Speaking of the Reel News, did you read the U of W Student Position papers that they published: http://www.thereelnews.com/fish-for-fun.html?

One of the issues covered was the NOF process and here is a bit of what they had to say:

"With respect to NOF, we must support the Co-managers in their efforts to balance opportunity and conservation needs. This means that recreational anglers must trust the State (WDFW) to represent them in negotiations with the Treaty Tribes and provide input on the options that are presented to them during the scheduled NOF public meetings. Much has been made about the fact that negotiations between the Co-managers are closed to the public and that in 2016-17, meetings between the State and the Treaty Tribes began earlier (without public input) in an effort to start to address key conservation concerns given the difficulties to reach an agreement in 2016. Efforts to “open Tribal negotiations” may be well intentioned, but are unlikely to be realized and convey a lack of trust in WDFW. There are 20 Treaty Tribes in Puget Sound, each a sovereign nation comparable to the U.S. Negotiations among nations are closed to the public out of respect for the viewpoints of the parties at the table and to encourage open (frank) dialogue. The Treaty Tribes and the U.S. (represented by the State [WDFW]) should enjoy the same respect. The Washington Open Public Meetings Act (OPMA) simply does not apply. In addition, negotiations supporting NOF are not just between the State and the Treaty Tribes, but also between each of the affected Treaty Tribes, each with their unique perspectives, needs, and geographical location relative to the salmon runs they can harvest. Furthermore, we encourage the Co-managers to meet early and often to address major issues so that WDFW can more confidently present/discuss options for the upcoming salmon seasons during the NOF public forums. There is no reason that representatives from the recreational fishing community cannot convey their desires to WDFW prior to the NOF public process. We believe this would be energy well spent."


Interesting...