The Outdoor Line Forum

Occupy Skagit 2014

Last April we gathered at Howard Miller Steelhead park in Rockport to show support for changing the management paradigm for wild Skagit Steelhead. Currently, all of Puget Sound Steelhead are considered by the ESA as one Distinct Population Segment (DPS) and as such are listed by them as threatened to become an endangered species.

The decision can be read here:
http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2007-05 ... 7-9089.pdf

The decision covers all of Puget Sound from the Elwah to the Canadian border, every piece of fresh water between these two points that dumps into the sound is affected by this listing. The health of each individual run is not considered on its own merit, but instead the entire area's steelhead are tainted with the aura of “nearing extinction”. While this may be true of many streams affected by the listing it is not true for all of them – the Skagit in particular continues to return healthy escapement numbers. These numbers can be seen to be fluctuating up and down in what many consider to be it's carrying capacity zone.

Scientists can argue over the numbers, their validity and what they mean but here they are in ten year increments:
1978 – 5,757 (the first year that I can find for WDFW escapement numbers)
1983 - 7,732
1993 - 6,900
2003 - 6,818
2013 – 8,800

The goal of Occupy Skagit is to restore the Catch and Release Steelhead season on the Skagit that used to run for Feb 1 – April 30.

In order for this season to be granted by NOAA and NMFS a basin specific Steelhead Management Plan agreed upon by all parties, WDFW and Tribes, needs to be submitted and approved.

Is it possible?
Yes!
It was done for Chinook (almost instantaneously I might add) and it can certainly be done for Steelhead.

The event last April garnered the notice that it was intended to. Believe it or not, we were actually recognized and discussed in the halls of bureaucracy. The wheel is starting to turn, but it has yet to gather it's own momentum. It needs another push!

There are two events scheduled with the meeting in Olympia being the single most important thing you could attend. Rockport is fun, but the real deal is in Olympia.

Occupy Skagit - March 29th
Howard Miller Steelhead Park in Rockport

Occupy Skagit Commissioners Meeting - April 12th 8:30 am
Natural Resources Building
1111 Washington St SE, Olympia, WA - First Floor, Room 172

Wish like heck I could be there for this, but Nelly and I are fishing in the Anacortes Derby that weekend. If the river was open I'd be fishin' up there instead!

Plenty of coverage on the Outdoor Line, however, in hopes of getting a big crowd up there to the Howard Miller Steelhead Park on March 29th

Please keep us posted on what goes on. I would be there but will be in reno that weekend. Rocjport down to the dutchman is one of my favorite stretches of the river.

Thank you for your support!

If you can't make it to Rockport, there is always the Commissioners meeting two weeks later.

Spent many a frozen morning in the Birdsview stretch with Nelly and the guys in search of one of those broad shouldered Skagit nates. As long as we are respectful of those awesome fish there should be no reason not to enjoy that fishery again.

It seems there are some folks that think we are pushing for a fly fishing only C&R season.

Nothing could be further from the truth.

The season we lost was conducted under the Selective Gear Rules which can be found on page 11 of the 2013-2014 WDFW Regulation Pamphlet. To save you from looking them up I have copied them for you below.

Selective Gear Rules Only unscented artificial
flies or lures with one single-point, barbless hook
are allowed. Up to a total of three artificial flies or
lures, each containing one single-point, barbless
hook may be used. Bait is prohibited; fish may
be released until the daily limit is retained. Only
knotless nets may be used to land fish except
where specifically allowed under Special Rules
for individual waters. If any fish has swallowed
the hook or is hooked in the gill, eye, or tongue,
it should be kept if legal to do so.

It is the position of us that are involved, that the restored season would be conducted under these very same rules. It worked before and it can work again.

Saturday, the 8th, Curt was on The Outdoor Line radio show discussing Occupy Skagit. Here is a link to the podcast:
http://theoutdoorline.com/podcasts/

During the event at the park I have reserved the open shelter that we used last year. As I recall it has some or one BBQ facility in case anyone is interested. There are others spread around the park also.

As I've mentioned before, the event at the park is a great time, tons of fun, and a perfect time to catch up with old friends while trying to garner some public and media attention. But the serious work of Occupy Skagit gets done in Olympia. The commissioners meeting is the one place where your voice gets heard, noticed and recorded. You get to look the movers and shakers of WDFW right in the eye and tell them what you want. These are the guys that decide and direct what gets priority in the department.

As you might guess there is an enormous amount of attention directed toward harvest opportunities statewide that keeps these commissioners occupied full time. A little ole C&R fishery up north that is shut down for no logical reason is not even on the back burner. And as far as the feds go, it is probably safe to say that it is not even in the kitchen. We can change that.

The format at the meeting is that you arrive early, fill out a quick form to be allowed to speak to them. All very formal and timed. You are allowed three minutes to say your piece. You don't have to speak for three minutes – you can give them as brief of a statement, or question, as you like.

I would also point out that speaking is NOT required. As I recall there are about 30-40 chairs in the room and lots of standing room. When I speak I am going to ask the crowd to raise a hand if their attendance is Skagit related. If you can show up and do that, it will means just as much, if not more as any statement you might make.

We need to get this fishery back

Not only is it my #1 all time favorite place to fish this fishery also brings in much needed revenue to the small towns in the upper Skagit Valley. Most of these small businesses are hurting now because of the closure of this fishery.

It's time to convince NOAA to allow each river basin to be managed on it's own, much like they have done with the Chinook fisheries, so that the Skagit can once again be opened up for CNR steelhead fishing.

Special thanks to the group of men that have kept this on the radar at WDFW and subsequently NOAA. Without you guys the Skagit might be closed indefinitely. Now...we have a chance!!!!

Just a reminder.

The date of the Occupy Skagit Event (March 29th is fast approaching). Hope to see many of you on the river than day. The commission meeting two weeks later will be another opportunity to show your support for restoring past fisheries on stocks that are doing well. Over the long haul support in front of the commission may be even more important (though not as much fun) as the river event.

Curt

An update on Occupy Skagit 2014.

The on river gathering was attended by 45 or 50 so supporters.

The commission was this morning where 10 individuals with most providing oral testimony. Once again that testimony was well received by both the agency and the commission. The commission complemented that group on its obvious passion for both the wild resource and the potentially fishing they could provide and the over all "professionalism" of those presentations.

A key part of the presentations is that fish are doing their part and it is time for the managers to do their part.

They have received the message and dialogues with both the co-managers and NMFS are on going. While progress is not what we would hope for but the wheels of bureaucracy are slowly moving in the right direction.

To date the energy, passion, and heavy lifting is being done by the fly fishing community. In fact a key commissioner member acknowledged the passion exhibited by that community indicated support for providing this opportunity for the fly anglers. While we are well aware of the broad support that Skagit spring CnR steelhead season received from the diverse angling community and the organizers of the Occupy Skagit have attempted to stress that wide appeal of that fishery support from outside of the fly community has largely been MIA.

Curt