Elwha Restoration Volunteer Days

10:00 AM – 2:00 PM (including break for lunch)

Followed by optional Lower Dam Viewing Platform Hike (2:00 PM – 4:00 PM)

Volunteer Days

Friday, June 1st

Saturday, June 2nd

Friday, June 8th

Saturday June 9th

The native plant center is located in Robin Hill Farm County Park between Port Angeles and Sequim. From Highway 101, take Old Olympic Highway until the Robin Hill sign. Turn right on Vautier Road, then right on Pinnell Road. The native plant center will be on the left.

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Mountains In The Clouds by Bruce Brown

The story of Bruce Brown’s journey through Washington State’s Olympic Peninsula where the wild Pacific Salmon, once one of America’s most bountiful natural resources, are fighting for survival. From logging operations to commercial fishing to industrial pollution and waste, Brown describes how man’s exploitation of salmonids and waterways has virtually consigned these majestic creatures to extinction, threatening as a result both the region’s ecology and it’s people. Brown’s book was also one of the catalyst for removal of the Elwha Dams.

PURCHASE Mountains In The Clouds

King of Fish: The Thousand Year Run of Salmon by David R. Montgomery

PURCHASE King of Fish

Salmon Without Rivers by Jim Lichatowich

In Salmon Without Rivers, fisheries biologist Jim Lichatowich oers an eye-opening look at the roots and evolution of the salmon crisis in the Pacific Northwest. He describes the multitude of factors over the past century and a half that have led to the salmon’s decline, and examines in-depth the abject failure of restoration efforts that have focused almost exclusively on hatcheries to return salmon stocks to healthy levels without addressing the underlying causes of the decline.

PURCHASE Salmon Without Rivers

Skeena Steelhead by Robert S. Hooton

Skeena Steelhead is a story of one of the world’s premiere freshwater game fish.  You won’t find tales of heroic struggles with world-record summer steelhead.  Instead you’ll see the events that have conspired to imperil an internationally renowned treasure. The story begins with the Skeena steelhead biology and life history.  First Nations fisheries are studied.  Commercial fisheries that began 135 years ago are described in detail, showing their cumulative impact on homeward-bound Skeena steelhead.  This tragic story could only be told by someone firmly entrenched in the river’s fisheries management community.  Before his retirement, Bob Hooton was in charge of steelhead management on the Skeena and continues to be an inspirational defender of the Skeena’s steelhead. The situation is not hopeless, the Skeena’s remarkable steelhead runs can be restored.  In Skeena Steelhead Bob Hooton shows us how we can and, more importantly, why we must.

PURCHASE Skeena Steelhead

The Behavior and Ecology of Pacific Salmon & Trout by Thomas R. Quinn

Few subjects have generated as much emotional dialogue around conflicting scientific and policy agendas as the protection and management of Pacific salmon resources. In this major new work, esteemed fisheries expert Thomas Quinn distills from the vast scientific literature the essential information on the behavior and ecology of Pacific salmon, including steelhead and cutthroat trout. Written in a technically accurate but engaging style, it will appeal to a wide range of readers, including students, anglers, biologists, conservationists, legislators, and armchair naturalists.

PURCHASE The Behavior and Ecology of Pacific Salmon & Trout

Recovering a Lost River by Steven Hawley

In the Pacific Northwest, the Snake River and its wilderness tributaries were once some of the world’s greatest salmon rivers. As recently as a half century ago, they retained some of their historic bounty, with millions of fish returning to spawn. Now, due to four federal dams, the salmon population has dropped close to extinction. Efforts at salmon recovery through fish ladders, hatcheries, and even trucking them over the dams have failed. Recovering a Lost River depicts the compelling arguments and actions being made on behalf of salmon by a growing army of river warriors. Their message, persistent but disarmingly simple, is that all salmon need is water in their rivers, and a clear way home.

PURCHASE Recovering a Lost River

Read Ryan’s post on Patagonia’s The Cleanest Line blog about fly fishing for winter steelhead.

Keep up with film maker Ryan Peterson’s blog and guide Rich Zellman’s blog.

From Ryan:

A couple seasons ago I swapped fly rod for camera and followed my friend, Rich Zellman as he cast for winter-run steelhead. Over countless days, eye traced rod’s path, over and over again. And over again. This is what came of that effort.

Respect and special thanks to Patagonia for conscientiously manufacturing and supporting stuff that makes our lives more fun.

Sunrise on the Elwha River

On February 9, 2012, the four groups, Wild Fish Conservancy, The Conservation Angler, the Federation of Fly Fishers Steelhead Committee, and the Wild Steelhead Coalition filed suit in the US District Court for Western Washington in Tacoma against the Olympic National Park, NOAA Fisheries Service, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and representatives of the LEKT, alleging violations of the Endangered Species Act (ESA).  The agreement on not releasing fish in 2012 was filed with the same Court, and was approved and signed by Judge Benjamin H. Settle on Monday, February 27, 2012.

Federal and state scientists and a recent review by the Hatchery Scientific Review Group (HSRG) all argue that releases of non-native steelhead could slow natural recovery of the Elwha, and these same concerns were expressed by the groups in their suit.  The Fish Restoration Plan for the Elwha outlines releases of hatchery-raised steelhead and Chinook salmon.

Kurt Beardslee, Executive Director of Wild Fish Conservancy stated, “Hopefully this agreement can be expanded in discussions with the Tribe and the agencies so we can give the Elwha’s wild fish a better chance to recolonize the river.”

“We are glad we could come to an agreement with the Tribe on this,” said, Will Atlas, chair of the FFF Steelhead Committee, “and want to discuss the HSRG’s

Elwha Dam removal

report and science with them on all of the planned hatchery releases and together develop a way forward.”

“We appreciate the Tribe’s flexibility on this matter,” said Rich Simms, president of the Wild Steelhead Coalition, “and we recognize their special relationship to the watershed.  We want to work with them to both restore wild fish and meet their needs.”

“This is a good first step,” said Pete Soverel, president of The Conservation Angler. “We hope to discuss all the issues and exchange ideas to make the Fish Restoration Plan a better one.”

In the agreement, neither side has admitted to any claims or assertions made by the other party.  In addition, the agreement does not apply to any possible releases in future years.

The four conservation groups are represented by Brian Knutsen with the law firm of Smith and Lowney, PLLC, in Seattle.

• Signed Stipulation and Order Agreement filed in court
  
• Elwha Fish Hatchery Filed Complaint – U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington – Tacoma
• The HSRG Review of the Elwha River Fish Restoration Plan and cover letter

Elwha River dam removal

Group (HSRG) that restoration of the lower Elwha River and recolonization of the pristine upper Elwha River above Elwha and Glines Canyon dams should prioritize recovery of wild fish.  The proposed reliance on large-scale hatchery releases undermines ecosystem recovery and violates the ESA.  Wild Fish Conservancy, The Conservation Angler, the Federation of Fly Fishers Steelhead Committee, and the Wild Steelhead Coalition have brought the suit against the Olympic National Park, NOAA Fisheries Service, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and representatives of the Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe.

The federal government is spending nearly $325 million for the dam removal project, opening nearly ninety miles of pristine riverine habitat in Olympic National Park, much of which is designated a wilderness area.  Rather than allowing wild salmonids to naturally colonize this pristine habitat, the agencies and the Tribe are going ahead with a plan that will release approximately four million juvenile hatchery salmonids annually throughout the recovery, including the continued release of non-native steelhead during a five-year fishing moratorium. The hatchery releases will be supported by a new fish hatchery on the Elwha River built with $16.4 million of Stimulus Act funds.  State and federal agency scientists pointed out that the current plan gives no measureable goals for wild fish recovery, provides no timetable for ceasing the hatchery production, and that ultimately, wild fish recovery is going to be hampered by the hatchery fish.  A review released this week by the independent Hatchery Scientific Review Group (HSRG), which was organized and funded by Congress, has echoed these concerns.

“While the Tribe played an essential role in removing the dams,” said Kurt Beardslee, Executive Director of Wild Fish Conservancy, “their intent to now plant millions of hatchery fish in disregard of the scientific evidence undermines salmon recovery in the Northwest and the goals of the ESA.   However you look at it, it’s a horrible precedent if left to stand.”

Sunrise on the Elwha River

Will Atlas, chair of the FFF Steelhead Committee, stated “The science does not support planting of hatchery fish into this productive, pristine habitat.”

“This action is necessary,” said Rich Simms, president of the Wild Steelhead Coalition, “so that wild, not hatchery, steelhead will be restored to the Elwha and the Olympic Wilderness.”

“Their plan is vague and uncertain about how and when these hatchery interventions will end,” said Pete Soverel, president of The Conservation Angler. “The Elwha deserves far better but will end up compromised like most of our other rivers if this plan is implemented.”

The groups believe that spending $325 million to open a wilderness watershed but then stocking it with hatchery fish is poor public policy and will likely provoke taxpayer skepticism toward salmon recovery and future efforts at dam removal.  The groups support the right of the Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe to harvest salmon and steelhead, but argue that intensive hatchery production throughout the recovery will reduce the capacity of wild salmon and steelhead to recolonize the newly available habitat, harming ESA listed Puget Sound steelhead, Chinook salmon, and southern resident killer whales that depend on Chinook salmon for their survival.

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

• Elwha Fish Hatchery Filed Complaint – U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington – Tacoma
• The HSRG Review of the Elwha River Fish Restoration Plan and cover letter

]]> http://wildsteelheadcoalition.org/2012/02/suit-filed-to-block-elwha-hatchery-programs/feed/ 3 http://wildsteelheadcoalition.org/2012/02/dylan-tomine-speech-at-elwha-river-science-symposium/ http://wildsteelheadcoalition.org/2012/02/dylan-tomine-speech-at-elwha-river-science-symposium/#comments Fri, 10 Feb 2012 07:10:55 +0000 Jonathan http://wildsteelheadcoalition.org/?p=2148 Fisherman, and Patagonia ambassador, Dylan Tomine shares his concerns about restocking the Elwha River with non-native, hatchery-raised fish at the Elwha River Science Symposium. The Symposium was held in conjunction with the historic Elwha River dam removal project.

There’s this guy in Spokane, Washington (Josh Mills) that runs this really cool blog (Chucking Line and Chasing Tail). Just like his father, he really, really likes to fish for steelhead and wants to ensure his son has the same opportunity when the time comes for him to pick up a rod. So Josh has decided to host, along with Silver Bow Fly Shop, a showing of Confluence Films’ latest movie Connect and donate all of the proceeds to the WSC.

Admission to the event is $5 at the door and you can RSVP on the Facebook event page.

Raffle items have been donated by:

• Silver Bow Fly Shop
• Allen Fly Fishing
• Evolution Anglers
• Montana Fly Co.
• No Sports Allowed
• Sage
• Redington
• Rio
• Elusive Trout
• Lateral Line Media
• Korkers
• Deneki Outdoors
• Kirk Werner
• Northwest Steelhead Fishing
• …and numerous individuals have stepped up and tied a pile of specialty steelhead flies.

• Read more about the outcome of the WDFW’s decision on terminating the Snider Creek wild broodstock program.
• Read the comments the WSC submitted to the WDFW on the Snider Creek hatchery program.

1) the need to eliminate a mixed stock fishery where additional fishing pressure is created by early hatchery fish that depletes the early wild run

Courtesy of Olympic Peninsula Guides Association

2) a review of the recent research showing major impacts form hatchery smolts and adults on the production of wild fish.

A second set of comments by Richard Burge and John McMillan modeled the actual impacts of the Snider Creek hatchery on the Sol Duc wild run size, showing it was reduced at approximately 20% by hatchery fish (Snider Creek, summer Skamania stocks and straying Bogachiel hatchery fish) spawning in that river with wild fish. Both sets of comments spoke strongly for making the Sol Duc a WSMZ.  The only other candidate, the Clearwater, was far inferior for this purpose due to it’s damaged habitat, smaller runs and lost diversity

The WDFW and the Olympic Peninsula Guides Association plan to move the hatchery to the Bogachiel River and are presently looking for a site to build rearing and acclimation ponds.  Where-as this at first looks like a simple trade of rivers, the impacts to the Bogachiel will be fewer and the value to the Sol Duc will be much larger.  The Bogachiel is already heavily planted with Chambers Creek hatchery fish which attracts a large crowd every December and January.  The new wild brood stock hatchery on the Bogachiel will add fish that return during the early run time but slighter later in January and February. The smolt release will be reduced from 100,000 annual smolts to 50,000.  The Bogachiel offers more effort and improved access to catch these fish, meaning fewer will escape and spawn.

This change was not a perfect win for wild steelhead but probably the best and only one we could achieve.  It frees up the Sol Duc from hatchery fish (a few Bogachiel hatchery and summer Skamania hatchery fish may still stray there) to recover from 25 years of hatchery impacts and inadequate management.  This change offers the following good points for wild steelhead:

1. The Wild Steelhead Management Zone on the Sol Duc River that will allow for normal fishing times, gear use and harvest limits unless altered
2. The Sol Duc River will become a wild steelhead gene bank to preserve all of the wild steelhead genetic values of a major wild run on the Washington Coast
3.  This change and the no harvest rule from December through February 15 will provide the first realistic chance for the early wild run to recover.  That run was originally about ½ of the total run, was depleted by the increased pressure for larger numbers of hatchery fish, and will add significantly to the total abundance when recovered
4. Other management changes such as further protection of the early run for rebuilding and protection of resident steelhead (normally called rainbow trout) which are major contributors to the spawning population
5. A management model that should be very successful and show others the values to sport fishers of managing rivers without hatcheries: values that will include improved fishing, larger runs, and full season wild fish abundances