead. Here is how to get your voice heard:

1. Write a letter: Share your thoughts with ODFW on the proposed regulations. Address letters to: ODFW, Angling Regulations, 3406 Cherry Avenue NE, Salem OR 97303 or you can email your letter to Rhine Messmer (Angling Regulations Coordinator) at the email address listed above. All letters and emails will be forwarded to the Fish and Wildlife Commission as part of the public record. Anyone who is affected by the proposed regulations is encouraged to write, one does not have to reside in Oregon to participate.
2. Attend a Public Meeting: Throughout the month of May are ten public meetings where ODFW staff presents an overview of the Public Process and proposals for statewide regulations. Then district staff will present the proposals for a given Angling Zone—there should be several Zones represented at most meetings. There should also be time for questions and comments from the public. Meeting details are listed below:

May 13 Blue Mt. Conference Center 404 12th Street LaGrande OR, 97805
May 14 Central Oregon Community College, Hitchcock Auditorium 2600 NW ollege Way Bend, OR 97701
May 15 OSU Extension Service 3328 Vandenberg Road Klamath Falls, OR 97603
May 16 Jackson County Auditorium 400 Antelope Road White City, OR 97503
May 19 North Bend Library 1800 Sherman Avenue, North Bend, OR 97459
May 20 Douglas County Library 1409 NE Diamond Lake Blvd, Roseburg, 440-4311
May 21 Lane Community College Forum Building (#17), Room 308 4000 East 30th Avenue Eugene, OR 97405
May 22 Hatfield Marine Science Center 2030 SE Marine Science Dr. Newport, OR 97141
May 23 Oregon Dept. of Forestry 5005 Third Street Tillamook, OR 97141
May 27 Oregon Dept. of Fish & Wildlife Headquarters 3406 Cherry Avenue NE Salem, OR 97303
May 28 Sunnybrook Service Center (Clackamas County Building) 9101 SE Sunnybrook Center Clackamas, OR 97015
3. Testify at a Commission Meeting: There are two Commission meetings where the public has the opportunity to comment: August 8th at ODFW Headquarters in Salem and September 12th at Oregon Hatchery Research Center near Alsea. You can find details on presenting testimony to the Commission at the ODFW website: http://www.dfw.state.or.us/agency/co...procedures.asp

The Steamboaters will issue a position paper on the proposed Umpqua regulations, highlighting problems we see with re-instating the kill fishery—we will distribute this paper in the coming weeks. The position paper will have plenty of points one can use in their letter writing efforts and talking points for the public meetings. The intent of this notice is to let you know what is happening and ask you to get involved in the public process. It cannot be stressed enough how important it is to have a large show of opposition to all variants of the kill regulation. One version of the 1/5 regulation proposal was submitted 175 times. Not only is there a large contingent of sport fishers that support killing wild winter steelhead on the Umpqua, ODFW Staff is in favor of re-opening the river to wild steelhead harvest. Steamboaters are in the process of crafting a detailed, in-depth formal argument against the kill regulation that we will distribute to the Commission in late June. We will make this set of documents available to any interested party at that time. Until then, please get involved--start writing letters and plan on attending a public meeting this month. Get the word out to as many people as possible—that magnificent race of wild winter steelhead that call the Umpqua home are depending on us.

One of the major issues is the fact that they haven't set any real escapment for the basin. They are saying that 25% of the 30 year average is a healthy run and that it has to meet that number 3 our of 5 years. No one thinks that would be the case but yet that is the number is being used. They can't use science as they don't have any science to back up what they "think".

Please write the Commission as mentionted above and let them know that there are sportsman that support keeping ban on killing wild winter steelhead. If you have any questions regarding the Public Process, please contact the Steamboaters at steamboaters@hotmail.com.

[C-lice]

I will be at the meeting in Roseburg on 05/20, and hopefully at the 08/08/08 meeting in Salem as well. I'll give as good an update of the meeting as I can.

FWIW, my personal views (which will be expressed) are that there should be no wild winter steelhead retention in the North Umpqua or the Main Umpqua UNLESS the alternative is to extablish a hatchery program on the North Umpqua. I would prefer to see limited wild fish harvest on the North and Main to establishing a(nother) hatchery program there.

[Salmon Express]

Umpqua Wild Steelhead Need Your Help!

On Monday May 5th 2008 Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) announced their proposed changes to the 2009-2012 Oregon Sport Fishing Regulations. Please visit the ODFW website and download a copy of the “2009 Oregon Sport Fishing Regulation Development: A Public Process May Meeting Packet”: http://www.dfw.state.or.us/news/2008/may/050508.asp or contact Rhine Messmer of ODFW for a copy (phone: (503) 947-6214 email: rhine.t.messmer@state.or.us). There are eight different proposed regulations that would allow for the harvest of wild winter steelhead on the Umpqua system. A very vocal, organized group is doing their best to get the 1 wild steelhead/day, 5 wild steelhead/year kill regulation re-instated. We need all advocates of wild steelhead from far and wide to speak out strongly and in large numbers against the proposed kill regulations if we are to see the current wild steelhead release regulation stay in place on the Umpqua. ODFW adopts the sport fishing regulations through a “public process”—it is up to the public to let ODFW know which regulations they support or oppose. This is your opportunity to speak loud and clear to ODFW regarding your stand on killing Umpqua wild steelhead. Here is how to get your voice heard:

1. Write a letter: Share your thoughts with ODFW on the proposed regulations. Address letters to: ODFW, Angling Regulations, 3406 Cherry Avenue NE, Salem OR 97303 or you can email your letter to Rhine Messmer (Angling Regulations Coordinator) at the email address listed above. All letters and emails will be forwarded to the Fish and Wildlife Commission as part of the public record. Anyone who is affected by the proposed regulations is encouraged to write, one does not have to reside in Oregon to participate.
2. Attend a Public Meeting: Throughout the month of May are ten public meetings where ODFW staff presents an overview of the Public Process and proposals for statewide regulations. Then district staff will present the proposals for a given Angling Zone—there should be several Zones represented at most meetings. There should also be time for questions and comments from the public. Meeting details are listed below:

May 13 Blue Mt. Conference Center 404 12th Street LaGrande OR, 97805
May 14 Central Oregon Community College, Hitchcock Auditorium 2600 NW ollege Way Bend, OR 97701
May 15 OSU Extension Service 3328 Vandenberg Road Klamath Falls, OR 97603
May 16 Jackson County Auditorium 400 Antelope Road White City, OR 97503
May 19 North Bend Library 1800 Sherman Avenue, North Bend, OR 97459
May 20 Douglas County Library 1409 NE Diamond Lake Blvd, Roseburg, 440-4311
May 21 Lane Community College Forum Building (#17), Room 308 4000 East 30th Avenue Eugene, OR 97405
May 22 Hatfield Marine Science Center 2030 SE Marine Science Dr. Newport, OR 97141
May 23 Oregon Dept. of Forestry 5005 Third Street Tillamook, OR 97141
May 27 Oregon Dept. of Fish & Wildlife Headquarters 3406 Cherry Avenue NE Salem, OR 97303
May 28 Sunnybrook Service Center (Clackamas County Building) 9101 SE Sunnybrook Center Clackamas, OR 97015
3. Testify at a Commission Meeting: There are two Commission meetings where the public has the opportunity to comment: August 8th at ODFW Headquarters in Salem and September 12th at Oregon Hatchery Research Center near Alsea. You can find details on presenting testimony to the Commission at the ODFW website: http://www.dfw.state.or.us/agency/co...procedures.asp

The Steamboaters will issue a position paper on the proposed Umpqua regulations, highlighting problems we see with re-instating the kill fishery—we will distribute this paper in the coming weeks. The position paper will have plenty of points one can use in their letter writing efforts and talking points for the public meetings. The intent of this notice is to let you know what is happening and ask you to get involved in the public process. It cannot be stressed enough how important it is to have a large show of opposition to all variants of the kill regulation. One version of the 1/5 regulation proposal was submitted 175 times. Not only is there a large contingent of sport fishers that support killing wild winter steelhead on the Umpqua, ODFW Staff is in favor of re-opening the river to wild steelhead harvest. Steamboaters are in the process of crafting a detailed, in-depth formal argument against the kill regulation that we will distribute to the Commission in late June. We will make this set of documents available to any interested party at that time. Until then, please get involved--start writing letters and plan on attending a public meeting this month. Get the word out to as many people as possible—that magnificent race of wild winter steelhead that call the Umpqua home are depending on us.

One of the major issues is the fact that they haven't set any real escapment for the basin. They are saying that 25% of the 30 year average is a healthy run and that it has to meet that number 3 our of 5 years. No one thinks that would be the case but yet that is the number is being used. They can't use science as they don't have any science to back up what they "think".

Please write the Commission as mentionted above and let them know that there are sportsman that support keeping ban on killing wild winter steelhead. If you have any questions regarding the Public Process, please contact the Steamboaters at steamboaters@hotmail.com.



You talk as though wild steelhead are some kind of god. I went to the meetings last year and it was the biggest farce. Steamboaters and guides united to save the mighty wild steelhead that was never in danger in the first place with the 1/5 regulation. Even ODFW agreed the runs were sustainable. Meanwhile I watch a guide on the North Umpqua net a fish, leave it in the net while he buzzes to the bank, draging it in the net, pull it out by the gills to give to his clients for pictures, and just dump it in the river like yesterday's garbage. That really helped that fish.

As for the Steamboaters, I'm sure you will call all your troops who signed your petition last year at your lodge you know the ones, from Argentina, Columbia, British Columbia, Washington, ect. I like nothing more then to have people who don't even live in this state making up rules I have to live by.

I applaude the group working to get this overturned. My only regret is that I didn't get to sign it. Its about time the bankies and weekend fisherman stand up to you special interest groups who try to claim some sort of moral authority. I will be at those meetings in favor of over turning the ban.

[C-lice]

Sorry you feel that way SE.

I don't belong to any special interest group. In fact I think it would be safe to say that many of the Steamboaters don't like me. I know that certain guides don't.

I don't worship winter steelhead as any sort of god. I just can't think of a single instance where, in hindsight, we humans have managed to NOT overexploit a resource of this sort, given the time and the ability.

Nobody sportfishes for winter steelhead for sustinence, especially from a fishery where only 5 per year were allowed to be kept anyway. It's not as though by closing the consupmtive fishery we put anglers on food stamps, of kept their kids from growing up healthy.

ODFW's report from last July pointed out three things that I find disturbing. One, that a disproportionately large number of the fish kept by anglers are hens, and two that a disproportionately large number of the fish were, well, disproportionately large, and three, that their statistics on escapement and recruitment are based almost entirely on extrapolation. While I'm sure that ODFW uses the best science at its disposal, it IS still extrapolation when they say that the run is not harmed by a consumptive fishery. And, not to sound like a 'magic loogie' buff here, but let's remember that ODFW is funded in large part on license sales. ODFW doesn't get funded by having healthy fish runs, they get funded by selling tags. I think that their perception can't help but be colored by making decisions based on tag sales, which means giving people more opportunity to kill fish.

[AndyK]

As for the Steamboaters, I'm sure you will call all your troops who signed your petition last year at your lodge you know the ones, from Argentina, Columbia, British Columbia, Washington, ect. I like nothing more then to have people who don't even live in this state making up rules I have to live by.

Are you saying that someone who spends 1000's of dollars to travel here, and then spends money on lodging, food, guides and tackle while here, should have no say in how the winter steelhead are managed? Do you think the businesses that are recepients of this income shouldn't care about the opinions of their clients?

[steelheadjunky]

SE can you quote the escapement that is used by the ODFW? One that is based on science. Please enlighten us with what is being used to dertermine the run is healthy?

JJ

[C-lice]

"As for the Steamboaters, I'm sure you will call all your troops who signed your petition last year at your lodge you know the ones, from Argentina, Columbia, British Columbia, Washington, ect. I like nothing more then to have people who don't even live in this state making up rules I have to live by."

The Steamboaters have a lodge?