Revised letter.
Dear Concerned Citizen for Reiter Pond Rearing Facility:

Recently, the Department wrote a letter explaining the reasons that led to the decision to close Reiter Pond. In the letter, it was stated that one of the criteria for deciding to close Reiter Pond was because summer steelhead are not indigenous to Puget Sound. As many steelhead enthusiasts have pointed out since reading the letter, this is not a correct statement. It should have said "summer steelhead at Reiter Ponds are a mixture of Skamania and Skykomish stock and therefore are not considered a genetically distinct stock." I apologize for the error in our earlier letter.

The Department acknowledges that summer steelhead are indigenous to Puget Sound. Our 1992 Washington State Salmon and Steelhead Stock Inventory (SASSI) delineates what is currently known about "native" summer steelhead in Washington. Specifically, Appendix One identifies the native summer steelhead stocks in North Puget Sound and includes the South Fork Nooksack River stock; Finney Creek and Sauk River stocks (Cascade River stock origin unknown) in the Skagit River system; Deer Creek stock (Canyon Creek summer stock is a mixture of native and non-native stocks) in the Stillaguamish River system; and the Tolt River and North Fork Skykomish River in the Snohomish River system.

Our decision to close Reiter Pond and the reasons that led us to that decision remain unchanged. As I mentioned in the previous letter, as soon as our authorized budget level is identified, we will be able to complete the process of determining our specific activities and operating levels within our appropriations. Reiter Pond, as well as many other worthwhile projects, will be given careful consideration in this process which enlists the concerns and recommendations from Fish Program staff statewide.

Thank you for your interest and support of the fisheries of Washington.

Sincerely,

Bruce Crawford
Assistant Director
Fish Program

BC:dr