CFM - I appreciate your enthusiasm but your finger pointing is mis-directed. Neither NMFS nor WDFW destroyed the Cowlitz or the steelhead fishery. Tacoma Power did. They built the dams. They built the project without fish passage. They (plus FERC) are the reason for the problems you’ve raised. NMFS and WDFW are trying to resurrect some semblance of the native fish stocks on the Cowlitz River. You may disagree with their approach. You may disagree on the feasibility or appropriateness of the stocks they’re trying to restore/establish. Those disagreements are acceptable. Your views, however divergent, are welcome. But accusing these folks of destroying the Cowlitz River just because of a disagreement over stocking policy is ridiculous. Worse, it undermines the support for their efforts to protect the Cowlitz. I really hate it when folks throw rocks at people trying to protect the fishery (NMFS/WDFW) rather than the folks who caused the problem (in this case, Tacoma).

Your survey is interesting but the sample size (33) is too small (I can count more anglers at Blue Creek on any given weekend). When the sample size reaches 100 or so, it might be possible to draw reliable conclusions. However, I will add that the Cowlitz River is not, has not, and never will be the exclusive property of recreational anglers. It is a public resource that belongs to everyone. Even those folks who never pick up a fishing rod. If you were to survey the general population in the State of Washington, the results might be very different.

Lastly, I would add that the folks at the WDFW work for the people of the State of Washington and for the fishery resources of the State. Ditto for NMFS at the Federal level. They do not work exclusively for recreational anglers, despite the support of our license dollars. They’re task is to protect the fish. At times this may conflict with the desires of some recreational anglers. But that’s okay. Reasonable people can disagree without being disagreeable. Get it?

BTW, I don’t work for WDFW or NMFS, and I wasn’t involved in the Cowlitz River relicensing.