Well trying to catch up some for you guys so ask if you would like the attachments mentioned. First is the Region 6 presentation on the status of 2015 Fall Salmon season to the Commission. Not much to say here as frankly except the 30 reasons staff failed and it was not the agencies fault.

Second we have the presentation from a recent public meeting on the Naselle Hatchery. I was under the weather and could not make the trip with one days notice from the agency. It appears the meeting was more about the Commercials & Legislators than the hatchery but again I did not make it. Why did not the agency let folks know in advance? Why no minutes or something that the citizens could use to understand the issue? No idea here but you might ask staff. Anyhow what I got from one person present was same o same o but loudly.

Last is a letter from Region 6 staff to the Commission requesting guidance. Interesting presentation but I do not know if the Commissioners responded or not. It does let one see the issue from staff's eyes regardless of the fact that you may or may not agree or disagree with the points put forth in the document.

So now what? In the next few months we have budget followed by NOF. I think these issue will be as adversarial and divisive as we have seen in years. Some will promote " let us all work together " and others will go right to " you dirty rat " and make it personal. Neither will work guys.

Think of it this way. In the world of salmon harvest with WDF&W Steve Thiesfeld is as good as we will get, period. That said what could he have done differently this past season? Not much is my thought. ( how is your blood pressure at the minute? ) You see R 6 is part of a system of management that is driven by history with us fishers and tribes in the courts. The way the ocean conditions played out to NOAA forecast ( PDO ), ocean harvest Rec & Commercial, and Rec Bay terminal played out one would have to be deaf, blind, and nearly dumb as a stump to miss it. I do not believe that WDF&W staff in the different divisions failed to recognize the failure as they are just much better at their individual jobs than that but rather the system utilized by their internal processes will not allow them to react forcefully to address it. Why? Us, you & I just plain all of us, have been kicking the crap out of WDF&W to the point one lady compared them to women with " battered wife syndrome. " So they react to contain whatever issue has them nailed to the floor at the minute. The key word is contain which in normal circumstances does not have resolution of the issue residing in it. They just go from hot button issue to hot button issue REACTING to circumstance.

So why cannot WDF&W react in a positive manner to things such as Rec harvest and commercial over harvest. They do not know how! The system of management designed maximize harvest over just about everything is ingrained in the " culture of harvest " that was the original purpose of WDF and still dominates their processes. Add to the mix a ever growing and darn near militant Rec fisher who WDF&W will be required to have support a ever growing portion of their budget, tribal entities supported by gambling & gas tax dollars itching for pay back for real or perceived past injustices, ( post Boldt & yes WDF&W really screwed with the tribes & yes the tribes have gotten in more than one blow in return in fact in the Chehalis I do believe the QIN could call it even up ) that are pushing the boundaries well past equitable sharing of harvest, and Non Treaty Commercial fisheries that utterly destructive to the Rec fisher combined with the tribal catch, and you have a perfect storm.

So from my spot on the stump it is really and I mean really important that we all get our arms around things. One is WDF&W does not know how fix this bloody thing called Salmon Management. Second is none of us ( including myself ) have a clue to how to do this thing either. Just beating the crap out of them ( which will happen and rightly so ) will not solve the issues either. Add to the mix this simple fact. More Rec dollars to continue the same management policies will not work in fact will be counterproductive as the Recs just will not buy in at all and will vote with their feet headed out the door.

So what and how to fix it? As to how I think I am wandering in the wilderness with the rest of you. Do to my years around WDF&W I may, well do is a better word, see the issues.......... more distinctly? So how to do this? No idea as to how.

Now what is needed I think I agree with another who has put this forward. REFORM is the word. Reform for the agencies revenue stream and harvest policies. Clearly defined objectives for meeting escapement that WDF&W be required to meet with consequences for failure. Rec harvest be the priority. That Commercial license fees pay for the entire cost of managing Commercial fisheries. That additionally Commercial fees cover the cost of hatchery fish production that primarily benefit Commercial fisheries.

Those are my thoughts on what the word REFORM means. Now how you accomplish these reform objectives is another discussion except for this. We cannot show WDF&W how to do this but rather only WDF&W can show us how to get the job done. Again we have this " HOW " thing.

Dave