h20...don't forget that your posts are every bit as predictable as mine...

There is no question that protecting wild salmon and steelhead is everyone's wish. To state that without WT there would be no hope for hatchery reform is just not so. Reforms are underway but remember the politics of all of this. The money. WT sues to accelerate the process supposedly by seeking to close the hatcheries down. That solution would be akin to closing all fishing in Washington State tomorrow by edict. Executive order tomorrow that calls for riparian zones of 1 mile back from all river and stream banks. Designate all of Puget Sound closed to any and all fishing until further notice. Outlaw all fishing in the country except catch and release fly fishing. Those sound ridiculous but they are extreme measures that could really accelerate the revival of wild fish stocks. Suing WDFW is extreme as well and has alienated a large group of people who used to support WT. The suit also wastes really scarce funds that could go to better use. WDFW is not the only villian and should not be the only target of our disapproval of the decades old decline of wild salmon and steelhead.

Unfortunately politicians feeding at the trough of public funds have to rule on where the limited budgets get spent. Hurting businesses cry to these pork creators for relief from strangling regulations so decisions are made that adversely effect the environment and our fish runs. The political process is cumbersome and good things take way to long to come to pass, but suing WDFW to accelerate a process that is underway is a hostile act and puts WT in that category of being part of the problem and not part of the ultimate solution.

By the way, I don't think the WT lawsuit issue is driven by Ramon's self-described "far left" politics. Saving our salmon and steelhead should be a joint effort of all ideologies. Unfortunately group consensus doesn't work too well if one party insists on an extreme agenda and will not listen to the majority.