Well just when you thought it could not get much sillier along comes this e mail from Rep Blake below in blue. Now I realize "spin" is accepted now a days but lord this one is way out. As the email circulated it drew some interesting comments of which one is below.

Comment:

Naturally, he spins it as a pro rec proposal. Forgets to mention that the license fee bill he sponsored increased license fees primarily on the backs of the recs and the increase for commercials was nearly insignificant. This bill did not pass due primarily to the position that any increase on the recs could not be used to further subsidize commercial fishing. As the process for a Willapa plan is wrapping up, he leads a charge on the Governor's office to remove Wecker which is an obvious attempt to discipline the members of the Commission. Then, once the interim Willapa Bay policy was passed, within hours Blake drops a bill to cut the rec license fees going to the Department during a budget crisis in an attempt to force the Commission to back track on the permanent policy which also failed. Then, the permanent policy was passed and he lays out another bill that attempts to deliver on the threat that the commercials raised time and time again during the process that developed the new policy.

I remember the commercial reps stating or implying time after time in the public process that if they didn't get what they wanted (continuation of the over-harvest by the commercial fleet) that their legislative supporters would close hatcheries and rec fishing hampered even further. Blake chooses the Nemah which produces more Chinook for rec harvest than the other hatcheries combined if I remember the numbers correctly. Remarkably, he then tries to portray all these efforts on behalf of the commercial gillnet fleet as somehow being pro-recreational.


Rep Blakes E mail:


-------- Original Message --------
Subject: RE: House budget proposal devastates salmon fisheries and coastal wild salmon protection
From: "Blake, Rep. Brian" <Brian.Blake@leg.wa.gov>To: "@HDC Members" <HDCMEMBERS@leg.wa.gov>CC: "@HDC LA's" <HDCLEGASSIST@leg.wa.gov>,"@HDC Staff" <HDCSTAFF@leg.wa.gov>
Good morning,

Several colleagues have received emails concerning the House budget proposal devastates salmon fisheries and coastal wild salmon protection. For your information I am providing my email response to constituents below. The constituent email is included at the bottom of this email for your review. Please let me know if I can be of further assistance regarding this issue.

Representative Brian Blake

______________________________________
Constituent Response:

Thank you for your email. I sincerely appreciate your effort in contacting my office and providing your input. Your message expressed concerns regarding the House proposed 2015-17 operating budget and specifically salmon fisheries on the Washington coast.

As you may know, hatcheries in Washington produce more fish than will ever be caught by sport and commercial fishermen. The production of these fish are mainly paid for by general fund tax dollars in the Washington State budget. Each year, an estimated 750,000 fish return to the hatcheries. These extra fish provided by general fund tax dollars are sold at a loss to private corporations to produce cat food and other similar products. A smaller percentage of these fish are donated to food banks. In Pacific County, WDFW operates Forks Creek Hatchery, Nemah Hatchery, Naselle Hatchery and Grays River Hatchery. Combined, all yield thousands of surplus fish each year.

In order to maximize recreational fishing opportunities in the 19th Legislative District, a plan to revise hatchery production at the Naselle Hatchery has been proposed. As you may also know, there are three boat launches that provide recreational fishing access to hatchery stock released from the Naselle Hatchery. There are no public boat launches on the Nemah River that I am aware of. According to the proviso language revising hatchery production, if production at the Naselle hatchery is at capacity, DFW has the authority to produce salmon at the Nemah hatchery.

Regarding the $400,000 cut in the general operating budget, I have supported increasing fees in commercial fishing to stave off these cuts, but have been unsuccessful in getting this legislation through the process. Not only have I proposed legislation to increase fees on commercial fishing, I have also proposed decreasing fees for sports fisherman.

Again, thank you for informing me of your views. I always welcome your contribution as your remarks and those of other constituents help my decision-making.

Sincerely,

Representative Brian Blake
19th Legislative District

_______________________________________________
Constituent email:
Subject: House budget proposal devastates salmon fisheries and coastal wild salmon protection

Dear Representative,

I urge you to oppose two provisions included in the latest version of the proposed 2015-17 operating budget currently working its way through the House. These provisions would harm salmon fisheries across the state and also include an effort to roll back protections for wild salmon on the Washington coast.

The House's latest proposed budget would cut over $400,000 from WDFW's hatchery marking and production activities necessary to maintain current hatchery salmon releases consistent with requirements for wild salmon protection. This reduction will harm recreational salmon fisheries, which are a key part of the $1 billion recreational fishing industry that also represents the largest source of revenue for WDFW through fishing license sales. The previous House and Senate budgets have included this funding and I hope you will work to restore it.

I am very concerned about an amendment recently added to the House budget that seeks to undermine new protections for wild Chinook salmon in Willapa Bay. The Fish and Wildlife Commission has adopted a new policy for Willapa Bay salmon fisheries that reduces commercial gillnet harvest rates on wild Chinook and promotes more sustainable fishing methods, including selective recreational fisheries. A policy rider adopted in the committee seeks to reverse these reforms by mandating the location of hatchery salmon production in Willapa Bay, including the Naselle River. I hope you will join me in opposing this policy rider.

I appreciate your efforts to finalize a budget solution for our state and urge you to oppose these two budget proposals.

Sincerely,





Edited by Rivrguy (06/28/15 12:56 PM)
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Dazed and confused.............the fog is closing in