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Occupy Skagit III

19K views 189 replies 31 participants last post by  gone johnson 
#1 · (Edited)
Occupy Skagit III

The last couple of springs we have gathered at Howard Miller Steelhead park in Rockport to show support for changing the management paradigm for wild Skagit Steelhead. Currently, all of Puget Sound Steelhead are considered by the ESA as one Distinct Population Segment (DPS) and as such are listed by them as threatened to become an endangered species.

The decision can be read here:
http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2007-05-11/pdf/E7-9089.pdf

The decision covers all of Puget Sound from the Elwah to the Canadian border, every piece of fresh water between these two points that dumps into the sound is affected by this listing. The health of each individual run is not considered on its own merit, but instead the entire area's steelhead are tainted with the aura of "nearing extinction". While this may be true of many streams affected by the listing it is not true for all of them - the Skagit in particular continues to return healthy escapement numbers. These numbers can be seen to be fluctuating up and down in what many consider to be it's carrying capacity zone.

Scientists can argue over the numbers, their validity and what they mean but here they are in ten year increments:

1978 - 5,757 (the first year that I can find for WDFW escapement numbers)
1983 - 7,732
1993 - 6,900
2003 - 6,818
2013 - 8,800
Last season, 2014, the escapement was 8900+
The projection for 2015 is 9130.

The goal of Occupy Skagit is to restore the Catch and Release Steelhead season on the Skagit that used to run for Feb 1 - April 30.

In order for this season to be granted by NOAA and NMFS, a basin specific Steelhead Management Plan agreed upon by all parties, WDFW and Tribes, needs to be submitted and approved.

Is it possible?
Very much so!

Is it being done?
Well, not exactly. Although the major stockholders are all in verbal agreement that a C&R season will not impact the future of the run, apparently, no one is spearheading a mangement plan. This has to be unacceptable! We started this conversation with them two years ago!

Our goal this time around is to get this Skagit Steelhead management plan officially started. We need to have a WDFW employee attached to this plan. And we need it to happen now.

There is a new director in Olympia, and he needs to hear from Occupy Skagit. Send him and the Commissioners an email.Ask them who is in charge of writing the management plan and how to contact them/him about its progress. If you know how to contact any of the Commissioners personally, ask them the same questions. Push, push, push. Email: commission@dfw.wa.gov
Commission Website: http://wdfw.wa.gov/commission/
We've never pushed an email campaign before but I think we need to now. Having met the commissioners several times, I know that a hand written letter to them will also go a long ways. Take five minutes out of your day and communicate with these officials.

The Commission hearing from you is the single most important thing you can do at this point.

There are two events scheduled; Rockport is fun, but the real deal is in Olympia.

Occupy Skagit III - April 4th 2015
Howard Miller Steelhead Park in Rockport

Commissioners Meeting
Friday - April 10th
8:00 AM - Public Input
Capital Event Center
6005 Tyee Drive SW
Tumwater, WA 98512

Directions - http://waeventsctr.schoolwires.net/domain/97
 
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#161 ·
Thanks to all that showed. Thanks to WW, SG, Smalma, Leland etc. I really think we are getting closer. The fish have certainly done their part. I now think that we will get a chance to fish the big river in April........with hooks.

I always enjoy the company at these events and at the meals/ campfires that are associated with the protests and testimony. I have gotten to meet a few people that I now truly look forward to seeing at the next event. In addition to those already mentioned, Doublespey, Bennysbuddy, KerryS and many more are really good people that I likely would never have spent as much time with if we didn't share a goal. With a little luck I'll get to see these people on the river or after a day on the river and we can talk about actual fishing.

There was a nice contingent of conventional gear fishermen there too. It was nice to talk to them.

Go Sox,
cds
 
G
#163 ·
Thanks to all that showed. Thanks to WW, SG, Smalma, Leland etc. I really think we are getting closer. The fish have certainly done their part. I now think that we will get a chance to fish the big river in April........with hooks.

I always enjoy the company at these events and at the meals/ campfires that are associated with the protests and testimony. I have gotten to meet a few people that I now truly look forward to seeing at the next event. In addition to those already mentioned, Doublespey, Bennysbuddy, KerryS and many more are really good people that I likely would never have spent as much time with if we didn't share a goal. With a little luck I'll get to see these people on the river or after a day on the river and we can talk about actual fishing.

There was a nice contingent of conventional gear fishermen there too. It was nice to talk to them.

Go Sox,
cds
I was also pleased to see a bunch of gear guys supporting the cause, we need all the fishers to unite to make this happen.
 
#162 · (Edited)
A great turnout! Thanks to every one that took the time to make it up to Rockport. It's humbling to see how many folks will show up on a closed river in support of the effort to open it to CnR fishing. We got support from a few angling organizations, Trout Unlimited, Wild Steelheaders United, and the Wild Steelhead Coalition, and I want to thank them and their members that showed up.



This coming Friday, the 10th is the Commissioners meeting in Olympia. The details again:

Occupy Skagit Commissioners Meeting
Friday - April 10th
8:00 AM - Public Input
Capital Event Center
6005 Tyee Drive SW
Tumwater, WA 98512

Directions - http://waeventsctr.schoolwires.net/domain/97

The main message to WDFW at this time is simple; Get the Skagit Steelhead Management Plan finished and get it submitted to the NMFS/NOAA. Along with that message should be a request for them to take an aggressive stance with the feds regarding the approval process and the length of time they spend getting it done.


Three years and counting...
 
#164 ·
A great fisherman once said the best time to be on the river is when the trees begin to show that first tinge of green in spring. Occupy Skagit's goal is to allow us to enjoy those first days of spring as the trees come back to life and the Northwest's greatest game fish returns to the river. See you in Olympia...

Water Plant Tree Fluvial landforms of streams Natural landscape
 
#178 ·
Was at WDFW's "Washington Future Wild" public meeting at Mill Creek. A different format that allowed a lot of individual discussions with a wide range of WDFW staff (both headquarters and local) with interest in anyone's ideas, concerns, and visions of the future of our resource and recreation.

In one of those one on one discussions I had the opportunity to asked about the status of the Skagit winter steelhead management plan. Local staff continues to work on it (progress is obviously slow) and nothing has been submitted to NMFS to date. This means that it is unlikely there will be any Skagit spring fishing until at least 2017!

curt
 
#181 ·
The benefits of a management plan will extend well beyond whether the opening is in 2016 or 2017. It will in effect, provide a precedent for basin by basin management in this era of large Distinct Population Segment closures under the ESA. This is something entirely new for Puget Sound and the west side in general.

It's also going to have a significant dollar cost associated with it, and this is another area where members can help. In this time of elections, it might be worthwhile to do some research, write some emails, and determine the candidate's stance on future funding of the WDFW. Management reform and drill down watershed studies require funding.

Let's try to help them get it.
 
#182 ·
BBD -
Obviously you must not have been paying attention. With the elimination of all hatchery steelhead from the Skagit and at least a 65% reduction in the total Chamber's creek winter steelhead releases for the Puget Sound basin starting this year larger runs will be the norm. Without those hatchery fish the down cycle for Skagit winters runs should be above 10,000 level and in good times much better (15,000 to 20,000 or more?) than that!

Curt
 
#183 ·
BBD -
Obviously you must not have been paying attention. With the elimination of all hatchery steelhead from the Skagit and at least a 65% reduction in the total Chamber's creek winter steelhead releases for the Puget Sound basin starting this year larger runs will be the norm. Without those hatchery fish the down cycle for Skagit winters runs should be above 10,000 level and in good times much better (15,000 to 20,000 or more?) than that!

Curt
Curt, your sarcasm is showing.
 
#185 ·
BBD -
Obviously you must not have been paying attention. With the elimination of all hatchery steelhead from the Skagit and at least a 65% reduction in the total Chamber's creek winter steelhead releases for the Puget Sound basin starting this year larger runs will be the norm. Without those hatchery fish the down cycle for Skagit winters runs should be above 10,000 level and in good times much better (15,000 to 20,000 or more?) than that!

Curt
I love it when Curt is funny or sarcastic. This time, it was both!

So what will happen if after many years of reduced or eliminated hatchery steelhead plants, the natural population is about the same?
 
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