Already on the other board, thought some of you might want to know what we're looking at too.
Hope none of this is a repost.

Message from the Director's Office

The Governor announced his decision this morning to make $80.7 million in additional cuts to the budget passed by the state legislature. His decision makes final the special session deliberations.

As you have all heard in the media, the state is experiencing severe financial difficulties and needs to make cuts to programs in order to balance the budget. ODFW will have to cut some general fund and lottery funded programs as part of this effort.

An initial review of the cuts finds ODFW programs will be affected in the following ways:
§ Three hatcheries will close: Salmon River, Cedar Creek, and Trask
§ Willamette Trout Program production ceases
§ A GIS position in Habitat Division will end
§ Oregon Coastal Zone Management contract ends
§ Other cuts were also made.
Many questions exist related to the announcement. All affected staff in ODFW have been notified. Some opportunities exist for affected staff to move into vacant positions at other facilities. Human Resources and Northwest Region will be working directly with these employees to ensure they receive assistance during this difficult time.

We know the following right now:

Why these hatcheries?
The decision was made by the Governor's Office and the Agency based on four criteria: 1) 100% state funding, 2) high deferred maintenance costs, 3) high cost of operations, and 4) new DEQ/EPA pollution discharge permit requirements.

-All three of the hatcheries are funded 100% with state revenues and have deferred maintenance costs.
-Cedar Creek Hatchery requires significant upgrades to improve water quality discharges and meet state requirements.
-Salmon River Hatchery has high costs of operation relative to other state funded facilities.
-Trask Hatchery has high deferred maintenance costs.

When will the hatcheries close?
July 1, 2002

What will happen to the fish?
-Salmon and steelhead smolts will be released as scheduled this spring.
-Adult wild broodstock fish on hand will be immediately released into the appropriate stream.
-After evaluation, juvenile fish and fry on hand will be released to appropriate streams, lakes and ponds.
-Returning fish will be handled as directed by basin plans or other management directives, except that no eggs will be taken for broodstock (i.e. carcass sales, food share donations, carcass placement, and natural spawning in some areas).

Additional information is located on the Governor's website at www.governor.state.or.us.

We are developing a news release and fact sheets to provide you with additional information. They will be released later in the day.

Anne Pressentin Young
Acting Administrator, Information & Education Division
Oregon Dept. of Fish and Wildlife
(503) 872-5264 ext 5356
anne.m.pressentin@state.or.us

What does this mean for Tillamook county? No more Kilchis, Wilson, Trask and Nestucca hatchery Winter Steelhead. No more Wilson and Nestucca Broodstock Steelhead. No more hatchery Spring Chinook in Tillmook Bay, the Wilson, Trask and Nestucca. So basically no more fishing Spring Chinook on the coast because as of this year, it's hatchery fishing only. No more Fall Chinook Broodstock Program on the Nestucca (this one we just saw our first year returns of jacks last year) and no more Fall Chinook hatchery production on the Salmon River, Trask and Nestucca. No more Summer steelhead on the Wilson, Trask, Kilchis, Nestucca as well as no more Coho hatchery Production in Tillamook Bay and the Trask. No more coastal trout fishing including all coast lakes trout planting. No more broodstrock program and all Winter Steelhead production on the Siletz river and possible the Summer Steelhead there too. These fish are spawned and reared at the Ceder creek and Salmon river hatcheries. (Many thanks to Scott Ammerman for the info)

Comments?

http://www.governor.state.or.us/governor/mail/mailform.html