Carcassman,

Regarding being responsive to license buyers, this is something I want to stress with WDFW, similar to the old days of WDG which derived most of its funding from licenses, tags, and fees. Since the Legislature wants to wean WDFW from so much general fund reliance, it is most appropriate that WDFW reduce spending on traditional GF expenses: salmon hatchery production that feeds commercial fishing. I think the perfect place to begin exercising that economic and business plan would be to close all non-mitigation salmon hatchery production in Willapa Bay and Gray's Harbor, possibly retaining one chinook facility in WB, either Naselle or Forks Ck for the terminal recreational fishery. Of course this would mean no more NT gillnetting in either area, but those fleets are an economic drag that pays next to nothing and costs far too much. Not to mention that most of the Chinook production is harvested in BC, something I'm not so fond of paying for either.

It's beyond time for WDFW to adopt the paradigm of investing in those programs that return benefits to the people that provide the Department's funding. Director Unsworth should feel right at home with that, coming from Idaho, where the F&W department is funded by the users.

Sg