I havent posted here in awhile. My personal opinion, trying to get anything done with the WDFW or in any other organ of Washington State government is hopeless.

Last Spring I did send an email to the Dept of the Interior at least stating my complaints. That probably wont do any good either, but at least it made me fill better. If you want to do the same, the DOI has a link that makes it easy to send them an email. At one point I hoped this Zinke guy might do something but now it looks like he just wants to wear cowboy hats and fart around with Trump stuff.

Nevertheless, I do know enuff about the federal government, that if they just get a few emails nothing happens but if the get hundreds of emails from real live taxpayers and voters, things can change. Hope for the best, here's the email I sent them last Spring.



Subject: Puget Sound salmon fisheries, Judge Bodlt decision and tribal relations

Feedback:
The relationship between sports fishers, the Tribes and the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) is hopelessly broken. The original treaty was a Federal Treaty and the Judge Boldt decision was made by a federal judge. The WDFW is stuck in the impossible position of negotiating with a sovereign nation, the Tribes. The State has no power over the Tribes. I don't know if you people are following this mess. Negotiations with the Tribes should be done by another sovereign nation, the Federal Government, specifically your Department. The federal government has not done its job.

The original Boldt decision envisioned a "fair share" between Tribal and non Tribal fishers. There is no "fair share" at present. Sports fishers are bean counted for every salmon we catch but there is no accounting over salmon the Tribes catch. Negotiations between the WDFW and the Tribes are done in secret.

Your Department should take over all negotiations with the Tribes and these negotiations have to be done in the open. Negotiations have to be done between two sovereign entities. You are not in compliance with the goals of the Boldt. Your Department is under new management and this is the time to fix this mess. If you cant fix it then just call a halt to all salmon fishing in treaty waters. We are all fed up.