Closing Wash state hatcheries

[Jerry Dove]

I guess I'll never be a Governor , I want to keep fish hatcheries open. See this morning Oregonian, Gov. Locke, Wash state now wants to close hatcheries in his state. Maybe we need to start an inter state---something and fight this thing. Fish hatcheries cost so little for what they bring to the economy.

[buckfish]

Great idea Jerry, unfortunatly it's not the way Gov. locke thinks...cut cut cut when it comes to needed programs and services for the state and spend spend spend when it comes to government salaries

[Jennie@ifish]

I hereby propose that Tillamook become it's own state.
We have the number one recreation area for the state, as it is.
We will become the recreation state of Tillamook now.
We will have our own TIllamook Department of Fish and Wildlife.
We will have our own Gov, of course, Gov. Jerry Dove.
Our hatcheries and sports fishery will be run and maintained by the TDFW.
I'm tired of it, and I'm not going to put up with this any longer!!!

Jen

Edit: We can also have the new organization, called Tillamook Trout. We will have a slightly different agenda, however. :smile:

[ 12-18-2002, 10:01 AM: Message edited by: Jennie@ifish ]

[KillerDave]

I have a friend who lives in Washington. His hatred of Gov Locke knows no bounds. It isn't just the fish hatcheries, everything this guy touches turns to manure.



[ 12-18-2002, 10:03 AM: Message edited by: KillerDave ]

[The Fishing Geek]

From what I've read the State of Washington is staring at a two billion dollar budget deficit. Yes, with a b. Unemployment is near the highest in the nation and, partly because people don't like to spend money on non-essentials when they are unemployed, spending is down, which hurts sales tax revenues. Gov. Locke doesn't want to raise tax rates, as that could fizzle any type of economic recovery that might start up.

Please remember that a LOT of social programs outside of the hatcheries would take significant cuts under Locke's proposed budget. Unfortunately the reality of the economic situation in Washington right now is that it stinks. Maybe with continued work with the state legislature they will be able to figure out ways to fix this 10% shortfall in the budget.

While this is a fishing site and hatcheries are the pet project, we must not be so myopic to think that they are untouchable when the economy is down and there are budget cuts to be made.

[DJFISHS2XS]

I hate to sound like a creep ..........the one thing that I have seen happen is the indians well pick up the cost of running the hatcherys, which is good and bad, the good is the hatcherys stay open, the bad is the nets influence the amount of catchable fish in the river....the irony of it is that one day the tribes and the fishermen well be in the boat fighting against the tree huggers so we can fish...just one mans thoughts, Im sorry if I sound alittle raciest (you don't sound nearly as raceist now..cb), Im not. ....DJ

(racist (sic) um.... I'm the late show .... thanks crabbait .. Pilar)

[ 12-18-2002, 01:57 PM: Message edited by: Pilar ]

[The Fishing Geek]

:shocked: :shocked: :shocked:

[Chris Nordling]

Just as I'm getting ready to start the MHCC Fisheries Technology program.

Figures............ :depressed:

Chris

[Sturgeon Tom]

Gov Locky can't rase taxes buy law. On the news last night. If he could he would. The hatcheries could be self supporting buy selling returing salmon. They need not be closed. There are ways to keep them open if they tried. There were lots of perposed ways of keeping Oregons hatcheries open.
It just easy to cut and say I'm making the tough decisions but the real hard ones are how to keep such a valluable resourse alive.
Closing Wa. hatcheries is a HUGE mistake. [img]graemlins/berry.gif[/img]

[Jerry Dove]

trask river Hatchery in Tillamook cost about $250.000 a year to run. It brings about Ten million to the local economy. 'Go figgure. That equates to a lot of tax paid to the state.

[V. Green]

Jerry Dove,

Not to doubt your facts but the Trask Hatchery brings $10 million to the Tillamook Economy?

I wasn't aware that the Coho, Spring Chinook, and Steelhead fisheries bring that much money to Tillamook. According to the two ODF&W Bios I spoke with at last years ANWS Broodstock event 90% of Fall Chinook in the Tillamook Basin are wild. I had always thought that the fall chinook fishery was the big money event for Tillamook.

[The Fishing Geek]

Sorry V Green, that was a typo. He meant trillion with a "tr".

[Point-of-Sale Clerk]

Jerry

I believe sport fishing adds $10,000,000.00 to the local economy. But because many of the runs are wild in origin I would believe that the hatchery might only contribute a very small portion of that figure.

Geek

Some advice, don’t pick on Mr. Dove

[The Fishing Geek]

Sorry. I just get tired of the partisan politics. Either present all of the information and let the people decide, or none at all. Hatcheries are important, but they aren't the MOST important thing on the budget. Not by a longshot.

[Full Freezer]

Does anybody know which hatcheries are to be closed?? Will the tribes litigate to keep them open?? This really bites.

Full Freezer

[Point-of-Sale Clerk]

Geek

I absolutely agree with you but be very careful saying stuff like that around here, this is a very tough crowd… they would slap Shirley Temple if she bad mouthed hatcheries :grin:

Full Freezer

From WA Gov Office:
“Reductions ($ 1,285,000) to the Hatchery Division include the closure of
three hatcheries located in Naselle, Sequim and Belfair. Closure of the
Naselle, Coulter Creek, and Hurd Creek facilities will result in reduced
recreational and commercial opportunity. Within the resources provided
to the Hatcheries Division, additional funding ($ 1,000,000) is provided to
implement the Hatchery Scientific Review Group recommendations to
reform hatchery programs for the benefit of recovering wild salmon and
providing sustainable fisheries”
[img]graemlins/program.gif[/img]

[ 12-18-2002, 11:14 PM: Message edited by: *** Clerk ]

[Thumper]

Lies, lies and more lies. Here are the simple numbers (The Columbian, December 18, 2002, P. A5)...

In the most recent biennium (1999-2001) the State of Washington spent $21 billion dollars. For the biennium 2001-2003 spending is expected to be $22.5 billion. That is a real increase of 7.1%, NOT a spending decrease!!! Locke's proposal for the next biennium (2003-2004) is $23 billion, another $500 million increase! Again, NOT a budget decrease!

Do these people think we are idiots?!?

[ 12-18-2002, 10:15 PM: Message edited by: Thumper ]

[Joe]

Geek,

What other "more important programs" generate revenue (essentially having the ability to pay for themselves through license and tag sales) and benefit rural economies as much as hatcheries do?

[rob allen]

Thumper.. no they don't think we are idiots. They know we aren't however they do know that as long as we have food in our stomachs and roofs over our heads we are too lazy to do anything about it.

[Troller]

They are closing three hatcheries but alotting a million dollars for a study to make them more effiecient. Total less $$ is just under $500,000 . I hate to see anything hatchery dissapear. Hopefuly this study will help in the long run. In washington a few years back the voters turned down building a new football stadium . Lawmakers decided that we did not know what we were doing and forced one on us even though we voted no. The people of washington have voted to let our lawmakers know that we are tired of paying and paying and paying. They still havent learned. Just recently washington passed eyemans $30.00 tabs inititave. Still three counties are charging more because they are greedy and want more money. They shoved a plan thru for a regional transpertation and to sell bonds to pay for it just weeks before the election that changed our tabs $30.00 bucks a year. Now it is their turn to pay for not listening to us.

[Big TULE]

When they close the Nasselle river hatchery it will be a dam shame. I Learned how to catch steelhead and drift for silvers @ 5 years old on that river with my best friends dad. I have not beeen there in a few years i am sure it has changed but i love that little tidal river. Had my first "Bobber down" in the Car Body hole. Cought my biggest chinook there @ 13 years old, it was my biggest to date of 53Lbs. And we always would stop and watch the snaggers do there thing. I remember they had "Friends of the Nasselle" that would turn in snaggers, Guys would hide in the bushes all day to turn one in. I will miss that place. As much as i love fishing i will not intentionally fish for Nates... Accidental is one thing but for fun is rediculous...

[The Fishing Geek]

Originally posted by Joe:
Geek,

What other "more important programs" generate revenue (essentially having the ability to pay for themselves through license and tag sales) and benefit rural economies as much as hatcheries do?

<font size="2" face="verdana,arial,helv">Please tell me that you aren't so blind as to think that simple revenue generated by anglers while fishing is somehow more important than education. If that is your honest-to-goodness thought then that would have to be one of the most narrow-sighted opinions that I've been witness to.

A well-funded education system means that the teachers have all of the materials that they need to prepare our children for either higher education, the general work force, or life in general. A well-funded education system means that we can provide the learning environment that is necessary for bright, hungry minds to feed themselves on the knowledge they hunger for. A well-funded education system assures us that we won't be flooding the work force with people who can function just enough to work the registers at the Quickie Mart and sell bait to out-of-town anglers there to catch the fish (no offense to those intelligent folks who are making brief stops in the convenience store industry on their way to bigger and better things).

Education has a value far beyond what any number of hatcheries can generate in angling revenue. To think otherwise is myopic and unfathomable.

[buckfish]

Anyone ever consider some type of volunteer program to staff the hatcheries? Seems with all the fisherman in the area of the hatcheries to be closed could donate some time and effort to help preserve that which is near and dear to them....just a thought

[Joe]

Geek,

Having three kids in public school and a teacher for a wife I couldn't agree more on the value of education!

The current school funding situation sucks but if you are trying to blame it on the expense of fish hatcheries you are not looking close enough at the numbers. The percentage of the general fund that is spent to raise fish is a drop in the bucket compared to the statewide education shortfall.

At any rate you missed the point of my question. I said "Programs that have the ability to pay for themselves through license and tag sales".

From what I have seen and heard over the last few years fisherman are willing to pay much more for the right to fish as long as there are fish to catch and eat. A while ago I saw the statistic ( I believe it may have been posted here) that if fishing license prices rose at the same pace as inflation a license alone would be $40. I would pay it in a heartbeat rather than lose essentially all take fisheries.

In my mind Schools and wild fish protection are both more important than fish hatcheries but we should never have to choose between them.

[The Fishing Geek]

If the hatcheries can be supported solely by license and tag sales, then go ahead. It makes sense to me.

No, we shouldn't have to choose between educating our youth and funding our hatcheries, but if the choice must be made then it's a no-brainer that education gets the money.

All I am pointing out is that saying a simplistic statement like "Gov Locke...now wants to close hatcheries in his state" is misleading and grossly partisan. Governor Locke is cutting from ALL programs, DFW included.

We all have a common interest in wanting to make sure that our fishing opportunities are as good as they can be. By injecting this type of divisiveness into the discussion it will only serve to distract us from our goal.

[Jerry Dove]

Great comments. It sure would be nice to live in a perfect world. But we don't, so we have to make the best out of what we have. That means we need to listen to all thoughts and ideas. Them we need to hope that our leaders are willing to do the same.