NO NO NO to Power Grab of WDFW and 3rd Party oversight of our Salmon Policies!!!!! The Governor's office, Senate, and House are all trying to gain power over WDFW.
Our new win of increased hatchery production is under attack! We worked very, very hard with WDFW Commissioners and Washington State Treaty tribes to push HSRG out of our state salmon policy. This came out with the new WDFW Commission Hatchery Policy C-3624. Now there is a second Washington State Joint Co-Manager Salmon Policy that will become the supreme policy for our state. This was a giant victory for us. The anti-hatchery type organizations that lost their perpetual funding machine and control of salmon management are in high gear, to remove WDFW’s power. Inside the new Governors Salmon Strategy, while there is good in it, it has language that reinstalls a third-party override on our salmon policy. It puts WSAS (Washington State Academy of Sciences) in charge as the overall Salmon managers. HSRG/WSAS types have engaged some of the leaders of Senate Natural Resources, House Natural Resources, and Governor’s office to take away our voice that allowed us to make the new hatchery policy. Hatchery production will be increased where possible under ESA and Hatchery and Genetic Management Plans (HGMP) with our new policy, which is now in jeopardy.
Bills being produced in the legislature are to squash WDFW and rewrite their own salmon policy. Senate Bill SB5721 neuters the WDFW Commission by making them advisory only. The director falls under the Commissioner of Public lands. The Commission is your voice for WDFW, which was established by vote under Referendum 45. This was by the will of the people. Yes, there are current problems with the WDFW Commission as it has not been fully staffed in quite some time. That falls on the governor’s office for not staffing it . There is SB 5661 being produced to fill those seats if the Governor does not do that.
While there is a lot of emotion around WDFW and the Commission, it is still the people's best avenue to WDFW and resources. By changing the WDFW and its Commission authority will open the door to go back to HSRG and kill our increased hatchery production policy.
The Commission process was how we removed the HSRG/third party over our salmon policies. Now they want to remove our win of increased hatchery production and silence us. The new Governors Salmon Strategy and some senate and house bills, want to put the Washington Academy of Sciences in power. They are loyal HSRG fans and are known for not being hatchery friendly. We need your help to stop these damaging bills that will result in decreased hatchery production. They are SB5721 (Powergrab of WDFW), SB5656 (if the senate does not confirm WDFW Commissioners within one year or they are removed, giving them the ability to hold a hammer over their head to be confirmed and control the way they vote on as a commissioner), and House bill HB1653 (3rd Party over riding WDFW And Tribes)
Please click on these links and sign on as OPPOSED to stop the damaging bills. We just worked with Senator Maria Cantwell and others to get us $400 Million for increased hatchery production. We also spent two years on the Orca Task Force proving that we are in need of more salmon to feed the Orcas. NOAA listened, as did WDFW, and Washington State. They are currently putting together increased hatchery production to feed the Orcas. This could all be in jeopardy under these new bills and the Governors Salmon Strategy.
Please click on the Links to the Senate bills below and choose "OPPOSE" along with a few words like " I want the WDFW Commission to retain the decision-making capabilities over our Fishing and Hunting in our state " for SB5721 and HB1653, an example of SB5656 could be something like " We do not want to give Senate the power to remove commissioners by not confirming them or give them the ability to hamper their votes, for them to gain senate confirmation after the 1 year window." These are just examples, we encourage everyone to respond in their own words if they wish.
SB5721 https://app.leg.wa.gov/PBC/bill/5721
Full Bill Document for SB5721 https://www.votervoice.net/Broadca.../_yTlRUwlkcQJ2UYPaqqCFQ
SB5656 https://www.votervoice.net/Broadca.../wRrjS1hnDRaeFvmpY7OjKQ
Full Bill Document for SB5656 https://www.votervoice.net/Broadca.../rA7fvqeUII1OdUq6ZwCBIA
HB1653 https://www.votervoice.net/Broadca.../sjP6YXyGJBiRcufJvgF4Kw
Full Bill Document forHB1653 https://www.votervoice.net/Broadca.../u6iA9YRqA3tL2JE1-xHu0Q
Thank you
Puget Sound Anglers
