Here are a couple of facts.

For 12 years WDFW has been operating its winter steelhead hatchery program in Puget Sound without a permit as required by the ESA.

First it failed to obtain a permit to show that its hatchery operations were not in violation of the ESA when PS Chinook were listed.

WDFW was sued by WT/WFC to make them be in compliance, and a settlement was reached whereby WT/WFC would lay off the lawsuit for ten years...10 years...while WDFW got its ducks in a row.

Without that permit WDFW is in direct violation of the ESA.

Seven years ago PS Steelhead are listed on the ESA, and now WDFW is required to have a permit to operate their PS winter steelhead hatchery program under the ESA for that listing.

Seven years ago.

WDFW needed to submit a plan to the Feds 12 years ago, and then the Feds needed to certify that the plan is in accordance with ESA guidelines.

This is the law. It is not a policy decision, and it is not something that the feds, State, tribes, or the WFC get exercise discretion on...it is the law of the land.

Sportfishermen benefit when the program is certified.

The tribes benefit when the program is certified.

The State benefits when the program is certified.

The Feds benefit when the program is certified.

Any one of those four groups could have made it happen...they are, after all, the groups who benefit from the program.

The WFC, who makes no bones about their desire to see the hatchery programs be in compliance, is the only one making them do it so far.

If you have a bone to pick with anyone about the legal standing of the PS winter steelhead hatchery program then go directly to those who can establish that legal standing, and are, in fact legally required to do so.

The failure of the feds, tribes, and WDFW to get this program certified is directly the ONE single cause of this problem

That failure is why this will end up in court unless a settlement is reached.

Those are the people you need to be blaming for not doing their fuckin jobs...

Blaming the WFC will not make the program legal.

Having the WFC disappear tomorrow will not make the program legal.

The only way to make the program legal is for the government agencies that WORK FOR YOU TO DO THEIR FUCKIN JOB.

That's where your anger should be directed.

Now back to your regularly scheduled pissfest at the wrong people.

Fish on...

Todd