The WSC has a notable list of accomplishments. But the on-going closures of major Puget Sound drainages and the lack of progress by a multitude of agencies toward the recovery of wild steelhead, highlight the need for more immediate action. Although daunting, I am excited to take on the challenge of recovering our wild steelhead fisheries. It’s a big job and for now, I am a staff of one. To succeed will require leveraging our assets, building greater collaboration, funding steelhead research, educating ourselves and the public, and applying the right amount of force, when and where needed. To succeed will require your support. I hope to hear from you—when we do well and when you think we haven’t. Somehow we must get beyond what type of rod we fish with and unite around what we have in common: the experience of fishing for wild steelhead. This is exactly what we’ve begun doing with those that share an interest in healthy watersheds and steelhead.

We were recently accepted as a member of the Skagit Watershed Council—a diverse group of stakeholders on a river that serves as a bellweather for our efforts to restore steelhead. Over the years the WSC has funded multiple research projects on the Skagit. We have now packaged our efforts into the WSC Skagit Watershed Initiative and have applied for multiple grants that relate to the Skagit.   In addition, we have received a commitment of $10,000 from Orvis to participate in a project, along with the Wildcat Steelhead Club, the Swinomish and Sauk-Suiattle tribes, Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife (WDFW), The Nature Conservancy, and others, to restore Barnaby Slough’s habitat and create a high water refuge for steelhead. In addition, we are participating in the Skagit Watershed Technical Work Group.

In February I met with the Governor’s new policy analyst for natural resources to educate her on key issues pertaining to wild steelhead restoration. It was a productive meeting and there will be more to follow. Earlier this year I represented the WSC at hearings regarding the Columbia River Net & Sport Regulations as well as advocating WSC’s proposed changes to Sportfishing Regulations to protect wild steelhead. Shortly after assuming my new role, the WSC Board approved a new Strategic Plan. One of the central items in the plan is a review of the 2008 Washington Statewide Steelhead Management Plan (SSMP). The SSMP has been in place for over five years and it would appear that little to nothing has been achieved. The WSC will now taking on the task of providing public oversight in the form of a report card, to the Washington Fish & Wildlife Commissioners on WDFW’s progress towards the SSMP.

This is going to be an exciting year and I look forward to sharing our work with you regularly through The Adipose, social media, emails, events—and hope to run into some of you on the river. After all, like you, I’m a steelhead junkie.

Mykiss vobiscum,

Since the founding of the organization in the basement of Ted’s Sporting Goods 13 years ago, I am most proud of the grassroots nature of the organization and the many successes the WSC has achieved to benefit wild steelhead.  These achievements were accomplished by learning to understand the issues and science, and building a broader awareness to engage the public and anglers to bring effective change for wild steelhead.  At the same time many lessons were learned along the way that made many of us wiser.  In this conservation journey I am humbled by the many talented and committed individuals who helped found the organization and the many that had a hand in developing a respected organization and value it has brought to the steelhead conservation world. I deeply appreciate the many organizations and businesses that stepped forward, with some eventually becoming partners and increasing the visibility of our mission to a broader audience. I am extremely grateful for the opportunities, friendships and relationships developed in my tenure as the leader of the Wild Steelhead Coalition. I look forward to the future as the organization continues to grow and watch it benefit a fish that has been my passion since childhood.

We are thrilled to have Bob Margulis as the organization’s first Executive Director. Bob’s passion for wild steelhead, nonprofit, and organizational experience as well as strategic abilities were deemed a great fit for our organization moving forward and continuing our mission. We are confident in Bob’s abilities and full-time commitment to our organization to help bring a strong benefit to the future of wild steelhead.  Jonathan Stumpf will assume the role of Chairman of the Board and continue his exemplary work with the WSC. I will move forward to Honorary Director and Founder.  My plan in this new role is to continue to support the organization through advisement and projects.

From the start, many of my personal commitments and goals to the organization, as a volunteer and before transitioning from President, was to ensure the groundwork was solid and foundation in place to ensure the organization would be sustainable and successful for wild steelhead in the long term and not fade away.  The hiring of Bob as our new ED is a reflection of that commitment.  I am reaching out to all of you to provide him the same level of support and commitment you have shown to me through the years and welcome him as a partner in our mission.

Since this is my last installment as president and I would like take the opportunity to share a top 10 list of some personal insights I have learned along the way:

1. You can find and budget the time in your life to become a wild steelhead advocate and can personally make a difference
2. Science provides the best truth we have, but politics and agendas are the impediment to apply the truth.
3. There is a sense of conservation freedom when you don’t view wild steelhead as a product or commodity to make money from. Always look to your soul and remember your first connection and what it stirred.
4. Never give up. Always let the decision makers know you are around and that wild steelhead are worth the effort.
5. Check your ego at the gate, be humble, surround yourself with brilliant people and always say thank you—collaboration is the key.
6. It is impossible to please everyone and there will always be critics and detractors of what you do. Let it go. You’ve already convinced the first 20%, work on the 60% and realize you will never convince the last 20%. Let the detractors keep talking instead of doing and keep your eye on the ball.
7. Wild steelhead have few friends, but many enemies. There are no tours to view steelhead or engage advocates in the general public. Wild steelhead do not have the “panda” effect of other species. Anglers will be the advocates for their future.
8. Ask not what Wild Steelhead Coalition can do for you, but what you can do for the wild steelhead, even if it means taking time away to angle for them.
9. Learn to celebrate the small victories and incremental changes that benefit the fish. Seldom is it all done at once.
10.  Your voice matters! Stronger attendance is needed to attend commission hearings and other meetings to speak out on behalf of steelhead conservation. Apathy is killing the future of wild steelhead.

In the end there is no silver bullet to turn the plight of wild steelhead, there is only you who can help change the course and change the mind of public opinion and decision makers. It means giving up some of your time on the water to attend a hearing or write a letter. It means challenging your buddies to do the same.  And it means never giving up. It is easy to criticize what should be done or not being done, but at the end of the day we all need to be part of the solution and not just talk about it or who’s at fault.

As I close I hope you be willing to put the time into wild steelhead conservation. My final request for you is to take some your personal time and write and submit your comments or help fill the room at the Commission meetings in the future. Provide a testimony and message, once and for all, that we are serious about steelhead conservation and won’t settle for anything less.

Sincerely,

Rich Simms

This two night event will feature a four-course dinner prepared by Sante’s Chef/Owner Jeremy Hansen and the entire crew at Sante.  Each course will be paired with a custom Dry Fly cocktail.

This event will take place on Sunday, April 21st, and Monday, April 22nd. Each night has a limited number of tickets available, so purchase yours today to ensure your seat.  Tickets are $60. No need to worry about picking up ‘will call’ tickets. Your purchase will simply add you to our guest list to check you in at the door.

We hope to see you at this unique event!

BUY YOUR TICKETS FOR THE DRY FLY DINNER AT SANTE

On deck for this year’s event raffle and silent auction includes seven, count ‘em, seven guided trips, gear from Sage, Redington, Korkers, Simms, Fishpond, Airflo, Allen Fly Fishing, Olive The Woolly Bugger, Montana Fly Company, enough custom-tied steelhead flies to get you through two seasons, and tons of clothing, magazines, stickers, and more.

Can’t make the event? Purchase a copy of the film here. Finback Films is donating one percent of all DVD sales to the Wild Steelhead Coalition.

The Details:

February 19, 2013
Doors 6 PM, Show 7 PM
Lincoln Center of Spokane

LOW & CLEAR Official Trailer from Finback Films on Vimeo.

But now we need your help.

Through January 29, the WDFW is accepting comments on the Sportfishing Rule Changes for the 2013/2014 season.

Please take five minutes and tell the WDFW that these proposals, which were put forth by the Wild Steelhead Coalition, with the support of 14 other organizations, businesses, and scientists, should be adopted to help conserve wild steelhead, one of Washington State’s greatest economic and recreational resources.

Listed below are four proposals available for public comment. We have included our original comments, the WDFW comments, and our rebuttals and bullet points for your use. If you do not wish to provide original comments, feel free to copy and paste the bullet points or paragraphs rebuttals into the online comment form links found below (minimum of 1,000 characters).

The comment period has been extended until January 29, 2013, so act now! And watch your inbox for a Save The Date for the upcoming Fish and Wildlife Commission meeting in February, where testimony can be provided and is a critical factor to getting these proposals adopted.

1) Mandatory Hatchery Steelhead Retention – Statewide

• Nearly all of the current WDFW Sportfishing Rules for wild steelhead are very hard to enforce with a diminishing budget and very few “on the ground” enforcement officers.
• This proposal would further reduce the number of hatchery steelhead available to spawn with wild steelhead, assuring reduced hatchery vs. wild steelhead introgression (negatively affects healthy and ESA listed wild stocks).
• The Kostow 2003 study found: “Our data support a conclusion that hatchery summer steelhead adults and their offspring contribute to wild steelhead population declines through competition for spawning and rearing habitats.”
• A recent biological opinion in OR found that productivity/spawning success can be less than half when hatchery fish are left in the system and available to spawn with wild steelhead: “the reduction in productivity between a population comprised entirely of wild fish and one comprised of equal numbers of hatchery and wild fish is 66 percent for steelhead” (Section 2: Updating the Scientific Information in the 2008 FCRPS BiOp May 20, 2010, Page 118 and Lower Columbia River Salmon Recovery Plan 9‐2010 ODFW)

>>SUBMIT YOUR COMMENTS FOR MANDATORY HATCHERY RETENTION STATEWIDE<<

2) Selective Gear Only – Feb 1 to April 30, west side rivers

• What gear method was used and does this catch, handling, and “release” method really represent the diverse angling community and wild steelhead population(s) of that area? Is this “evidence” accepted as the best available science as directed by the WDFW’s Statewide Steelhead Management Plan? This proposal is to eliminate the use of bait and barbed hooks, neither of which the WDFW has mentioned from the Oregon work.
• In Bob Hooton’s 2001 scientific study, he found hooking mortality was consistently at least 3 to 9 times higher when using bait verses using artificial lure or fly.
• Steelhead and stream-resident rainbow trout are the same species, can inter-spawn, and both can contribute to future generations of wild steelhead.  Many studies have shown significantly higher mortality in trout when angling with bait verses artificial lures/flies (Taylor and White 1992; Schill and Scarpella 1995; Mongillo 1984; Wydoski 1977; Schisler and Bergersen 1996).
• It is clear from the best available science that the elimination of bait and barbed hooks will greatly reduce catch and release mortality on wild steelhead/rainbow trout.

Elwha Fish Hatchery

“The science is clear that the planting of hatchery fish is detrimental to wild fish,” said Kurt Beardslee, executive director of Wild Fish Conservancy. “Instead of ‘business as usual,’ these hatchery programs need to comply with the ESA.”

The federal government is spending nearly $325 million for the removal of the Elwha and Glines Canyon dams, which will open nearly seventy miles of pristine riverine habitat in Olympic National Park, much of which is designated a wilderness area.  Instead of natural colonization by wild salmonids, however, the agencies and the Tribal officials are going ahead with a plan that will eventually allow the release of more than seven million juvenile hatchery salmonids annually.

The four conservation groups agree with a recent review by the Hatchery Scientific Review Group (HSRG) that restoration of the lower Elwha River and re-colonization of the pristine upper Elwha River should prioritize recovery of wild fish.  The proposed reliance on large-scale hatchery releases undermines ecosystem recovery and violates the ESA, and threatens recovery of bull trout and Puget Sound Chinook and steelhead, all listed as threatened species under the ESA.  While the groups support the right of the Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe to harvest salmon and steelhead, spending $325 million to open a wilderness watershed but then stocking it with hatchery fish is poor public policy and will likely lead to skepticism over future salmon recovery efforts, especially dam removal projects.

The groups are represented by Smith and Lowney, PLLC, of Seattle.

• Preliminary injunction and summary judgement motions

Titled “The Magnificent Steelhead”, the display will culminate with a reception and art sale on November 8, with all proceeds benefiting the Wild Steelhead Coalition, an organization dedicated to increasing the return of wild steelhead to the rivers and streams of the Pacific Northwest.

Works in the Burke exhibit include photographs printed on canvas, as well as mixed media pieces from individuals in the angling community, including Andy Anderson, Jeff Bright, Keith Douglas, Bryan Huskey, Brian O’Keefe, Jonathan Marquardt, Dave McCoy, Ken Morrish, Tim Pask, Steve Perih, Mike Savlen, and Bob White.

Visitors can also learn more about steelhead, as well as conservation efforts being taken by the Wild Steelhead Coalition to support the species through hatchery reform, scientific research and policy work for wild fish.

Those interested in attending the November 8^th reception or purchasing artwork should RSVP by 11/5 to: bob@wildsteelheadcoalition.org. The event runs from 6:30 – 8:30 p.m. and includes hors d’oeuvres from the Steelhead Diner and beverages from Precept Wine.

More information about the Burke Museum exhibit.

Take two minutes to send comments to the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) and let them know it is time to stop our hatchery steelhead addiction and move toward wild steelhead recovery.