I have read that many individuals would like to attend some of the commission meetings but time and other constraints seem to be the issue. Therefore, a suggestion would be to set up satellite meeting places at all the six regional WDFW offices. With technology today, it should be doable with minimal costs. I have driven a minimum of 90 minutes plenty of times to be able to speak for 3 minutes and it would be more than welcomed for convenience sake to drive to a regional office to give testimony or watch in real time if TVW isn’t broadcasting that day. It just seems like this could help others in this state as well since most open public input concerning any subject is usually first on the agenda, like this weekend.

They have already experimented with a meeting place in Eastern WA for convenience. Skype would really be more convenient from our own homes but for now let’s throw around the idea to possibly expand what has already been tried in Eastern WA.

Anybody out there more apt to attend at any of the possible regional outlets?

Thoughts ?

Give that man a gold star!

Great idea......

I can tell you this.....at yesterday WDFW Commission meeting, there is thought to being able to "punch your fish", with a smart phone. This would give faster results....and might be a much better way to use sports catch information. I just know information 1.5 to 2 years old, is not much help.

Now there's a GREAT idea for a change! +1

Would that mean that to fish for a species with a CRC that I wold need a smart phone?

Not worth it to me.

I would actually turn in salmon cards if I could do it online.... but I dont need stamps or envelopes so I dont have them... I could go to a post office, but then i'd have to wait in line..

wdfw needs to get with the times...


Can you imagine a time when you dont have to carry 6' of plastic paper in your wallet?

There were others, in the meeting, that expressed the very same comment.....I just know that I enjoy my IPhone 6, didn't cost me anything, go no where without it.

It will not cost anything more to the wdfw to keep the current status quo option available to those lacking technology... but there are realized savings in both cost and speed of compiling data available by using technology to do the work...

I would be all for a penalty for not turning in a card, but only if we have the option to do it online

Just great. My flip phone won't work?

Oh no!

fp

fp, if you can post on PP you can turn in your CR card online...

you might have to log in a couple hundred times but its not like your password isn't written on a sticky note on your monitor

Simulcasts to regional offices might get a few more butts in seats, though I think sufficient will to participate is a bigger limitation than sufficient time, if folks want to be honest. I can definitely see where it would benefit folks who like to attend meetings in multiple regions.

The smart phone thing is not new, but in order for something like thst to be used as a tool for in-season management, there would need to be a way for folks without smart phones to report their catch. Of course, if the smart phone option becomes available, there would be an accompanying website, and just about everyone has access to the Internet. The bigger problem would be figuring out how to strongly encourage anglers to use the system on a regular basis, in my opinion. Either way, I think an online reporting system would be a great convenience, and it would probably improve angler participation in catch reporting.

So we have the meetings and the reporting system ready for the new millennium. Now we just need a way to make the fish numbers look like they did in the last millennium, and we'll be set for a world class sport angling experience.

The other aspect of in-season reporting is that WDFW would actually have to use it. Again, back in the day, about 99% of any one day's commercial catch was available on computer and was used to make management decisions. If the commercial and/or rec catch was that available would you support WDFW's using it on a weekly basis for openings and closures?

The fish would.

Should also note that in the early years of Boldt WDF tried to manage the rec fishery on a day to day basis. Of course, they were also trying to manage for allocation and not "opportunity" but they gave it up as being unworkable due to too many changes confusing anglers.

Seriously?

Sure I would support electronic data being used to make in-season management decisions - but that data would have to have a significant statistical reliability factor which WDFW doesn't seem to be able to achieve with some of its existing recreational electronic/paper catch data reporting (crab) even with 50-60% of crabbers reporting on time and in the face of a $10 reminder for not submitting CRCs timely (they have set a return goal of 80%).

As to confusion caused by too many changes the ability to get the word out to the large number of recreational participants (versus commercial) is problematic. What recreational anglers and the industry they support desire is reliability in season settings. Sure, monitor data and if a serious problem emerges take action but I can't envision weekly edicts opening and closing seasons in various management areas to tweak the process.

The idea of having Commission sessions real-time to WDFW offices or via internet should be reasonably achievable. However, I think it would be more valuable to have the after the fact recordings include video as well as improved audio as it is often difficult to determine the source of comments from Commissioners.

Finally, Commission meetings should include opportunities for public input other than at the very beginning of the session (8:15). First, it is often difficult for the public to arrive at sessions early enough to catch that opportunity and, secondly, an end of day public comment period would provide opportunity for timely feedback on Staff presentations made earlier that same day.

I fully agree with this......Don't think WDFW staff would like this but there are some questions that general public would like to ask, that WDFW Commission might find interesting.

I fully agree with this......Don't think WDFW staff would like this but there are some questions that general public would like to ask, that WDFW Commission might find interesting. [/quote]

Probably not - and that is why it might be so valuable to Commission members.

I agree with this too.

Seems like a few years ago someone here had posted a list of WDFW salaries, with many of the highest being programmers and such. Can you imagine how many more it would take to do a project like that?

$150K Done - including WebApp, iOS and Android apps for reporting catch and also provides another communication channel for emergency closures. Way easier to use! Another $20K and It'll pick up your GPS location and fill in your location code for you.