This is what is commonly called a constituent response & it is from Rep Blake. I have received this from three different sources so I am posting up for folks to take a look. This is on the Nemah / Naselle hatchery dust up and a interesting spin. The thing is folks if one thinks that the number two member of a legislative Committee drops a bill that effects the Chairs District ( which the lady did ) WITHOUT the Chair asking or being aware of it I still have the bridge I am trying to sell. Anyhow read away.


Sent: Monday, June 29, 2015 2:03 PM
Subject: RE: House budget proposal harms salmon fisheries and coastal wild
salmon protection


Good afternoon,
Thank you for your message concerning the WDFW budget specifically regarding salmon fisheries on the Washington coast. As you probably already know, the Legislature is now in a Third Special Session while budget negotiators continue to hammer out a budget agreement before a looming government shutdown that is unprecedented in the history of the State of Washington. The sentiment toward reaching an agreement before the clock strikes midnight on Tuesday, June 30th changes moment to moment with every new proposed plan and revised proposal. That’s why I am providing an update regarding hatchery production as your concerns, and the concerns of other constituents in the 19th Legislative District, help in the decision making process.Rather than passively waiting for the budget negotiators to get the job done, I spent Sunday actively advocating on behalf of the 19th Legislative District constituents in Olympia to remove the proviso language requiring the WDFW to move production from the Nemah hatchery to the Naselle hatchery and replace it with direction to WDFW to maintain the production at the Naselle hatchery at two million eight hundred thousand fall Chinook salmon per year.

The result of this revised proviso language would be the production of an additional 2 million Chinook salmon at the Naselle hatchery annually. From the messages I have received from constituents like you, I believe an increase in fish production is what the local fishing constituency of the 19th district would like. In addition to advocating for a Chinook production increase, I was able to advocate to restore the $400,000 proposed cut to the hatchery mass marketing program recommended by the House Appropriations Committee. Thank you for sharing your views and caring about hatchery production in our state. I will keep your views in mind and do the best job I can. Please feel free to contact me in the future. I value your input.

Sincerely,
Representative Brian Blake
19th Legislative District

To: Blake, Rep. Brian
Subject: House budget proposal harms salmon fisheries and coastal wild salmon protection
Dear Representative Blake,
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 (06/30/15 12:49 PM)
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Dazed and confused.............the fog is closing in