Salmo,
I appreciate your response regarding the federal court decisions that have set the rules as far as when, where, and how the Indians can fish for steelhead and salmon in our state. As usual, you're right on the money.

While I also appreciate the comments that people are making referring to the treaty fishing rights, I am continually dismayed by the ignorance that is shown by people I talk to every day about how those rights are exercised. I'm absolutely and positively not ripping on anyone on this board or anywhere else about this ignorance. Before it became my job to know about this stuff, I, too, was under a lot of false impressions about how it all worked.

The two best references that I have ever run across that describe the facts, with some opinions, and certainly with legal conclusions, are:

1. Salmon Without Rivers, A History of the Pacific Salmon Crisis, by Jim Lichatowich. Read this book!! It gives both a factual rundown, with supporting authority for giving those facts, and a fairly good rundown of the federal law that now controls exactly how the fishing is done. No one is free from blame in this book, and no one is left out of the credit for doing the right thing. Fantastic book, and accurate as far as my own personal knowledge goes.

2. U.S. v. Washington (The "BOLDT DECISION). This is where it all begins, and eventually where it all ends (not that it didn't begin long before and will likely never end, but that this is the document that sets it all out). I will post the citation for it and quick instructions for how to find it for those who are interested in visiting their local law school library or local county law library. I will also post direct quotes that pertain to:
a. what "usual and accustomed" means
b. how escapement is measured and how the remaining fish are apportioned
c. the treatment of hatchery fish in the apportionment
d. what types of gear can be used

If any or all of us want to be forces for constructive change, then we need the tools to do it, and factual knowledge is the first and most important tool we can have. With that, we then know who to talk to about our problems, and what those people can or cannot do to address them.

Enough for now, I'll probably have more to say with my next post including the above. I'll be camping and fishing for the next week or so, and unless I do it tonight or tomorrow morning, then I'll do it when I return. Good fishing to everyone, enjoy the slight rise in the rivers with that rain!!

Fish on...

Todd.