Okay, fair enough to question whether the Commission is meeting its obligations and responsibilities. However, if you are going suggest that it be disbanded you need to recognize that it's current existence was achieved by Initiative and you should offer up a better solution. Otherwise, you are encouraging the Legislature to simply vote it into oblivion and revert to the prior untenable, short term (politically driven) management "strategy."

As to criticism that the Commission has not been willing/able to fire Staff the Commission has never been able to take such personnel action. It's power to hire and fire is limited to the Director. It is the Director who has the authority to deal with hires, fires and reassignments of his management team within State law so as to successfully implement direction provided to him by the Commission.

The most current debacle over the 10 Year Chinook Management Plan is a clear failure of the Director to engage with the Commission prior to and during those negotiations and ultimately to obtain their approval of the final Plan prior to his signature and the Plan's submittal to NOAA. The Draconian effects tied to the Stilly SUS impacts (8%) may have been avoided had there been a broader involvement of all parties - something that has actually occurred albeit after the fact.

The good news is that NOAA has apparently sent the Plan back for further negotiations over concerns related to other stocks. Hopefully that will enable the co-managers, NOAA and Federal judge to find a less painful way to address their management concerns w/r/t the Stilly (and others?) and to set the stage for a more balanced annual NOF process.