North of Falcon only a month away

http://wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/northfalcon/

Distinctly MISSING from the meeting schedule are the dates for the discussions on Grays Harbor and Willapa Bay.

Things that make ya go..... HMMMMMMM.

Just spit balling here but might the new Grays Harbor Mgt. Plan and soon-to-arrive Willapa Plan eliminate the need for much discussion??

Good question Eric. The Commission is about to change the language from the state wide NOF manage for Commercial & Rec to manage to the GHMP and the same for Willapa. Right now I do not think anyone including staff has any idea how this unfolds.

Eric:

My thoughts exactly....I've been going to most of the Willapa meetings....I don't say much but I soak up lots of "between the lines comments".

NOF.....Conservation will continue to be a driving force, as well it should. Conservation might mean any plan should be done in the reverse of past history, set tributary needs first.....then work out toward the marine area, where adjustments might need to be made.

Time tells all, the mandated goals of the Commission are clear. There will be pain, but the future in Grays Harbor and Willapa look good.

IMO......I'm just a little spoke in a big wheel, NOF should be done in August, I'm thinking not all parties will be happy.

To meet the Administrative Procedure Act (APA) requirements NOF must early on in the process. Usually the CR101 is early opening up the WAC and the CR102 in April or so. They can wait on finishing up the commercial side but only to 5 to six weeks prior to the season as a 30 day comment period has to be honored. Want to try and set vacations to fish around that? As the gentleman from Colorado wrote to Region 6 complaining that after traveling to Willapa to (as he had done for years) based on the posted schedule he arrived to find wall to wall gillnets and that it was inappropriate. Region 6 response? He should check the schedule posted on the website more often as it can change day to day.

On the Rec side it is such a jumble that it is hard to map out as they have the same requirements but most do not realize the Rec season adopted in the pamphlet are the seasons. In the past they simply use emergency regs to dodge the requirements for public review.