Dr. Rick,

On page 3 you asked about WDFW's near and long range plans for fisheries. I regret to inform you that gov't. does not lead; it follows; or more accurately it reacts. WDFW doesn't have any long range plans for our fisheries, and what planning it has is developed around variations of the status quo. Presumably when the status quo doesn't pan out, as it won't, then WDFW will react to the then extant prevailing condition. To be clear: WDFW does not have any long range plan for either commercial nor recreational fishing in WA state. The Department has the existing RCW for guidance, and we here recognize it as obsolete, but that recognition changes nothing.

Keith,

If overfishing is limiting any wild population, then by definition eliminating or reducing overfishing will result in population increases. For most of SW WA rivers, where fishing mortality has been reduced for two decades, the expected increases haven't occurred. That is pretty strong evidence that habitat is the limiting factor. It gets more complicated to parse out the factors when both habitat and overfishing are contributing at near the marginal rate, whatever that happens to be, to population limitation. Perhaps it's the latter condition you're observing with respect to the Wind, Toutle-Green, EF Lewis, Grays.

I do believe you're correct however, in that reducing steelhead hatchery plants in Col. R. tribs won't have any measurable effect on recovery, while having remarkable social effects on recreational and treaty fishing.

Sg