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Occupy Skagit Winter Edition 2014
When:
December 13th @ The Commissioners Meeting 8:00 AM
(show up 15 minutes early to sign in)
Where:
Capital Event Center
6005 Tyee Dr SW
Tumwater, WA 98512
Why?
WDFW is our only advocate when it comes to dealing with the restrictions, listings, de-listings, etc. handed down by NOAA and NMFS. By the time of this meeting it will have been 20 months since we first contacted them about reopening the Skagit system to C&R fishing. The only way it will open, is if all the managing entities submit a basin-specific manage plan which will, in part, remove the Skagit from the Puget Sound Steelhead Distinct Population Segment, (DPS) currently under ESA listing as “threatened”
We believe the forecast for next season's numbers will be above the escapement floor level that was used in the past and is greatly responsible for the numbers that we still have in the system today. Historically, the Skagit has been managed more conservatively, (read that as “fish friendly”) than probably any other system in the state. In a recent study found here; http://wdfw.wa.gov/publications/00150/wdfw00150.pdf
page 418 / or chapter 8 pg65 Appendix Table 8-B1, the risk of extinction for the Skagit run in the next 100 years is as close to 0% as you can get. This study was done for the Commission in 2008. For six years this information has been available to them, and yet to our knowledge, there has been no action to restore the C&R season.
Our intent this time around is to seek answers to a few questions:
At what stage of completion or approval process is the Skagit Steelhead Management plan?
Will we fish next season? If not, why?
If not next year, when?
What can you do?
Show up. Speak if you want to, but you don't have to.
When:
December 13th @ The Commissioners Meeting 8:00 AM
(show up 15 minutes early to sign in)
Where:
Capital Event Center
6005 Tyee Dr SW
Tumwater, WA 98512
Why?
WDFW is our only advocate when it comes to dealing with the restrictions, listings, de-listings, etc. handed down by NOAA and NMFS. By the time of this meeting it will have been 20 months since we first contacted them about reopening the Skagit system to C&R fishing. The only way it will open, is if all the managing entities submit a basin-specific manage plan which will, in part, remove the Skagit from the Puget Sound Steelhead Distinct Population Segment, (DPS) currently under ESA listing as “threatened”
We believe the forecast for next season's numbers will be above the escapement floor level that was used in the past and is greatly responsible for the numbers that we still have in the system today. Historically, the Skagit has been managed more conservatively, (read that as “fish friendly”) than probably any other system in the state. In a recent study found here; http://wdfw.wa.gov/publications/00150/wdfw00150.pdf
page 418 / or chapter 8 pg65 Appendix Table 8-B1, the risk of extinction for the Skagit run in the next 100 years is as close to 0% as you can get. This study was done for the Commission in 2008. For six years this information has been available to them, and yet to our knowledge, there has been no action to restore the C&R season.
Our intent this time around is to seek answers to a few questions:
At what stage of completion or approval process is the Skagit Steelhead Management plan?
Will we fish next season? If not, why?
If not next year, when?
What can you do?
Show up. Speak if you want to, but you don't have to.
