Pressure on WA rivers is going to be SO HIGH this winter when people like me jam the rivers trying to get that last hatchery steelhead. How do you think the wild population is going to do under that kind of pressure?

Nice job, WFC.

I'm thinking we will never get to fish in January ever again on most ps streams. Thank God we still have summer runs still. if they ever cancel out that program I'm done.

I would suspect that the majority of the app.700,000 WA State fish license holders that like to harvest fish, added to the tribal displeasure of being left out of the negotiations could lead to WFC and partners being called “extremist.”

Or they could simply be considered as Law Abiding Patriots who only want WDFW to follow the law.

If they had gotten the permits, if WDFW and the Tribes had put the squeeze on NOAA this wouldn't have happened.

By not getting the required permits WDFW allowed WFC's agenda to be easily achievable. Further, they were able to get what they wanted without having to deal with the merits of hatchery/wild. It is as if WDFW/NOAA wanted this to happen.

There is some grumbling from the tribes that it was a convenant situation.
The interesting quote from the tribes perspective is "that they blame this on the (Wild Fish Conservancy) group and the tribes not being part of the process."

I wouldn't be surprised to see round 2 coming soon.

That’s a good one.

That's why WDFW will still be planting hatchery steelhead with the approval of the extremists when they could have completely stopped it altogether.

It appears that most people that believe that the extremists are the knights in shiny armor are the extremists and their partners themselves.

Could you cut and paste the article - otherwise one has to subscribe.

If you clear your browser cookies you'll get a new batch of trial free articles on the times.

Well, Washington (state) doesn't always toe the line when it comes to the feds. Legalized pot, anyone?

Without getting too political, states are going to have a better idea of what's right for their citizens and resources than the federal government will. I guess that's pretty political :P

Personally I think litigation would have been the better option here.

I am thinking we will see more litigation in the near future. And I think this is going to become an extremely toxic situation.


I have never been so angry. These people just took away my opportunity to fish for steelhead. And through their efforts other people will lose their livelihoods. And they could care less.

Plus 1 billion.