Washington Citizen Sportsmen, on behalf of the over 5000 petition supporters sent the following letter of concern to the DFW Commission.

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Chairman Smith,
Commissioners,

The recent adoption of the 10 Year Puget Sound Chinook Management Plan by the Department of Fish and Wildlife without public input is an affront to the citizens of our state. Without soliciting, or involving in any manner stakeholders, Advisory Groups or the Commission, the Department of Fish and Wildlife’s senior management secretly came to an agreement with treaty Indian tribes that will affect salmon management in Puget Sound for the next decade. In doing so, WDFW also ignored the Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission’s statutory role to provide policy guidance to WDFW staffers and its leadership. With the adoption of this policy in total secrecy the WDFW not only arrogantly turned its back on the dedicated volunteers who serve on the Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission, but it also totally disregards the dozens of volunteers who serve on the various committees that advise WDFW staff and the F&W Commission, as well as the public itself, who regularly take the time to attend meetings and testify at important Commission hearings. The action by WDFW senior staff and management is unheard of in the history of the modern era since the combination of the departments of Fisheries and Wildlife more than 20 years ago.
Perhaps the worst effect of the secret action of the adoption of this highly contentious fish management plan is the further acceleration and the increase of distrust between the angling public and the Puget Sound tribes. At a time when more than 5000 concerned citizens requested a more open and transparent regulatory procedures with the affected tribes so that more understanding of the process of managing our publicly owned fisheries resource with the co-managers, WDFW leadership did just the opposite of what was needed to be done. Instead of building trust between the tribes and the stakeholders, WDFW undermined it. Working in secrecy and disregarding the will, much less the opinions of knowledgeable stakeholders, the Puget Sound Chinook policy was formalized and adopted in secrecy. This outrageous conduct by senior staff and leadership must not be tolerated and those involved in the adoption of the policy need to be identified for further administrative procedures including reduction of duties, demotion or termination.

On behalf of thousands of your stakeholders,

Washington Citizen Sportsmen
Open WDFW/Tribal North of Falcon
Secrecy, once accepted, becomes an addiction.

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What the senior leadership of WDFW did by intentionally by-passing the Commission was effectively a coup. They undermined the Commission's authority and attempted to reduce the board members to an advisory role! THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE! And we are supposed to trust WDFW to negotiate for us in the Secret North of Falcon Meetings that are soon to begin, WITH NO PUBLIC OVERSIGHT?
We encourage everyone to write the Commission expressing your concern over WDFW's mis-conduct and let them know you DO NOT TRUST WDFW to negotiate in North of Falcon without full transparency

It simply cannot be stated more clearly...or any better. How can you possibly allow this "delegation" of WDFW Managers to move past this point, and on into the upcoming NOF sessions? "No Confidence" is an understatement!

I basically C & P Bay wolf letter to my state reps and this is the reply that I received back from Dist 38 Rep June Robinson:


I asked my legislative assistant to reach out to the Department of Fish and Wildlife and their response is below regarding your concerns.  I have also attached a FAQ sheet  on the Proposed Puget Sound Chinook Harvest Management Plan.
 
If I can be of any further assistance to you on this issue, please do not hesitate to reach out to me.
 
Sincerely,
June Robinson
 
Recently the department and their co-managers came to agreement on a ten year Puget Sound Chinook Management Plan. Many angling groups are frustrated that the process was not transparent. I've attached an FAQ on the plan and the process but the quick rundown is that following the near meltdown of Puget Sound salmon fisheries in 2016, our federal agencies began discussing ways to avoid that outcome in the future.  In order to obtain long-term ESA coverage for Puget Sound salmon fisheries, the Dept of Justice ordered WDFW and co-manager tribes, to "meet and confer" under the provisions of the Western District Federal Court’s “Order on Continuing Jurisdiction.” 
 
In compliance with this order, the department has been meeting in court ordered mediation with their tribal co-managers over the course of the last year. Court rules associated with mediation provide for confidentiality.  As is often true with difficult negotiations, the benefit of confidentiality is that parties are often more likely to speak with greater candor if they can do so confidentially.  Confidentiality also helps manage litigation risk associated with matters that may be subject to future lawsuits.  The State’s Public Records Act recognizes this utility and exempts mediation records from disclosure to further the goal of resolving disputed matters via mediation.

Thank you Muley77 for taking the initiative to reach out to your representative. If I might suggest a follow up to better educate your representative. What they received is the "Spin" to disguise the fact that they intentionally left the sport advisory groups out of the matrix and by-passed the Commission, contrary to the mandates of the Commissions authority as the policy setting branch of WDFW!

I encourage you to make an appointment to speak to your representative. As a constituent, they need to hear from you as a way to keep informed. If you like, I would be happy to go with you if you can let me know in advance. You can reach me at: OpenNOF@Gmail.com

I'm overpowered by the Feds' continued practice of "governing from afar..."

The boiler plate rationale above makes sense until you factor "out" the proactive participation of the WDFW Board Of Commissioners. They have statuary power and responsibility vested in the process.

For X sake, Feds...own up to the responsibility that was created by YOUR Tribal Treaty accords, and the consequential Fed Court rulings that have come down since. Those are YOUR treaties, and they're in need of YOUR thorough oversight, and the obligatory conservational enforcement. How can the principle of the fish belonging to the State(s), and the responsibility of dealing with a sovereign nation on their behalf be yours? In addition, which entity would logically be responsible for measuring up to CA, OR, AK and BC(no brainer) for bringing about a shared, sustained yield resource? This half-assed "half and half" approach simply hasn't work for us...and has no promise it ever will.

Nobody is motivated to make this right EXCEPT those who are excluded due to "confidentiality"... Move on and forward...

The Federal District Court can order WDFW to meet and confer, but the court cannot order WDFW or the state to agree to a management plan that is so flawed. WDFW should have refused to agree. Then the court could have ordered the PS Chinook plan as the Federal Court and Agency PS Chinook Management Plan. That would leave open the option of WA state to sue the applicable federal agency that saw fit to order this mediation for suitable relief. Relief like the Stillaguamish portion failing to pass the conservation red face and smell tests.

Sg

That would require the State to sue the Tribes, or at least very publicly disagree with them.

Just in case anyone is unaware here is a link to the Director established Puget Sound Sport Fishing Advisory Group's webpage:

https://wdfw.wa.gov/about/advisory/pssfag/

That Advisory Group is supposed to meet at least three times a year and has the following Mission Statement:

Mission Statement

The purpose of the Puget Sound Sport Fishing Advisory group is to conserve, improve and provide guidance in the development and management of recreational salmon fisheries within Puget Sound by:

(A) Develop recommendations, with assistance from the coordinator, on preseason and in-season planning process and management of salmon fisheries to be consistent with conservation objectives and maximize recreational opportunities.

(B) Assist WDFW with communication with the public by seeking input and sharing information.

So, Mr. Director, is this Advisory Group to be used only selectively and, if so, what are the criteria (convenience?)??