Larry, 12 years ago when the PS Chinook were listed WDFW came under the legal requirement to make sure that all of their activities in Puget Sound were in accordance with the ESA.

That included getting permits for their hatchery programs certifying that they were being run in accordance with the ESA.

They never got the permits that were required by the ESA. This is not a "probably should get" permits...this is federal law that requires that they get permits.

After sitting on it for a while and not getting permits, they were sued by Washington Trout (who is now the WFC) for being in violation of the ESA.

After some haggling WDFW and WT/WFC settled out of court...and WFC agreed to lay off suing WDFW over this issue...which WDFW was blatantly and admittedly in direct violation of...for ten years.

They gave them ten years to get their ducks in a row and get the permits so that they wouldn't be in direct violation of the ESA.

There's no question that WDFW is in violation of the ESA...there won't even be a trial if it comes to it, it will take one hour and WDFW will lose on summary judgment.

"Do you agree that the ESA requires a permit?"
"Yes"
"Do you have the permits?"
"No"

Judgment for the plaintiff, plus costs.

That's how long the trial would take, and exactly how it would go.

So...during the ten year hiatus of the lawsuit, the PS steelhead were listed, too. This will also require a permit, but I suspect that the work for the Chinook ESA permit and the Steelhead ESA permit will be virtually identical...as a matter of fact I'd be very surprised if they didn't all come in one bundle.

The ten years goes by...more, actually...and guess what?

WDFW still has not got the permits to show that their PS hatchery programs are ESA-compliant.

They knew all along they needed them, and they did not get them.

They also knew that they would be sued for it after TEN YEARS and still didn't get it done.

Now the WFC is doing exactly what they said they would do over TEN YEARS AGO...give them an entire decade to get their program certified as ESA compliant...which they did...and then sue them if they didn't.

CCA or PSA or some other sportfishing group has a problem with this? Where the fukk have they been the last 12 years making sure the programs they like are fully permitted?

Dudes starting boycotts against the WFC and their donors? Where the fukk have they been the last 12 years?

The tribes? They benefit from these programs...where the fuckk have they been the last 12 years?

WDFW? NOAA-F? The agencies whose JOBS it is to do this stuff? Where the fukk have they been?

There is a TON of blame to go around here...and like the WFC or not, they should be at the bottom of the blame list long after all the rest.

They did EXACTLY what they said they would do...and WDFW did NOT.

Did NOAA-F drag their feet? Then the tribes and State should have sued them to make them do their JOB. Has the State dragged its feet? Then NOAA-F should have stepped in YEARS ago and told them to either get compliant or shut it down.

Now it's WFC's fault that the WFC did exactly what they said they would do, while every other group either sat on their asses and did nothing, at best, or were in direct violation of federal law for well over a decade, at worst?

I don't give two fukks about the WFC donor list or what they do...I give a lot of fukks about my TAX dollars, my business TAX dollars, my license fees, my customers, and their taxes and license fees that are going to WDFW, the State of Washington, and the Federal Government while they sit on their asses and do absolutely NOTHING about this, and this is their JOB.

Fish on...

Todd