I don't typically like to get involved in bashing threads because they usually aren't productive, but this one was one I couldn't stay away from. So prior to posting, I read through a couple of the HGMP documents and WT's comment letter yesterday and today.

Now that I've read some of the information, I don't understand why folks are so focused on "WT wants all hatcheries closed" when more important issues are at hand. It seems that most folks are pro wild fish yet WT asks some very good questions that need answers and folks completely ignore them. These are the same types of questions a timber company would have to answer to get an "incidental take permit". The whole idea is to show a particular business is taking measures to protect listed critters so that "incidental take" is relatively minor. Isn't it just as important for WDFW to answer the questions and show that they are protecting wild fish? The last thing I'd like to bring up is the "endangered species act".

ESA is a warning bell that current practices are placing a particular species at risk for extinction. While a critter may not be listed as "threatened" or "endangered" doesn't mean that everything is going along all fine and dandy. In some instances, the lack of being listed may be due in part to political science rather than biological science. The fact that a particular species and ESA are mentioned in the same sentence indicates we've already made some very bad decisions.