Umpqua Wild Steelhead Need Your Help!

On Monday May 5th 2008 Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) announced their proposed changes to the 2009-2012 Oregon Sport Fishing Regulations. Please visit the ODFW website and download a copy of the “2009 Oregon Sport Fishing Regulation Development: A Public Process May Meeting Packet”: http://www.dfw.state.or.us/news/2008/may/050508.asp or contact Rhine Messmer of ODFW for a copy (phone: (503) 947-6214 email: rhine.t.messmer@state.or.us). There are eight different proposed regulations that would allow for the harvest of wild winter steelhead on the Umpqua system. A very vocal, organized group is doing their best to get the 1 wild steelhead/day, 5 wild steelhead/year kill regulation re-instated. We need all advocates of wild steelhead from far and wide to speak out strongly and in large numbers against the proposed kill regulations if we are to see the current wild steelhead release regulation stay in place on the Umpqua. ODFW adopts the sport fishing regulations through a “public process”—it is up to the public to let ODFW know which regulations they support or oppose. This is your opportunity to speak loud and clear to ODFW regarding your stand on killing Umpqua wild steelhead. Here is how to get your voice heard:

1. Write a letter: Share your thoughts with ODFW on the proposed regulations. Address letters to: ODFW, Angling Regulations, 3406 Cherry Avenue NE, Salem OR 97303 or you can email your letter to Rhine Messmer (Angling Regulations Coordinator) at the email address listed above. All letters and emails will be forwarded to the Fish and Wildlife Commission as part of the public record. Anyone who is affected by the proposed regulations is encouraged to write, one does not have to reside in Oregon to participate.
2. Attend a Public Meeting: Throughout the month of May are ten public meetings where ODFW staff presents an overview of the Public Process and proposals for statewide regulations. Then district staff will present the proposals for a given Angling Zone—there should be several Zones represented at most meetings. There should also be time for questions and comments from the public. Meeting details are listed below:

May 13 Blue Mt. Conference Center 404 12th Street LaGrande OR, 97805
May 14 Central Oregon Community College, Hitchcock Auditorium 2600 NW ollege Way Bend, OR 97701
May 15 OSU Extension Service 3328 Vandenberg Road Klamath Falls, OR 97603
May 16 Jackson County Auditorium 400 Antelope Road White City, OR 97503
May 19 North Bend Library 1800 Sherman Avenue, North Bend, OR 97459
May 20 Douglas County Library 1409 NE Diamond Lake Blvd, Roseburg, 440-4311
May 21 Lane Community College Forum Building (#17), Room 308 4000 East 30th Avenue Eugene, OR 97405
May 22 Hatfield Marine Science Center 2030 SE Marine Science Dr. Newport, OR 97141
May 23 Oregon Dept. of Forestry 5005 Third Street Tillamook, OR 97141
May 27 Oregon Dept. of Fish & Wildlife Headquarters 3406 Cherry Avenue NE Salem, OR 97303
May 28 Sunnybrook Service Center (Clackamas County Building) 9101 SE Sunnybrook Center Clackamas, OR 97015
3. Testify at a Commission Meeting: There are two Commission meetings where the public has the opportunity to comment: August 8th at ODFW Headquarters in Salem and September 12th at Oregon Hatchery Research Center near Alsea. You can find details on presenting testimony to the Commission at the ODFW website: http://www.dfw.state.or.us/agency/co...procedures.asp

The Steamboaters will issue a position paper on the proposed Umpqua regulations, highlighting problems we see with re-instating the kill fishery—we will distribute this paper in the coming weeks. The position paper will have plenty of points one can use in their letter writing efforts and talking points for the public meetings. The intent of this notice is to let you know what is happening and ask you to get involved in the public process. It cannot be stressed enough how important it is to have a large show of opposition to all variants of the kill regulation. One version of the 1/5 regulation proposal was submitted 175 times. Not only is there a large contingent of sport fishers that support killing wild winter steelhead on the Umpqua, ODFW Staff is in favor of re-opening the river to wild steelhead harvest. Steamboaters are in the process of crafting a detailed, in-depth formal argument against the kill regulation that we will distribute to the Commission in late June. We will make this set of documents available to any interested party at that time. Until then, please get involved--start writing letters and plan on attending a public meeting this month. Get the word out to as many people as possible—that magnificent race of wild winter steelhead that call the Umpqua home are depending on us.

One of the major issues is the fact that they haven't set any real escapment for the basin. They are saying that 25% of the 30 year average is a healthy run and that it has to meet that number 3 our of 5 years. No one thinks that would be the case but yet that is the number is being used. They can't use science as they don't have any science to back up what they "think".

Please write the Commission as mentionted above and let them know that there are sportsman that support keeping ban on killing wild winter steelhead. If you have any questions regarding the Public Process, please contact the Steamboaters at steamboaters@hotmail.com.