Dunshee said it was important to contact Senator Harriet Spanel
concerning Reiter Ponds. If you can find time to call or email her it might
help our cause. Senator Spanel e-mail address is: spanel_ha@leg.wa.gov
(Harriet Spanel)
or her phone # is: 360-786-7678.

I wanted to let you know that I am doing everything possible to secure
funding for the Reiter Pond Hatchery.

Sincerely,

John Koster

PS. Here is the text of a memo I sent to the Governor's Chief of Staff
today:

5/18/99

Office of the Governor
Attn: Marty Brown/Deputy Chief of Staff

Hello Marty,

Reiter Pond Hatchery is located on the Skykomish River just a few miles east
of Monroe. It is responsible for collecting brood stock and taking eggs for
all Puget Sound summer Steelhead trout. Without continued funding the
summer Steelhead program in Puget Sound will be terminated starting July 1,
1999. In addition, approximately 20 % of the winter Steelhead production
will be terminated with the closure of Reiter Pond. The cost to operate
Reiter Pond is $130,000 annually.

Marty, in a year when we are being asked to make multi-million dollar
investments in salmon habitat, it is incomprehensible that we cannot secure
funding for a relatively inexpensive hatchery operation that is a proven
success.

Again, Reiter Pond affects the entire summer Steelhead program for all of
Puget Sound. I urge you to do everything within your power to encourage
Governor Locke to support the allocation of the needed monies to continue
this worthy operation as a line item in the reworked Capitol budget during
this special session.

Sincerely,

John Koster
786-7816