Greetings,
First time user , please have patience. I composed and proposed this program change to the legislators listed at end of letter. Now I am asking everyone to contact their local legislator as well as WDFW management. I work for you. This is your agency and your resource. If you don't fight for it, it may well be lost. State agencies and politicians respond to public pressure. Hope to hear from all of you soon.
Ken


A PROGRAM RESTORATION PROPOSAL FOR
WYNOOCHEE SUMMER-RUN STEELHEAD

Current state, national, and global economic downturns are affecting everyone. If the recession has not hit you personally, you probably know someone it has affected, and according to our government and economic leaders, we have not hit bottom yet. Due to crippling budget shortfalls, WDFW will be forced to make some devastating decisions affecting their ability to manage many natural resource programs.
Among the proposed program cuts is the complete elimination of the Summer-run Steelhead program on the Wynoochee River. While Coho hatchery programs in the Chehalis basin are proposed to take a 25% reduction, which would reduce the total plant from 3.1 million to 2.36 million approximately, the program reduction to the basins Summer-run Steelhead programs is projected to be 80%. I feel that this disparity is not fair to the sport anglers that fish in Grays Harbor, and I have a proposal that could partially restore the summer-run steehead programs.
According to my calculations, based on my duties and experience as a Fish Hatchery Specialist 4 at Lake Aberdeen Hatchery, the cost of funding 75,000 summer-runs for the wynoochee river program would total approximately $25,400 annually. 15,000 of these fish are out-planted at Aberdeen Hatchery to ensure returning broodstock to the hatchery, 60,000 are planted in the lower wynoochee river.

Fish feed $14,800
Chemicals and theraputants for fish health $ 1100
Virology tests and examinations $ 1000
Wages and benefits $ 8400

total $25300
All cost estimations are based on current material prices and salaries. However, if Lake Aberdeen hatchery continues to be staffed after the proposed program cuts have been enacted, the wages and benefits would not be a factor, as the staff would already be working on-site. This would place the cost at $16,900.
Lake Aberdeen hatchery is a gravity-flow station, there is no pumping cost associated with any fish rearing program. The hatchery is billed a lump-sum amount for use of Lake Aberdeen water by the City of Aberdeen. This cost would not change regardless of program revisions.

Now, how do we pay for the restoration of this program without asking for additional money?

Calculations for costs for rearing and releasing fish are based on how large the fish need to be at time of release and how much feed it would require to grow them to that size.
Coho smolts are released at approximately 15 fish per pound, steelhead smolts are released at approximately 5-6 fish per pound. Therefore, it takes 3 times as much feed to rear and release a steelhead as it does to rear and release a coho. Costs to restore the summer-run steelhead program can be found by reducing the proposed coho programs an additional 256,500 fish.


Reduce coho production in the Chehalis basin by 225,000 to cover feed cost of $14,800.

Reduce coho production in Chehalis basin an additional 31,500 to cover cost of theraputants and fish health charges $2100.

After these additional program reductions to the hatchery coho in the Chehalis basin, we would still release 2,123,500 coho smolts.

Staff salaries and benefits are not included if the hatchery continues to operate.

The Wynoochee River is my home river. I pursue steelhead and salmon in this river from Big Creek, just below the trap on the upper wynoochee, to Elks Bar, in tidal water. I encounter local folks, and visitors from all over western Washington who come to our area for the opportunity to catch these fish. Summer-run Steelhead start arriving in the Wynoochee as early as April, and continue to be a sought-after, desirable fish into October, which provides a quality angling opportunity throughout the summer. Anglers have enjoyed this steelhead program since the mid 1980's. Traveling anglers make several trips to our area, and frequently make this a part of their family camping vacations. With the current financial state on the Harbor, and the emotional impact it is having in our area, the decision to eliminate a longstanding, popular fishery such as this is unacceptable and inconsiderate. With reduced hatchery programs on the Washington Coast and Puget Sound, angling pressure has steadily increased each year on the harbor for the past several years, and will continue to do so. It has been my experience, that once a program is cut, it is not likely to be re-instated.
I understand the impact that tribal and non-tribal commercial fisheries have on the decisions regarding the proposed program reductions such as Coho, Chinook, and Winter Steelhead. The percentage of reductions on those programs in the Chehalis Basin is a reflection of that. I believe that the summer-run program cuts are so severe because there is essentially sport angling only on these fish. With no tribal or non-tribal commercial harvest on these fish, there is no risk of legal action or disputes brought against WDFW by the other ‘co-managers’, if the program is cut.
It makes it an ‘easy’ decision.
The sport anglers and citizens of Washington State pay for these programs through taxes, fees and fishing licenses. Local businesses benefit from the influx of anglers to the harbor area.
I’m asking you, for your help to restore this program and recognize and respect the citizens, anglers of Washington State, and local businesses of Grays Harbor. Please contact these individuals and make your feelings known:
Representative Brian Blake, Chairman of Agricultural and Natural Resources
blake.brian@leg.wa.gov 360 786-7870
Senator Brian Hatfield hatfield.brian@leg.wa.gov 360 786-7636
Representative Lynn Kessler kessler.lynn@leg.wa.gov 360 786-7904
Washington Dept. Of Fish and Wildlife Hatcheries Program 360 902-2661
Washington Dept. Of Fish and Wildlife Region 6 office Montesano 360 249-4628


Sincerely,


Ken Isaksson
Fish Hatchery Specialist 4
Humptulips
Lake Aberdeen
Mayr Ponds
Hatcheries

Thanks for the information. It is nice to see someone thing of a solution to a problem BEFORE it becomes one.

Thanks for putting the work together for this. I prefer summer run steelhead to river coho any day. and will do my part to help out. I would be willing to put in time working @ the hatchery or whatever it is a fun fishery that we should fight for. Thanks again for the research.

Well for sure I'll do whatever I can do........since 1979 this has been my favorite fishery. It was awesome to be a school teacher, and be able to fish day after day, it the 80's and 90's with very little "outsiders".

The thing that really makes it nice is there is not a big tribal netting during this time.....oh I know they are "in the Chehalis" but they are after sturgeon and springers.

Last 10-15 years this fishery has generated lot's of local dollars and should be a "kept program". Allows fisherpeople to have close to a year around fishing time for either salmon or steelhead.

Thanks and emails sent. Awesome post and excellent reply and answer to the shortfall of money gor summer run steelhead. I love this fishery as well. Let me know if anything else is needed,

Ken's one of the good guys everyone.

Whether you fish Wynoochee summer runs regularly or only a time or two a year, help us out and e-mail your representative. Even if it's not your regular fishery, contact your reps anyway in the name of simply preserving sportfishing opportunity during these ominous times.

I've done my contacting already and am guardedly hopeful something positive will come of this. It too is my favorite fishery and I won't go down without a fight on this one; crappy budget or not!

We always talk about wanting someone in the dept to be proactive and protect our opportunity.....Ken is doing that. Now, let's do our part and make it known we want this fishery saved.

Thanks Ken.

The Wynoochee summer run program is set to end.....we are trying to keep a program going that has about 30 years of being successful.

A excellent fishery during a time that not much is going on in Grays Harbor. Should be contined!!!!!!!!

I feel your pain even though I've only fished it for summers once a few years ago. They tried to eliminate the summerun hatchery program on my home river in Oregon a few years ago. I sent emails even though I'm a non-resident. Jerry Dove led a successful effort to stop it with the help of ifish. I'm sending Senator Phil Rockefeller another email today. We're all in this together.

If this cut goes through, the summer of 2012 would have no returning summer-runs to the wynoochee.

I will start by saying I don't and probably won't fish the Wynoochie for steelhead. That being said, does any one know if the sportsmen got together a fund raiser/auction to raise the funds would the state let the public fund the summerrun program ? I would be more than willing to donate items and/or cash to keep it funded.

Very cool laterun! Thanks.

But as Ken said in his original post, if WDFW will listen and be even a little flexible, the funds could be had within the existing hatchery program with minor adjustments to production with other species.

Since this is a long-running, established program I find it hard to believe WDFW would turn away free manpower and donations.....hopefully, it won't need to come to that but if it does, I'll gladly chip in.

We have had donations from a local group recently. That group set up an account with a feed company to pay for fish feed for a Rainbow program. If this turns out to be an option, I know an individual that belongs to the Grays Harbor Poggie Club that I could ask to be a lead on this. I don't know if I could be the lead person or not.
Later,
Ken
By the way, do you chase steelhead on the Olympic Peninsula?

i live in olympia, so the wynoochee and cowlitz are my two closest summer steelhead streams. i'd almost rather fish the wynoochee any day of the week, even if catching is a lot tougher(it is). just a lot more peaceful that time of year out there.

seeing the program go would be a real shame. really wish they could reduce funding to programs which are not successfull(puyallup steelhead?) and in turn put that money towards those that provide more bang for the buck.

GHAgitator62

I don't know if your question was directed at me or not, but I don't actively fish for steelhead at all but catch them when I am fishing for laterun silvers. I used to release them but now I bonk the hatchery ones and give them away.

Thank you Ken for putting yourself on the line. I'm in. I fired you a PM,

Brian

bump

Forgive my ignorance fishbadger, but what is a PM and what is a bump? And while I'm at it, am I called an egg because I'm new to the website?

A "PM" is a private message, a 'bump" is putting in a post just to get the topic back to the top of the page, and yes, you're an egg 'cuz you're a newbie. Keep posting, you won't be an 'egg' for long.

Fish on...

Todd

Thanks,
Tell me do you fish with the pink worms, or are they part of the attractant to the van?
Ken

"Tell me do you fish with the pink worms, or are they part of the attractant to the van?"