Ok every "one, here is the latest updated. I probably should have waited with the first post as there has been a little progress. Take what you will, but there has been one meeting this year with the Tribe over this and one more scheduled. Nothing has been agreed on, but it appears some progress is being made. We will probably not know anything for sure until after NOF, which is coming up fairly fast. Since no protest or "fish-in" would make sense till after that, I think any planning should wait until we here what happens there.

The biggest issue here should not be the Skokomish, but rather the behavior of the State and the Tribes. Last year the state went in insisting they would stand strong. They came out with their tail between their legs. Nothing was said and no explanation was given. We were left with the Tribes statement (Kitsap Sun, 2014) afterwards, "Skokomish Tribal Chairman Charles "Guy" Miller said Friday there was "brief" discussion of the Skokomish closure during the salmon meetings but the tribes did not offer to reopen recreational fishing on the river. Miller said no further negotiations have been arranged with the state. Skokomish representatives are open to discussing solutions with recreational fishing groups and Fish and Wildlife officials, he added."
Now I have been told that the "brief discussion" was basically the tribes holding the State hostage. This type of behavior should never be allowed to go unchecked. In the end, I am again a little hopeful that something will be worked out on the Skokomish, but with no access to the NOF or agreements made, it is very unclear what the true cost could be. As a group, renewed effort must be made to get access to the negotiations at NOF.

To wrap it up, waiting on the Skokomish for a few months may be the best approach, with a renewed effort to get NOF access starting now. The example of what supposedly took place last year should be great example of why access is needed..