Here is my reply to him. HE NEVER ANSWERED MY QUESTIONS!!!

Dear Asst. Director

Thank you for your email reply regarding the closed meetings that are held between the Treaty Tribes and the Staff of WDFW.

I am a bit confused by some of your comments, and I hope you will take a moment to clarify your statements.

You say that the tribes, as sovereign governments, are exempt from compliance with the States APA or OPMA. Can you explain why the State government is exempt solely due to “who” they are meeting with? It would appear that since the tribes oppose open meetings, the State has chosen to disregard State law?

In your letter, it says that the State is committed to transparency, and will continue to pursue methods for the public to have access to these, now closed meetings. You mention “legal obstacles”. I’m confused again. To what legal obstacles are you referring? It appears the law requires you to have these meetings open to the public. It is also clear that, the only obstacle is the Co-managers objection. Can you clarify, please?

Further. You state “ The reality is that meetings and negotiations with the tribal co-managers must occur for fishing seasons to be set – not meeting with the tribes because they do not agree to let the public into the meetings would not likely lead to a productive outcome for state fisheries.” If I’m reading this correctly, you are saying that if the tribes walk out of negotiations, because they don’t want the public to have access, we (the State) will not be able to have any fishing because we cannot get permits without the tribes agreement?
If that’s what you’re actually saying, that would mean the tribes have leverage over the State! By being able to control the outcome of the States position, the tribes can dictate how things go. That would be coercion! Please explain.

Please clarify why, after the situation with Coho-gate, the State has not made the permitting process separate from the tribes? It is clear that as long as the tribes can threaten to stop negotiations and the only repercussion is to the State, there will never be a fair and equal process.

Perhaps that’s why the Co-managers are so adamantly opposed to open meetings? Or, is the State also opposed because they don’t want the public to know that the negotiations are not quite as fair as we have been lead to believe?

Looking forward to your answers,

Respectfully,

Mr. Menchaca
Washington State Taxpayer