est. 2000
An organization dedicated to increasing the return of wild
steelhead to the waters of the Pacific Northwest
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Please take the time to tell WDFW how you feel about the state of Washington's Wild Fish. It is imperative that the state hears from those who want management that emphasizes the importance of wild fish. Tell WDFW to meet their own goals as laid out in the Steelhead Management Plan and designate Wild Salmonid Management Zones in each ESU, to reduce the ecological and genetic impacts of hatchery supplementation, set escapement goals based on historic abundance rather than political expedience and MSY principles and end the harvest of wild steelhead in Washington State. The future of our wild salmonids is in our own hands. COMMENT PERIOD ENDS July 23rd.
Press Release from WDFW The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) wants your input as we develop our 2011-2017 Strategic Plan. We’re particularly interested in your views on priority strategies, initiatives and projects the agency should focus on in the coming biennium, July 2011- June 2013. This planning process informs and helps guide development of the budget request proposal we will submit to the state Office of Financial Management this fall. Specifically, we’d like to hear your concerns and proposed solutions to help protect and manage the state’s fish, wildlife and their habitats. What should we work on? What needs to be fixed? The draft Strategic Plan is posted on the WDFW website athttp://wdfw.wa.gov/about/strategic_plan/2011-2017plan.html It provides WDFW leaders’ initial assessment of high-priority needs and describes ways we intend to address those needs. We welcome your suggestions on strategies and ideas for specific projects and activities to achieve the Goals and Objectives for 2011-17, beginning on page 18. We’ve included our current list of strategic projects for the 2009-11 biennium in Appendix A of the draft as an example of what we’re looking for. In these economically challenging times, we recognize that we cannot meet all fish and wildlife management needs. We have lost nearly 31 percent of our state General Fund support and been forced to cut 10 percent of our staff in the current 2009-11 biennium. Further reductions are anticipated in the coming 2011-13 biennium.These reductions affect vital fish and wildlife management activities, such as hatchery fish production, game population surveys, recovery efforts for at-risk species, maintenance of state wildlife lands that provide habitat and recreation opportunities, and habitat protection and restoration. Achieving our strategic goals will depend on our ability to make tough choices in prioritizing and allocating resources. Now, more than ever, we must make the most of limited resources and that’s why we’re asking you for feedback to help us make those difficult choices. Conserving our natural resources and providing sustainable recreational and commercial opportunities are the agency’s mandates and we will continue to do our best to accomplish our mission in these difficult times. We will keep our long term goals in sight and continue to focus on priorities as we move forward. We welcome your input by July 23, 2010. You may submit your comments online at the site above, or by e-mail at this address: strategic@dfw.wa.gov  Steelhead Summit! Summary of Meeting Held on Saturday, March 27th The Steelhead Summit Alliance, an ad-hoc consortium of conservation organizations and like-minded individuals held an emergency meeting on March 27th at the Western Fisheries Research Center (WFRC) in Seattle in response to a severe outbreak of IHNv disease on the Olympic Peninsula. The purpose of the meeting was to listen to scientists and fisheries managers who are knowledgeable about the disease, and to begin to try to formulate a collective policy recommendation to present to WA State, federal and tribal representatives. The meeting was co-chaired by Richard Burge (Wild Steelhead Coalition) and Nick Gayeski (Wild Fish Conservancy) who lined up the speakers and moderated the proceedings. Jim Winton, PhD (WFRC/UW School of Fisheries) gave a presentation on the Ecology of Emerging Diseases Among Populations of Wild Fish; Rachael Life, PhD (WFRC) presented a summary of her post-doctoral research on IHN Virus in Pacific NW Wild and Hatchery Salmonids; Ray Brunson (US Fish & Wildlife Service) summarized some aspects of IHN Virus in federal hatcheries in the Columbia River System and on the Olympic Peninsula; and John Kerwin (WA Dept. of Fish & Wildlife) outlined the recent history of IHN virus in WA State Hatcheries, particularly on the Olympic Peninsula. Among other things, we learned that the IHN virus has existed in epidemic proportions in Columbia River steelhead for the past several years, and a particularly virulent site is the Dworshak Hatchery managed by US Fish and Wildlife. The strain of the virus at this hatchery matches that recently discovered at the Bogachiel Hatchery on the Olympic Peninsula but, according to Brunson, does not necessary come directly from there. At the time of the Summit , Kerwin noted that the strain of virus present in wild and hatchery steelhead on the Hoh River had not yet been identified. The most alarming discovery is that IHNv has been found in wild Sol Duc River steelhead that were caught and taken to the Snider Creek Hatchery as brood stock. All returning adult fish to the Bogachiel Hatchery and their eggs were destroyed, as were the wild stocks at the Snider Creek Hatchery. Kerwin said that the earliest known outbreak of IHN on the Olympic Peninsula occurred in 1997. There were additional outbreaks in 2007, when WDFW released diseased smolts into the Humptulips and in 2008 and 2009 when the Quinault Tribe released diseased fish into the Quinault River . The virus strains identified on these three occasions were somewhat different than the primary one identified on the Quillayute System this year. Winton noted that as the virus enters the Olympic Peninsula watershed, it is “probing” to find what strains work best and where. There are so many hatcheries operating in the Pacific NW that none of the speakers could put a total on them. There are thirteen federal hatcheries, including three on the Olympic Peninsula. State and tribal hatcheries are much more numerous and one guestimate of the total number was between 100-200, with very little coordination among hatchery managers. SSA members, including representatives of the Wild Steelhead Coalition, Wild Fish Conservancy, the WA Council of Trout Unlimited and the Steelhead Committee of the Federation of Fly Fishers are now in the process of developing a policy recommendation that we can collectively support as a pro-active response to fighting this disease, particularly on the Columbia and Olympic Peninsula Rivers. We would welcome your comments on this. Please send them to me at heritagesea@aol.com Marianne Mitchell  Steelhead Summit! Date: Saturday, March 27, 2010 Time: 9:30 AM – 3:00PM Location: Western Fisheries Research Center , Seattle , WA Hosted by the Steelhead Summit Alliance in conjunction with the Wild Steelhead Coalition and the Wild Fish Conservancy. The Steelhead Summit is a regular gathering of concerned anglers and other citizens meeting to discuss current issues facing steelhead throughout their range in the Pacific NW and California . Jointly these steelhead advocates make up the Steelhead Summit Alliance which works together for the protection and restoration of native, wild steelhead. This Summit is an emergency meeting designed to investigate the IHNv disease that has invaded our steelhead fisheries, most recently on the Olympic Peninsula . This disease has been found in both the Bogachiel Hatchery and the wild stocks in the Sol Duc River . The disease is moving throughout our rivers and estuaries and has the fast potential of not only significantly damaging our important coastal wild fish, but also spreading into Puget Sound. We are hosting a daylong session to meet with scientists who will educate us on this issue, including Gael Kurath ( Western Fisheries Research Center ), John Kerwin (WDFW), Ray Brunson (US Fish & Wildlife Service) and Jim Winton ( Western Fisheries Research Center ). Jim has offered to be our host and we will meet at his lab in Seattle . The address is: 6505 NE 65th St. and is at the junction of Sandpoint Way near the University District. For more information contact Marianne Mitchell, Steelhead Summit Alliance Chair, heritagesea@aol.com, (206) 669-6263. January 6, 2010  Dear Friends and Members of the Wild Steelhead Coalition, We would like to remind you all to join us for a fun event on Thursday January 28, 2010 at 6:30 pm. The WSC will be hosting its annual winter membership meeting at the University of Washington Center for Urban Horticulture NHS Hall and we hope you can all attend. Last year we had a great turn out and this year should be even better. We encourage you to invite you friends and even non membes in hopes to gain their support. The first hour will be a social time to hang out, catch up with friends and enjoy some (FREE) food and drinks. We will then be showing the new film by Jahtrout Productions titled, "Where Hope Resides." This film focuses on the many challenges facing the Skeena River System in B.C . It also displays many of the same issues Steelhead face here in the states. Following the film there will be a raffle with some great items on display. We encourage you all to pass this info along to your friends and come support the WSC. This event is free of charge and we hope to generate some excitement for steelhed conservation. We look forward to seeing you at the event. Please click here for more info about the event. Click here for driving directions. The evening will close with a raffle. WHERE HOPE RESIDES shows the many challenges this fragile ecosystem faces. From the different perspectives of the rivers inhabitants, to the ever present threat of resource exploitation. A film that displays the struggle that we see so often in today's world. You'll find no easy answers here. But there is hope. Hope that together, we will recognize the importance of protecting the Skeena Watershed. Thank You, Jim Schmitz
Fish and Wildlife Commission chooses OLYMPIA - Phil Anderson, who has served as interim director of the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) for more than nine months, was chosen today as the department's permanent director. The Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission voted to select Anderson in a public meeting here, after interviewing six candidates and narrowing the field to two finalists in August. The commission is a nine-member citizen panel appointed by the governor to set policy for WDFW. Commission members said they sought a director with a strong conservation ethic, sound fiscal-management and leadership skills and expertise in intergovernmental relations. "We've had a healthy discussion on the future of the Department of Fish and Wildlife and we're confident that together the commission and Phil will set the priorities to guide the department in its vital mission of protecting Washington's natural resources," said Miranda Wecker, chair of the citizen commission. Anderson will fill a vacancy created by the resignation of Jeff P. Koenings, Ph.D., who left the director's post last December after a decade on the job. Anderson has served as interim WDFW director since Koenings' resignation. As director, Anderson will report to the commission and manage a department of 1,386 employees, with a biennial operating and capital budget of more than $350 million. The commission voted to recommend Anderson be paid an annual salary of $141,000. The director's salary is subject to approval by Gov. Chris Gregoire. Anderson, age 59, served as WDFW's deputy director for resource policy for more than a year before being appointed interim director. Anderson previously served as assistant director of WDFW's Intergovernmental Resource Management Program, leading the department's North of Falcon team which sets annual salmon-fishing seasons for marine waters including Puget Sound and the coast. Anderson also is WDFW's representative to the Pacific Fishery Management Council (PFMC). Anderson joined WDFW in 1994 after serving seven years on the PFMC as a private citizen, including duties as PFMC vice chairman and chairman. Anderson began his professional fishery career over 30 years ago as owner and operator of a charter fishing boat business. He attended Grays Harbor College. Anderson and his wife, Chris, live in Westport and have two sons. Anderson is an avid hunter, fisher and birdwatcher, and has served as a school board member of the Ocosta School District.
April 26th 2009, The Wild Steelhead Coalition is pleased to announce Bill McMillan as our 2009 Conservation Award Winner. The WSC Conservation Award is presented to an individual or group that, through their actions and/or accomplishments, have made a significant and noteworthy contributions to to protection and propagation of wild steelhead. Bill's lifetime commitment to steelhead advocacy is recognized and admired through his persistence and success at bringing steelhead issues to the surface, thus building awareness and understanding of the plight of wild steelhead and what we can do to become more conservation minded anglers. Please join us in a celebration Bill's work and achievement as we present him with the award at the 2009 Wild Steelhead Coalition event on May 9th at our annual fund raiser and screening of Rivers of a Lost Coast. Details on the right hand side of this column. April 26th 2009, No one would have thought 20 years ago that the Hoh River wild steelhead runs would ever face depletion. Even as the Skagit and other Puget Sound runs fell in the 1990s, the Hoh population still looked like it could withstand its many environmental and fishery challenges. But in the early 2000s the picture began to change and it now looks like the run could fail within a decade or two. Please read WSC's Vice President of Conservation, Dick Burge's most recent article on the state of the Hoh. April 26th 2009, Joel on KJR Interviewed Justin from the Rivers of a Lost Coast and provided a tremendous plug for our event. Hear it below: April 3rd 2009, The latest edition of the Adipose is available below to the public. Your humble web admin has checked it out and it looks like another fantastic edition. The March April edition is our new editor Jason B. Harmon's second Adipose publication. If you haven't seen his work please open it up below. As a bonus there are some beautiful Tim Pask photos in the featured article. April 2nd 2009, Letter from WSC President (Rich Simms) to Whole Foods Market Inc.
March 30th 2009, The WSC would like to give a special thanks to Keith Beverly of Bainbridge Island. Keith has just become this year's first lifetime member. He now joins the exclusive list five other members who have pledged at the $750 level of support. The lifetime list is as follows: WSC Lifetime Members March 16th 2009, Wild salmon are the backbone of the BC Coast. On February 9, 2009 BC Supreme Court ruled that salmon farms are a fishery and a federal responsibility. The science is in. The feedlot fishery is damaging wild salmon stocks worldwide (Ford and Myers 2008). Fraser sockeye and all southcoast BC salmon and steelhead are now at risk as a result of the Provincial policy of allowing the feedlot fishery to use Canada's most valuable wild salmon habitat . March 15th 2009, Dear Senator Rodney Tom, Rep. Ross Hunter and Rep. Deborah Eddy, I would like to share a letter that outlines the case against 5127 written by Wild Steelhead Coalition Trustee John McGlenn. As the President of the Wild Steelhead Coalition, I request that our Senators and Representatives DO NOT support this ill-conceived Bill. This will turn back the clock of progress that as been made to have a public input to the fish and wildlife of our great state. 5127 will make our fish and wildlife more vulnerable to increasing environmental and usage pressures. Please keep the Fish and Wildlife Commission intact! Sincerely, Wild Steelhead Coalition |
The Wild Steelhead Coalition was formed by a concerned group of citizens whose goal is to reverse the decline of returning wild steelhead by solving the problems that they face. Over-harvest, poor hatchery and management practices, and habitat degradation have caused the decline of wild steelhead in the Pacific Northwest. For Over 50 years, citizens of Washington, Oregon and Idaho have watched returning wild steelhead diminish to a fraction of their former numbers. Our goal is to see that the rivers of the Pacific Northwest will again have abundant wild steelhead runs. Join us in preserving this magnificent game fish. |
Author Dylan Tomine's was commissioned by the WSC for republication rights of his landmark publication State of the Steelhead. If you haven't read it yet, once you are finished you will find it is the most representative and thought provoking fish conservation pieces yet written.
Five Actions You Can Take
> Download the PDF <
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Steelhead Newswire A letter to the Editor of the Peninsula Daily News was sent in response to the following article by WSC President, Rich Simms California: NOAA's NMFS Outlines
Salmon & Steelhead Recovery Plan: Six threats, five recovery actions outlined. Agribusiness, PR Firm Host Staged Demonstration: Governor, talk show host portray water dilemma to "fish versus jobs." Oregon: Wild steelhead poaching rising on Umpqua River Rogue River Dam Removal: Scheduled for late -'09 completion, removal of the Savage Rapids Dam opens over 500 miles of habitat for salmon, steelhead. Alternative Energy A Hope For Salmon Survival:
Renewable energy and State senate bill seen as potential benefits. Test Of Alternative Commercial Fishing Methods On Columbia River: Purse seines, beach seines, fish traps tested. OpEd Calls For Sustainability: CCA Oregon executive director advocates redirection of harvest practices. NOAA Awards $13.2M Grant: Money offsets decline from other State funding sources, aids water quality projects by local groups. Washington: Roger Phillips: Barring harvest of wild steelhead in Washington and Oregon a no-brainer: Limits Placed On 3 Pesitcides To Protect Fish: The Environmental Protection Agency revealed new limits Friday on three pesticides commonly used on western farms to protect endangered and threatened Pacific salmon. Coordinated Effort Opens More Spawning Habitat: Four groups work together to remove fish-passage barrier. $40.5M Deal With Obama Administration: Money to be spent improving estuary projects on North side of Columbia River. WDFW Sets Meetings to Discuss 2010-2012 Sportfishing Rule Proposals: Seven rules changes under consideration. Elwa River Hatcher Contract Awarded: Will maintain stocks during removal of dams.. Idaho Water Measurement Innovations: Better measurement of water resources seen as aid in managing stream flow. Breaching Dams Crucial To Salmon Survival: Idaho Rivers United advocates breaching 4 dams on Snake River. Water Shortage Forces Hatchery Cutback: Seen as sign of impending problems for rearing smolts. More broken promises from Army Corps Alaska British Columbia Expected Fisheries Changes Raise "Grave" Concerns: Ministry of Environment reviewing priorities; steelhead recovery efforts may suffer setback. |