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NFS is blinking...

104K views 879 replies 91 participants last post by  HeadofSteel 
#1 ·
Have you written an email to the businesses that support the NFS to let them know your feelings on the NFS agenda to close hatcheries and stop the harvest of salmon and steelhead? I have, and today I recieved the following post on my Facebook page...
Rob Miles I think my friend Tom Derry at NFS said it best, thanks for your input Shane:

Hi Rob,

I thought about your email most of the night and feel bad you are taking some heat for supporting wild fish conservation. We had a similar situation on the Metolius when my wife and I owned the Kokanee Cafe. We were the only business in the area that supported discontinuing the hatchery program on the Metolius. Other businesses boycotted us,some lodging folks sent their customers elsewhere for dinner, but we knew we were right. The stocking stopped and guess what, every business in the area enjoyed a record year and this trend continues until this day! The Metolius became a world class fishery with a self sustaining population of all wild fish. We are not trying to stop hatchery programs on the Deschutes but we are involved in trying to stop some on the Sandy. We really value our relationship with you and all the wonderful things you have done for wild fish.
As I mentioned, we plan to send a letter tomorrow to all our supporters explaining our mission and what we are trying to accomplish for wild fish.

All The Best,

Tom

Tom Derry
Native Fish Society
Development Director
221 Molalla Ave., Suite 100
Oregon City, OR 97045
503-496-0807
www.nativefishsociety.org


MY NOTE: I would like to point out that catch and release to support wild trout is a totally different subject than closing hatcheries and/or catchign ESA salmon and steelhead - this is an apple and oranges argument here and you can see how the leader of the NFS is trying to mislead peple on their TRUE agenda!

What I have done in writing 50 emails has made the NFS react by sending letters to all their donors - imagine what we could do if EVERYONE here wrote just a few emails!

The NFS supports closing hatcheries - if hatcheries close that means our ability to fish for salmon and steehead will CEASE! The ESA will not allow us to fish for listed fish period - no matter the method! Dont let this happen. We need to kick the NFS where it hurts - IN THE DONATION LIST!

Many of you may not know this, but the NFS sued the state to close trout hatcheries and stocking on the McKenzie river but the suit didnt stand a chance because of the guides alliance in the area challenged them. The NFS moved to a river closer to the Portland Metro area because of bigger liberal base to support their efforts. The NFS is clearly probing the edges of our system looking for a way in to stop our ability to fish and harvest! Here is a link to the McKenzie/Sandy information...
Please take 5-10 minutes of your time to send an email or post on the Facebook page of the donors listed here...
Tell these companies how you feel about the NFS agenda. Ask them if they would like all sport and commercial salmon and steelhead fishing shut down... THIS ONLY TAKES A SECOND AND YOUR EFFORT CAN MAKE A LASTING IMPRESSION!
 
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#2 ·
The NFS moved to a river closer to the Portland Metro area because of bigger liberal base to support their efforts.
The fact that you think closing hatcheries can be defined within the confines of a poorly fitting political dichotomy tells me all I need to know about you. I've said it before--I'd be willing to support you if you weren't so intent on driving people away from your cause. Open your eyes, quit with the bias, and you'll get more people to listen to you.
 
#4 ·
The fact that you think closing hatcheries can be defined within the confines of a poorly fitting political dichotomy tells me all I need to know about you. I've said it before--I'd be willing to support you if you weren't so intent on driving people away from your cause. Open your eyes, quit with the bias, and you'll get more people to listen to you.
Big words that say nothing - please enlighten us! :thisbig:

Here is where I stand in plain, easy to understand English... If you close hatcheries you will close ALL salmon and steelhead fishing, even catch and release. I am against this.

You turn...
 
#22 ·
The fact that you think closing hatcheries can be defined within the confines of a poorly fitting political dichotomy tells me all I need to know about you. I've said it before--I'd be willing to support you if you weren't so intent on driving people away from your cause. Open your eyes, quit with the bias, and you'll get more people to listen to you.

Let me get this straight...you think ONE sentence tells you everything you need to know about him, yet HE'S the one with the bias? :palm:
 
#25 ·
I've read dozens of his posts over the last few weeks, and the general direction of these threads is liberal hate and fly angler hate. I for one feel the conversation would be better served if people disposed of the incorrect generalizations and political ********. It's not a political issue. Making it so loses a lot of potential supporters.
 
#14 ·
5 cents I'm with you bro. Anti hatchery to me is anti fish bonking and eating fish. The fly shops on the nfs list caught me by surprise. They must want the rivers to their selfish selfs. Especially makes no sense on rivers in a high population area. High demand low resource. Nice plan. If their going to ditch hatcheries then close the rivers down to rafters, swimmers, etc so the spawning fish and eggs aren't disturbed. There's no end to it, or should I say there is an end to the fishing.
 
#15 ·
Thanks for the idea Shane I am doing as you suggested. Here is a copy of the first one I posted:
To whom it may concern: I was looking to spend approximately $1000 on a kayak. Yours came highly recommended by a friend of mine. Unfortunately I see that you are a donor to the Native Fish Society. The Native Fish Society is seeking to eliminate harvest opportunity on several local watersheds. They have sued the ODFW at the cost of hundreds of thousands of $$$$ that could have went to habitat restoration or increased fishing opportunity. My friends and I can not support your business because of this and will be shopping else where from now on.
 
#19 ·
Here is my copy of the latest letter I sent - please feel free to utilize the format but throw some of yourself into it! :twocents:

Hello,

I am writing to you because the Native Fish Society (NFS) has listed you as a donor to their 2013 action to support their agenda. You can find your organizations name listed here;

http://nativefishsociety.org/index.php/home-2/sponsors-partners/homewaters201/

You may not be aware of this (I am giving you the benefit of the doubt), but the NFS has an agenda to close fish hatchery production in the Pacific Northwest. Doing so would effectively shut down all commercial and sport fishing for ALL salmon and steelhead in our state. You can see the NFS hatchery agenda here;

http://nativefishsociety.org/index.php/conservation/hatchery-accountability-project/

The NFS has been probing the edges of our current system looking for a gap in current management strategies as a way to shut down fishing on our rivers. They first tried to sue the State of Oregon over stocking trout in the McKenzie River in Eugene. That effort failed due to a strong user group intervention (guides/outfitters/public) so the NFS devised a plan to file another law suit over hatchery production on the Sandy River. You can view the related materials here;

http://threeriverssportsmansalliance.com/court-documents-for-sandy-river-lawsuit-by-plantiffs-native-fish-society-and-mckenzie-river-flyfishers/

I have my doubts that your organization would knowingly support an group that has such an agenda. The NFS quotes science as their ally. In reality new research is showing that brood stock hatchery programs actually are good at rebuilding wild fish stocks – if you are interested one case study can be found here;

https://pisces.bpa.gov/release/documents/documentviewer.aspx?pub=A00009245-1.pdf

I would ask that you take the time to understand what your donation supports. Ultimately the decisions on how to run your business is yours but you should understand that there are many sportsmen and women out there that can also choose not to patronize companies that support the NFS.

Thank you,

Shane Nichols
 
#26 ·
If those are big words I'm sorry for your education.

Conservation isn't a liberal/conservative issue. Especially when you consider that hatcheries are state/federal run and funded, and are therefore bigger government. Your insistence on bringing politics into it (you're the one who used the word "liberal") just alienates those liberals who would side with you, and believe me, most of them would on the Sandy issue if you weren't so intent on making an ass of yourself.

And incidentally, the majority of fly anglers (who again you insist on alienating from your cause) are rich, white, male, over the age of 60 and overwhelmingly conservative. This demographic has remained consistent throughout a few decades of market research. Just check any AFTMA industry report.
When you start labeling people you minimize your support, this not an issue that pits fly guys against gear guys or liberals against conservatives. It's about "opportunity", its about people that don't want to lose what they have against people that want you to have less.

Others have noted the success of the guide association on the McKenzie, most of them fly fish for a living. Even the most conservative among them.

And you really need to find some other "drama" if you can't get past the Lamiglass donation.
 
#28 ·
The way to go after the NFS is to go after the money! :thisbig:
Sure, but most of the people on the "donor" list you're referring to only did a one time small donation for their banquet, right? Probably thinking "sure, a tax write off will be nice, what the heck, here's a gift card." I'm guessing if the NFS actually looses a few of those donors due to this, they won't have a problem finding different ones for next years banquet. Meanwhile, the little guys are getting inundated with emails from folks telling them they screwed up by donating to a cause that they've probably forgotten about already anyway. Point being, (in my opinion anyway) it's not going to do a bit of good in the long run, and just annoy a bunch of businesses. Just my thoughts. Take 'em for what they're worth.
 
#31 ·
And incidentally, the majority of fly anglers (who again you insist on alienating from your cause) are rich, white, male, over the age of 60 and overwhelmingly conservative. This demographic has remained consistent throughout a few decades of market research. Just check any AFTMA industry report.

What's that saying? There are lies, dam lies, and statistics? Before "the movie" almost all fly anglers were conservatives with the expection of many guides and some of the more famous writers on the subject. Those were the good old days. After "the movie" fly fishing has been over taken by crazy granola crunchers. With two exceptions of the red shed fly shop and one of the rod companies based in Dallas, I'd say almost all those groups are pretty liberal. They are entitled to their opinions and best business plans but don't try and paint the general populace of the fly fishing community as conservative. Redford and Pitt sure as heck aren't conservative, may their souls remain in eternal damnation for "the movie" and what it did to flyfishing.
 
#34 ·
I hear this constantly but just can't find these raging hippies and it isn't for lack of trying. Hell I just spent a week in Montanta, and trust me all those fly guys are far from liberal, even the youngest among them. Maybe the problem is words like liberal and conservative don't do a good job of describing people. Maybe those "statistics" that claim most Americans hold a mix of beliefs are right. And maybe just maybe, if people would stop politicizing each others beliefs and look at the issue of their own accord, we could achieve something.
 
#35 ·
lib·er·al
/ˈlib(ə)rəl/

Adjective
Open to new behavior or opinions and willing to discard traditional values.
Noun
A person of liberal views.
Synonyms
generous - bounteous - lavish - bountiful - free

See the bolded section - I intend no offense to people who consider themselves politically liberal. My intent/context was to use the word in the above defintion. Liberal in my context means "who needs to bonk fish", "who needs to harvest fish", "who needs to fish" - thats what I mean. Liberal in the sense that someone does not believe in harvest or killing things for food!
 
#36 ·
There is obviously a LOT of hate towards the NFS on here. Id be curious what a better option for the future is other than restoring habitat and natural production in streams (that's what their goal seems to be)? I know when I think about what our fisheries will look like in 30 years, the hatchery fish and current status quo don't give me much hope.
 
#38 ·
Hatchery fish have been here for over 100 years, if NFS gets their way the rivers will end up closed to fishing, and we'll all be catching bucket mouths in the farm pond. If those of us who rationally want to restore habitat and increase harvest opportunity get their way you will see a better fishery. The reason our fisheries seem so bleak is that our hatchery production keeps getting smaller and smaller.
 
#43 ·
You have my support! And I applaud :applause: your effort here very much! I am not reading this as a bias liberal/conservative view. People see what they want out of reading a post. Bottom line, we need to stop the push to close hatcheries!!!!
 
#59 ·
I miss everything attending work meetings. Shane keep up the fight. Some folks still don't get the big picture and what's involved in the next couple years if hatcheries keep cutting smolts production much less closing their door. Just amazes me to think of a vast drainage with none to little fish.
 
#63 ·
The way I see it. NFS wants to limit the plantings in a very popular
suburban river. Then the supporters of NFS are surprised at the
uproar, surprise/surprise. Get a clue NFS, the area DOES NOT want
your BS.:flag2:
 
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