Do they listen?

I have personally addressed the board on several occasion and have spoken privately to the chairman. But they seem to all be listening; it's just that it goes in one ear and out the other.

They did close the killing of wild steelhead when the Wild Steelhead Coalition got most of its members to stand up and speak out at Port Townsend.

But then pressure from Forks got the moratorium reversed.

Problem is they are not fishermen and really don't know what to do. Political pressure seems to rule most of them.

I THINK WE NEED A NEW APPROACH TO CONSERVING THE RESOURCE.

Bob, the big critic of the DFW. :ray1:

 

So if it is political pressure that they bow to, then we are pressuring the wrong people. Instead of trying to pressure the WDFW, we need to focus our efforts and (LETTERS) to our representatives, ESPECIALLY RIGHT NOW BEFORE ELECTION TIME. If we want to get rid of something like killing wild steelhead or commercial fishing in Puget Sound and Hood Canal, then we must take a more indirect political position. I am going to send my letters today. I hope others will do the same.

 

There are several ways in which concerns may be brought to the attention of the WDFW. One is through the Citizens' Advisory Committees which meet regularly with members of the WDFW. Another is, of course, through the Washington State Fish and Wildlife Commission. The Commission is set up to represent sport (as well as commercial) fishermen and hunters; some members lean one way and some the other. It is our duty as citizens to write or e-mail them often and, if possible, get to know them on a personal basis. The Commission establishes policy and, in effect, gives the department its marching orders.

 

I recently sent a letter to my state representative and senator about widespread poaching and regulation violations and the dearth of WDFW enforcement. The senator, Pat Thibideau, actually looked into it and wrote me back a very thoughtful letter. She talked to WDFW enforcement and was told, not surprisingly, that they believe they are doing a good job policing the regs. She did some research and found that WDFW budget dollars and the number of FTE enforcement personnel have declined some recently. She said that, as with many other government programs, funding is a tough problem due to recent huge deficits. She wondered if increased fees might be the answer. I for one would be willing to pay more for my license if it went to beefing up enforcement (and plan on writing her again to tell her that). I really believe that if we more forcefully brought our concerns about wildlife management, enforcement and other matters near and dear to our hearts to our elected representatives' attention, it could be more effective in terms of making fundamental progress than going directly to the WDFW. No one at the WDFW is elected (commission members are appointed by the governor and confirmed by the senate), so they're less accountable to us and progress, if any, will be more incremental. (Also, note that a number of current commission members' terms expire over the next four years, so the next governor is going to have a big impact on the makeup of the commission.)

 

Well, gimme 4 years and I'll see what I can do. I'm at UW now studying to go into fisheries and/or law enforcement. It seems to me that the WDFW should be comprised of at least some people with a vested interest in their work, and in various areas/specialties. Unfortunately, I think the higher up in influence you go, the more it becomes politics and not real life...

 

They Listen

If they did not listen to us the fishermen, the NF Stilly would probably be dead and closed, as with many washington rivers. The only reason they keep the NF open is because of the pressure of FF that fish it. Call Chad up and ask him if this is true and I am sure he will tell you yes. The problems are deeper, they hear us and what we have to say but it's the fear of change. It's easier to push papers around then lead a revolution. I was fortunate to sit in on a enforcement meeting the other day, and the things that I heard are simple to fix. Education and Public awareness. Educate all the enforcement agencies so that they can also handle F&W violations, the reason they don't is because they have no clue on how to write someone up fro one. This is why a violator does not run or hide when they see a trooper, sheriff or park ranger drive by, they know that they don't handle these things, and some are even told not to. If they did and the public told them to handle FW violations, we would see a impact, I am sure of it. For those who complain about the wardens not doing anything, they do more then you would ever know. It's the fact that you are thinking from the stand point of a fishermen. Salmon season and Hunting season are all the same time, and this is when we see under staffing. People running around with guns doing crimes or people with fishing poles which is more important to the public that does not fish. So they staff for the slow season which requires less Staff. Make sure the the other agencies know how you feel about the situation going on just not just the WDFW, and maybe we can cure their boredom. :beathead: :beathead:

 

Of course they listen to fishermen; they reinstituted harvest on Wild Steelhead this winter didn't they? Appearantly they listened to those fishermen, along with some dishonest politicians and threatening tribes, who want to harvest those fish.

Did you think they would listen to YOU just because you are amongst the majority who want more conservation for wild fish stocks?

Agencies and policies change because of public pressure on the politicians and lawmakers. That takes time and commitment. Maybe generations of effort in some situations. I see changes over the past five years here that are encourageing. Slow, but progressive.

If you really care then you have to be involved. Posting here, and on other sites, is good for debate. Many good ideas come from the forums. But you have to show up at meetings, write letters and emails, stand and deliver. And support some worthy regional conservation efforts like Trout Unlimited or The Wild Steelhead Coalition, Washington Trout, or The Wild Salmon Center to name but a few. These groups offer volunteer positions, all kinds of interesting activities, and require funding and support. And they are dedicating themselves to our wild fish resources and habitats.

And what would be wrong with becoming a WDFW volunteer? You might find there are a lot of dedicated people, who invest their lives on behalf of fish and wildlife and habitat, as WDFW employees and volunteers. maybe you can make a difference from the inside out. After all, the fish and wildlife resources of Washington belong to YOU, and the WDFW is YOUR stewardship agency. You do have a say in how things go. Just dont stop screaming until they listen. Then scream a little more. It dosnt hurt to thank people once in a while too. WDFW does a lot of good things on a very short budget.

See the Events Forum NOW for information on a series of October WDFW Open House Meetings across the State, perhaps one close to you. This is an opportunity to discuss your concerns directly with WDFW Director Koenings and Staff members. Diplomacy never hurts. Maybe they will even listen to you.

 

It depends on what you want. As Bob pointed out, if you want the opportunity to harvest more fish, they're often all ears. If you're looking for enforcement, I think they are sinceerely willing to try and do everything they think they can. If it is too often too little too late, it is too true that it's all they can do, given what they have to work with (given their priorities).

But if you want to talk with them about shifitng or even examining their priorities, it's often hard not to picture them holding their fingers in their ears and shouting "lalalalalalalalalalala!"

For instance, they cry about their budget, but the largest share of it goes to operating hatcheries that are too often injuring already struggling wild-fish populations, at considerable cost. There are over 100 salmon and steelhead hatchery programs in Puget Sound alone. Could we do OK with 90, or 80, or 50? What kind of money would that free up? I know I'm always prattling on about hatcheries, but it is the biggest thing WDFW does. They really don't have much jurisdiction when it comes to habitat issues, especially once you get outside the stream banks. On the habitat issues they do have jurisdiction over, like fish-passage barriers, they are often spending more on being part of the problem than contributing to the solution.

Witness the recent hearings on the Wild Steelhead Moratorium. WDFW staff started the hearing with a presentation of a lot of voodoo about how the present state of steelhead populations around the state was likely the fault of poor ocean conditions, habitat degradation, anything but WDFW past and current management practices. They introduced data from rivers on northern Vancouver Island to support this thesis! One might wonder how many man hours they spent on that. Maybe if they spent a little less time trying to convince themselves that nothing is their fault, and a little more on fixing the problems, their budget might get spent a little more efficiently.

Clout comes with organization. Join and/or support the organizations/clubs that are pressing for your priorities. Bob T recommended some good ones. With your name on their rosters (and your money), they can get your voice heard.

 

I've wondered why the WDFW did not have a booth at the Last two fly fishing shows in Bellevue. Were they not invited? Were they invited and declined to attend for some reason? Since they're the custodians of the resource and we are the users of the resource, it would seem that such gatherings would offer a perfect opportunity for a dialog that would be of mutual benefit. Questions could be asked, expanations offered, comments and suggestions made. By attending these shows, at the very least, the WDFW personnel would come away seeing the enormous increase in the popularity of fly fishing.

 

joshzarling: welcome to America. fight hard enough, and you might be heard. actions speak louder than words. organize, get money, take a stand. join those who are doing it. we are in a long term yet temporary state of MultiNational Corporation control. Despite their jedi mind tricks (see: Forks, WA as case study for a road to ruin) we do have say. offer solutions not problems, face the challenges, pave the way. be heard. do it.

 

Sportsmen are heard

I am always surprised when these questions come up. As Bob Lawless said, he testified as did many others at the Port Townsend hearings. Yes, the moratorium was rescinded, primarily because good governor Lock had the AGs office see that it was. This subderfuge was set in motion because of fear that the tribes might sue over a continued moratorium (that would make their excessive netting give them a black eye from the conservation-minded public). Lock wanted to ensure the democrats of getting the gubernatorial vote from the tribes and stave off a law suit. I heard that WSC and other groups actually had the commission ready to continue the moratorium until this happened. However, keep in mind that WE STILL HAVE TAKEN THE KILL OF WILD STEELHEAD DOWN FROM 30 PER YEAR TO 1.
The process of sportsmen fighting for our fish and game has been one of my top projects for more than forty years. It is still ongoing and will be when I am gone. There are no short cuts or simplistic answers to whether bureaucrats listen or not.
You just keep fighting the good fight; go to the hearings; testify at the hearings; listen to the conservation chair of your local fishing clubs; pay your dues in both time and money to TU, FFF, Nature Conservancy, WSC, American Rivers and all of the other groups that are continually working for you.

Good Fishing,
Les Johnson

 

"More than forty years"... iagree

See, it is a life's work. So you have to decide now to make a difference because every minute of the next forty years counts too. Thanks for the example Les.

 

SIRC Meeting

WDFW was at the SIRC meeting for the Stilly, Enforcement and Habitat reps were there listening to the public, WHERE WERE ALL OF YOU . All talk no show when it comes down to it. All of you that bitch about enforcement on the stilly had your chance. Since I was pretty much the only fishermen there, I was able to talk about closing down the SF and tougher regs on the NF Stilly. It was a great presentation about restoring the Chinook run the the Stilly. :beathead: :beathead: