Interesting question that I will try to answer with another question. How many rivers, other than the Cedar, have a hatchery run that has been discontinued? The Cedar is so unique in that there was never a sockeye run in the river (to my knowledge) prior to the hatchery. I don't know of any other rivers that have this unique set of circumstance. But, one thing that is true (cue the Jurassic Park music), nature will find a way if given time. It certainly seemed to have found the way in the Cedar. Benign neglect as a management tool? I don't know. I have wrestled with the issue of the Cedar for some time and don't have an answer. I think it is probably true that the ancestors of the current "wild" run in the Cedar were a small percentage of the orginal hatchery plants. After all, in my recollection, the reason the hatchery plants stopped was that there was a consistently poor return. I do know that I would not necessarily be prepared to accept the lack of fishing opportunity that a total closure awaiting nature finding its way would entail. Hell, I don't know, I'm just a fisherman, I've got opinions and thoughts. I would love to see some science as well.