I don't know what the particular justifications are for what WDFW/NOAA Fisheries is trying to do there, but fish being listed as endangered rather than threatened is a huge difference, legally speaking.

4(d) rules and incidental take permits are designed to allow impacts on threatened stocks much eaier to get, while it is very difficult to get much out of them for endangered fish.

Don't forget, the hatchery fish up there are also listed as endangered under the ESA...they are not just hatchery fish mixed in with listed fish, as we have pretty much everywhere else.

Fish on...

Todd