The State Legislature sent a letter to WDFW specifically endorsing the already agreed upon gillnet reform on the Columbia River.

Noticeably absent are the signatures of the Coastal Caucus, those reps who live in the 19th Legislative District, the area of the lower Columbia that stretches from Longview to Ilwaco.

If you are a sportsman who lives in that district I encourage you to contact your representatives and ask them these questions:

1. Where do you stand on the full implementation of the gillnet reform measures agreed to over the past few years on the Columbia River?

2. Do you recognize that sportfishing in your district is a much larger component of the economic well-being of your district than is the commercial sector, and benefits many more people?

3. What is your stance on another increase in recreational license fees to sportfish in the Columbia River in relation to the implementation of the agreed upon gillnet reforms and the relative economic benefits of sportfishing in your district?

http://tidalexchange.com/2016/12/09/legislators-wdfw-keep-gillnet-promises/

I know that those representatives also represent the lower Columbia gillnet fleet, so no need to tell me that. That in no way changes any of the questions or concerns about the above issues.

It's ok if they represent those folks, too...but make sure that they know that you know that they are doing it to the detriment of the economic well being of their district, to the detriment of the resource, and to the detriment of you, the sportfisherman, who lives and votes in that district.

Fish on...

Todd

On that page, besides finding links to the members of the Coastal Caucus so you can share your views with them (and you do not have to live in their district to do so, it just is more impactful if you are actually one of their constituents...that being said, I fish there a lot and spend a LOT of money with their constituents, and it's not gillnet dollars I am spending)...you will also be able to find all the legislators who did sign the letter telling WDFW that they fully support fully implementing the agreed upon gillnet reforms.

Please find if your own legislators did or did not sign the letter, and send them a note either thanking them or asking them the same questions above that the Coastal Caucus needs to hear.

Fish on...

Todd

Of my three reps, two signed the letters, and one did not. The one who did not is Rep. Tina Orwall, and this is the email I sent her today:

*************

Rep. Orwall, I live in your district and am a member of the sportfishing industry. I also voted for you, and congratulations on your re-election!

Of my three representatives, you are the only one whose name I do not see on this letter:

http://centralpt.com/upload/560/Advocacy/19952_201612-07HouseLetter.pdf

Rep. Gregerson signed it, and Sen. Keiser signed the Senate version of the exact same letter.

I hope it was an oversight on your part, but I would like to know why you did not sign the letter, and if you would like to have my perspective on the issues involved, or need more information to make an informed opinion, I would be happy to provide you with whatever you may need.

Thank you so much for your time, it is very appreciated!

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to you and your family,

Todd Ripley

***************

Fish on...

Todd

Good stuff, Todd. I'll follow your lead and contact my reps and sen.

Question for any in the know: What happens if WA and OR go different directions? Can decisions to allow gillnetting in the Columbia be made unilaterally, by either state? Would netting be restricted to the OR side if WA went ahead with reforms, or would OR's no vote nullify everything?

I was shocked to receive an email response from Rep. Mike Sells of the 38th district several weeks back stating that he had signed the letter, considering that he and Rep. June Robinson usually follow the district ring leader Sen. McCoy on these type of issues by distancing themselves as far away as possible. ( Similar to the coastal caucus situation with ring leader Chair Blake I would imagine.)


Rep. Mike Sells got a thank you note and Sen. McCoy and Rep Robinson received this:

I noticed that your name was absent from the letter sent by legislative members to our state Fish and Wildlife department and state F&W commission regarding the bi-state Columbia River fishery reform plan.

According to the state 2015-16 fishing rules pamphlet, there are close to 1.5 million state fish licenses sold annually and rising, and I have learned while talking to staff at WDFW that there is a high percentage of license holders from Snohomish County that trickle down to being your district constituents. Combining this with Everett having the second largest marina on the entire US west coast, hopefully both of these segments of the recreational industry can count on being represented by you on similar issues in the future.

My New Year’s resolution is to try to keep you up to speed on these issues since these are important to a large demographic portion of your district and economic well being of the state.

Please call or email me anytime with questions and looking forward to being invited to our 38th district town meeting tele-conference again this year.

Happy Holidays!

LB
xxx-xxx-xxxx

FF02, I am not in the know but at the commission meeting today Jim Scott's presentation on the Columbia River Basin Salmon Management Policy C-3620 contained on page 9 some language relating to orderly fisheries.

One bullet says "Congressionally-ratified interstate agreement"

"All laws and regulations... over which the States of Oregon and Washington have concurrent jurisdiction, or any other waters within either of said States, which would affect said concurrent jurisdiction, shall be made, changed, altered, and amended in whole or in part, only with the mutual consent and approbation of both States."

This may be why the room was full of red hats.

Indeed!



Thanks again for the ride, Soft Bite!

So did the F&W Commission make a decision at the meeting today?

Fish on...

Todd

No decision today.

It'll happen at the January meeting... with at least one more option to consider

Thanks, Doc.

Fish on...

Todd