Of their three plans, 2 of them are no different than what is already occurring. The Skagit already has a hatchery moratorium and the Sky Chambers program is the only early winter steelhead program that escaped the WFS lawsuit. It's obvious they're not proposing a massive meat fishery, so what additional benefit for a Skykomish meat fishery would this provide? Given their language about intensive monitoring and alluding to HSRG guidelines, I don't think there would be expansion of the hatchery program in any meaningful way.

An integrated program using native broodstock on the Stilly has a few ESA implications, the most significant being indirect impacts via CnR mortality and impacts to natural origin broodstock. It's surprising Mr. McMillan has used some of the language in this proposal, namely that an integrated hatchery program may "rebuild" the natural population. This idea is in direct conflict with what he and others have previously been saying for many years, namely that it would now be acceptable and even expected for hatchery steelhead to spawn with natural fish. His language suggests that lack of spawners is the reason there is a low population abundance, hence the request to boost the population through a hatchery recovery program. Lack of spawners is not the reason the population is low -- it's low because marine survival is poor. Supplementing the program won't do anything other than provide angling opportunity. I'm sure TU understands this, so why are they taking this route?

Although I understand that this proposal is more or less an experiment, the three rivers they have proposed conducting these programs are in the same geographic proximity. How would such programs benefit people in South Sound or Hood Canal?

I don't see much in the way of concessions, even though they specifically state this plan would require concessions from all. No more hatchery fish would be harvested than are now; I only see CnR opportunity, namely on the Skagit. I gather we now at the point where the people involved with suing WDFW over the EWS programs are now going "oh shi*, we can't fish for steelhead anymore."