Please remember to send your letters into the Commissions requesting that they not adopt NOAA-Fisheries' triple ESA impact on ESA listed wild steelhead in the lower Columbia River. This would set a dangerous precedent, one where "recovery" (which would allow for sport fisheries) is no longer the goal and "keeping them from going extinct" (which would allow for no fisheries) would become the goal.

******Columbia River Action Alert******************************

NOAA-F has cleared the way for the Oregon and Washington Departments of Fish and Wildlife to allow the commercial fishing fleet on the Columbia to TRIPLE their allowable mortality impacts on ESA-listed wild steelhead in the lower Columbia River. Please take the time to submit written comments and attend the Commission meetings to show the sportfishermen’s outrage at this proposal, and to ask the Commissions to stop it in its tracks!



ODFW Commission Meetings:



Jan. 6&7 (already past)

Feb. 11 Troutdale, Oregon; They will take public testimony and make their decision at this meeting. For the agenda and information, go to http://www.dfw.state.or.us/Comm/schedule.htm



WDFW Commission Meetings:



January 14&15 Olympia, WA; This is a Commission workshop meeting, where they will cover a wide range of issues, including the Columbia River tangle net fishery and the increased mortality proposal. There will be opportunity for public comment both days, in the morning and in the afternoon.

Feb. 4&5 Olympia, WA; This is a Commission meeting, where they will take public testimony and make the decision on using or not using the additional increased mortality.



For the Washington meetings, go to http://www.wdfw.wa.gov/com/meetings.htm



Whether sportfishermen can make the meetings or not, everyone also needs to write up comments regarding NOT using the additional mortality allowed by NOAA-F, and get them to both the ODFW and WDFW F&W Commissions, and to both Governors' Offices. Here are the addresses and/or e-mails:



WDFW Commission: commission@dfw.wa.gov , 600 Capital Way, Olympia, WA 98501



ODFW Commission: ODFW.info@state.or.us , 3406 Cherry Ave. N.E., Salem, OR 97303-4924



WA Governor's Office: Bob Nichols, Governor's Natural Resource Advisor bob.nichols@ofm.wa.gov



OR Governor's Office: Jim Myron, Governor's Natural Resource Advisor jim.myron@state.or.us



This issue should be one that every sportsman in both states should be able to get on the same side of...that taking the last 20 years of recovery efforts by sportsmen, and the current, but temporary, better marine conditions, and sending the fish from those into gillnets as incidental bycatch is totally unacceptable.



The Wild Steelhead Coalition has hosted the Steelhead Summit Alliance several times over the past two years, which is an alliance of 40 sporting and conservation groups from the entire West Coast, including B.C., who are working on common goals in steelhead management, and how to implement those goals. It is also an information clearinghouse where information like the above meeting information is disseminated to thousands of sportfishermen throughout the region.



Get your groups involved so that they can not only get current information about steelhead issues coming up in the various states, but can also join in to help form the policies that sportsmen think should govern steelhead management. All groups are welcome to participate, to offer whatever expertise or perspectives they may have, and to take advantage of not only the great amount of expertise and knowledge among the other groups, but to network cohesive policies together for a region wide emphasis on steelhead management.



Please contact Todd Ripley at c_n_r_nates@hotmail.com for information about the upcoming Commission meetings, or other information, questions, or comments regarding the Columbia River incidental impact proposals.



Please contact Dave Bailey at captain@olypen.com for information about the Steelhead Summit Alliance, and how to get involved with this region wide effort.



Go to http://www.wildsteelheadcoalition.com for further information.



Thanks, and please take the time to make your voice, and that of the greater steelhead angler, heard in both Oregon and Wasington very clearly; tripling the allowable mortality of ESA listed wild steelhead in the Columbia River to help prop up a commercial net fishery that is not capable of fishing selectively and conservatively for the benefit of wild fish is UNACCEPTABLE.