I will say that writing here is very educational. It is an interesting if not altogether easy excercise to write for an audience that will parse every word.

Look folks, I am sincerely working on answering grandpa2's request for a description of an "acceptable" hatchery. I hope you will appreciate all the reasons why WT does not take that description lightly. Obviously, it is an issue we have put a lot of consideration and time into. It's something that we need to get right, and of course the target is pretty squishy. There is some work just published and going on right now in several quarters that will bear directly on this issue.

I'm not trying to cop out. We certainly have some ideas, and I'll be happy to share them. We make some concrete suggestions in our HGMP comments (we do suggest that WDFW consider closure for many programs, but we also recommend other measures well short of that option).

WT does accept that there likely are ways for WDFW to responsibly produce hatchery salmon and steelhead. Please take that at face value. I don't mean just trout hatcheries, or only one salmon hatchery. When I say many hatcheries may have to close, I mean many (more than you may like), but I don't mean all or likely even close to all.

I'm not trying to pull any fast ones. If you'll forbear me some time and a little benefit of the doubt in the meantime, I will provide a more specific answer.

Ramon Vanden Brulle
Washington Trout