My biggest concern is that if we get rid of all of our hatcheries, and in doing so then force ourselves as fishermen to sever the golden opportunity of personal one on one time with the magnificent steelhead, then the group of folks who are passionate enough about the fish to donate time and money will have no new blood coming in to keep pushing in the right direction for the benefit of the species. Few people are willing to put time/money/energy into things which will not benefit them in some way, as we humans tend to be a very selfish breed.
I agree that hatcheries are not a solution, but a band aid. At some point we as fishermen along with everyone else associated with the fish are going to have to sacrifice in one way or another in order to benefit the species. "Species" can be read as either the steelhead or us, because benefiting the wild steelhead definitely benefits us as humans.
My financial reasoning also drives me to hope that in any case where us as sportsmen are funding the hatcheries which are dumping fish into our watersheds, that we should have the first and last shot along with the lions share of the fish, since we as a group funded the hatcheries to put them there. Otherwise there is no reason to pour our money into funds for a hatchery.
Lastly, I tend to agree with Mr Goin. Because of my personal beliefs and lack of trust in this states management abilities, I would choose to sacrifice a severely mismanaged river (historically) which at best would have scant chance for the natives to rebound to the hatchery fish. This would be in order to preserve the other surrounding rivers which stand a better chance of recovery in order to benefit their native species, while still keeping fresh blood and money flowing into the wildlife conservation groups.
Sometimes we can't have it all like our famous and hallowed forefathers of fly steelheading, who are held up on a pedestal by many, did in their time. They not only allowed but wholeheartedly took part along with conventional fisherman in the rape and pillage of our states resources. I don't hold them to the same level of accountability as I do the modern fisherman, but I still have that small reservation which I hold on to in the back of my head for the clear cutters, the slash and burn farmers, strip miners, and modern non-selective fishermen, which severely shortens or completely erases their pedestal height in my opinion...