Todd:
Although you make good points, I have to take exception with your point that "none" are being over harvested.
I thought you were a Skagit fisherman? I have never seen a year including the last one where the Indians were not taking huge by catch of Steelhead and Kings during the Coho fishery in the lower river. I have fished the Skagit for over 40 years and it is a crime what goes on on that river as well as the Green, Puyallup, Nisqually, Ship Canal (not anymore, no fish and don't blame it all on the sea Lions), Snohomish system and many others all because we have takne the position that "we cannot do anything about the Indians" so lets ignour it and blame everything else.

You can throw all the statistics you want, but the basic history will tell you that one user group has had free rein on our State resource and has not managed their responsabilities, just allowed over harvest and done nothing about it.

We all agree, logging has hurt many systems, and we have stopped or critically hurt the business model.

We all agree that non-Indian harvest takes a toll all up and down the coast, and most management areas are cutting back, including Alaska, maybe not fast enough, but at least they admit it is an issue. The Columbia system is over fished because of a great power the Commercials have over our State leaders.

We all agree that hatcheries are not the best way to stock, although there have been many success stories going back 30 years. The State has screwed those up.

Until the protection goes to a point of total closure and ALL user groups are kicked off of these systems, the Steelhead will continue to suffer.