Woodland Creek Community Center 6729 Pacific Avenue SE, Lacey, WA 98503
Located in Olympia, Washington.
Welcome! Please look around our website. If we offer something you are interested in, you may want to attend a meeting.
Current Events Information
Our calendar has been updated with more events.
This Saturday 5/14 the City of Lakewood is having a Kid's Fishing event at the boat ramp on American Lake. They say they have a number of volunteers but few fishermen to help the kids fish on the lake. If you can help these kids fish on the net just show up at 7:00 AM or give John Pahutski, WDFW a call at (360)480-5177. John will have fish stocked inside a netted area. There is a large sandy beach area to fish from. Go enjoy yourselves.
455 kids fished the Lacey Family Fish-In on April 9.
On Saturday April 16 we will have our annual Boat Show and Safety inspection in the upper parking lot at Swantown from 9:30 AM to 1:00 PM. This in opportunity for you to show off your boat and more importantly get it inspected to ensure it meets all the Coast Guard safety requirements. A representative of the U. S. Power Squadron will conduct the surveys and will issue a decal to be placed on the boat verifying that it has all the required safety gear. I have found that having the decal has allowed me to avoid safety inspections by the Coast Guard or local law enforcement officials. If you plan to bring your boat make sure that you check all your flares to make sure that they are current and also that the navigation lights are working. Those are the most common causes of failure to pass the inspection. We hope to see you all Saturday morning. Allen Morrow
You might find this interesting in light of the CCA/PSA emails I forwarded last month.
Allen From: CCA Washington
Sent: Tuesday, April 05, 2022 10:53 AM
To: Allen Morrow
Subject: Final Budget Approved by Governor Inslee Legislative Update
Hi Allen, Several weeks ago, our final legislative update provided details on several priorities that CCA, along with our coalition partners, worked on this session. At the end of last week, Governor Inslee signed the budget into law, but did issue section vetoes of several fishery conservation and reform provisions that the legislature funded in the budget. Voluntary Non-tribal Columbia River Buyback We are pleased to announce that a voluntary buyback of non-tribal gillnet licenses has been approved by the Governor. This $14.4 million budget item includes language ensuring that the buyback benefits salmon and steelhead conservation by reducing impacts of the gillnet fishery while supporting selective harvest methods that are better suited to protect wild salmonid populations and non-target species, such as B-run steelhead. This voluntary buyback program is a huge step toward getting the bi-state Columbia River fishery reforms back on track and transitioning non-tribal gillnets out of the mainstem Columbia River and into off-channel areas. CCA’s focus will now turn to closely monitoring WDFW’s implementation of the buyback and ensuring their fishery policies align with this renewed direction from the Legislature and Governor. Puget Sound Salmon Harvest Reporting and Transparency Unfortunately, Governor Inslee vetoed two budget items designed to increase transparency in the broken North of Falcon process. This first item he vetoed would have simply required WDFW to issue a report to the Legislature documenting the total harvest related mortalities to ESA-listed Puget Sound Chinook compared to established fishery conservation objectives over the past 10 years. The Governor cited insufficient funding to prepare the report, although much of this information is already a requirement of the 1985 Puget Sound Salmon Management Plan. WDFW has not produced this information for many years. The other item vetoed by Governor Inslee is funding to improve salmon population data analysis and WDFW staffing to effectively engage in the North of Falcon process. The Governor’s veto was based on a requirement that any state-generated documents and notes from North of Falcon be made available to the public following the conclusion of the process. The Governor was concerned that a more open and transparent process will make negotiations with tribal entities more difficult. Using Science to Establish Commercial Fishery Mortality Estimates Governor Inslee also vetoed a third-party scientific review of WDFW’s fishery mortality estimates for the lower Columbia River non-tribal commercial fishing gears. WDFW has never done a scientific study to determine the release mortality rates from gillnets and rarely subjects the fishery to monitoring. While the Governor claims to support science, it is surprising that he is unwilling to allow a scientific review of commercial mortality estimates. It is difficult to understand why anyone would oppose transparency and science in the management of a public resource.
!!!!!! SPECIAL NOTE: !!!!!!
I am forwarding this request that those interested in the North of Falcon season setting provide support at the meeting on Wednesday March 30. Information on how to sign in on Zoom is in the material. Allen Morrow From: rgarner755@aol.com Sent: Sunday, March 27, 2022 9:22 AM
To: rgarner755@aol.com (PSA State-Level Board Members)
Subject: Re: Please review for urgent action alert for all PSA Chapters Chapters, Please send this out to your members if you agree. Dan Stauffer who has been working on our behalf at North of Falcon for years, wrote this up asking for participation at the North of Falcon meeting #2 via zoom. Link to the website is below.
Go to the March 30th meeting from 9-3. This is very important to get our fisheries back. Read very carefully. Thank you Ron Garner
https://wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/management/north-falcon/public-meetings
To all, once again it is North of Falcon season and we have a need to show unity and make our opinions known to WDFW in a very clear manner. I humbly ask for the broader PSA memberships support at North of Falcon #2 this Wednesday March 30th. I have included the link to the webinar registration. On the meeting calendar tree click the Join a Meeting tab for NOF #2 March 30th and request the Puget Sound Rec breakout room. You will sent an email link to join the meeting .
For a bit of background, after the forecast meeting and NOF #1 I felt rather secure in thinking we could achieve very similar seasons to last year with a few wiggles and tweaks to get us there. This, despite uncertainties around managing chinook under the precepts of the newly submitted Resource Management Plan and a new baseline period in the FRAM associated with said RMP. Unfortunately the first proposed fisheries package the state submitted for modeling contained some surprising details that caused some upheaval this week and resulted in this letter to you, my peers.
I will outline my strategy below, centered around certain topics of discussion I think will happen on Wednesday. The summer A7 chinook season is proposed to start August 15th and run concurrent with the coho season. There is a position among the Sportfish Advisory Group that this action offers enough savings to also model a February winter blackmouth season in A7 without taking impacts from other areas. This should also avoid last years debacle. I feel strongly that many Samish chinook will be subject to commercial clean up if the Bellingham Bay bubble fishery is under utilized under this proposal. As currently modeled A9 will NOT be open for chinook until August 1st! This will be devastating for Port Townsend and severely limit our opportunity to achieve any sort of harvest share on Skokomish/George Adams chinook before they migrate into A12. The Sportfish Advisors will be vocal about retaining the July period in A9. Please support this! A10 is modeled to open on July 16th. There are realistic worries effort shift could close A10 before many adult chinook runs arrive in August. Also, if you hear discussion of reopening the portion of A9 north of the Hood Canal Bridge please support it. I don't think we will get it, but this has been a long term goal of many and I do think we can attain this goal soon if we don't don't lose momentum. In rather worrisome news, the WDFW and Tribes have not come to agreement on how to model coho this year. We do have issues to work around, but also see pleasing signs of recovery elsewhere that show our rebuilding plan for the events of 2015/16 are working. The Sportfish Advisors will likely discuss recent harvest imbalances tilting in favor of the tribes in areas 8-1, 8-2 and 10. We should strongly support suggestions to remedy this imbalance in those three areas. Winter blackmouth season is being modeled in A10 in the February period rather than March as discussed at NOF#1. After the Makah winter troll and Tulalip commercial fisheries were added to the FRAM, late!! all the chinook impact numbers that looked workable went up by a fair margin. I know we will be asked to help bring those numbers down. I know the tribes don't care for our winter fisheries and I suspect these fisheries are first on the chopping block. The charter fleet is making a case for more Catch & Release to create more time on the water. They may have a point, and their association has one very passionate member driving this, but watch the harvest calculator on the live modeling tool we use. The total chinook harvest goes way down when either winter BM or C&R is added to FRAM. I would also point out that C&R was heralded as a tool to preserve steelhead opportunity and we are all too familiar with that story. Lastly, remember that the N.W.I.F.C. has a new Chair this NOF season. He is certainly under pressure to establish strong leadership. As this is potentially the last year of seeking our ESA exemption under Section 7 the tribes will be looking for everything possible under "their" permit and the state probably won't rock the boat for fear of threatening the approval process of the new chinook RMP. Key points for additional emphasis, or the hard stuff. ● Use the chat function liberally! Load it up. Identify yourself and affiliation especially in regards to your home waters. Be respectful, but very firm. The WDFW does read the chat! Remember, you may get what you ask for! Don't put in print, on the record exactly what you're willing to give up. ● Please refrain from 'Raising Your Hand' to speak. Your club leaders and the Sportfish Advisors need your support, but too much WDFW and/or Tribe bashing will disrupt and derail achieving our goals. ● A9 July period is very important. This may be the loudest issue of the year. Keep the chat active. ● Areas 8-1, 8-2 and 10's coho harvest imbalance must be emphasized. Again chat. ● Speak your heart about winter blackmouth and C&R opportunity, but please pay attention to the harvest count. Losing thousands of adult chinook from our coolers for limited time opportunity in the winter deserves careful consideration. ● As discussion works its way towards terminal and river fisheries you may notice a lack of engagement. Leadership for some of these opportunities has been somewhat absent. This where to 'Raise Your Hand' and speak live for your home waters. ● Late season unmarked coho opportunity seems achievable in A5 and A6 despite low Strait of Juan de Fuca returns. Sekiu and the peninsula chapters needs our support on this goal. In closing, let me express my strong sentiment that this NOF season can be a moment for us to proudly show by example what our creed " Puget Sound Anglers are bound by nothing but integrity and our own common goals" means to us. Sorry for the length of this appeal to my peers, I thank you sincerely for your membership and dedication to those precious common goals. Proudly a Puget Sound Angler, Dan H. Stauffer V.P. PSA SnoKing
((Please see pdf document "PSA Letter to ....." at the bottom of this page))
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Once again it is time to pay your yearly dues. For a family membership it is $35.00 and for a corporate membership it is $75.00. Dues are due by April. If you do not pay by then, you wil be removed from the membership list, will not receive The Reel News, or the clubs newsletter. You can pay your dues at the monthly meetings or send a check to the club at:
Puget Sound Anglers
P.O.Box 1002
Olympia, Washington 98507
!!NEW!!
Hi everyone, WDFW is looking for help in its efforts to fin clip hatchery salmon before they are released. These are the hatcheries where help is needed Clear Creek and Kalama Creek on the Nisqually. Coulter Creek, Garrison, Issaquah, Minter Creek, Naselle, Nemah, Lyons Ferry, Soos Creek and Speelyai. Information on how you can volunteer is in the News Release.
From: WDFW Public Affairs Sent: Friday, March 11, 2022 5:05 PM
Subject: WDFW News Release: Volunteers sought as WDFW marks millions of hatchery salmon for release
WDFW NEWS RELEASE Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife 1111 Washington St. SE, Olympia, WA 98501 wdfw.wa.gov March 11, 2022 Hatchery contact: Jill Cady, 360-902-2819 Volunteer contact: Christine Redmond, 360-902-8303 Public Affairs contact: Ben Anderson, 360-902-0045
Volunteers sought as WDFW marks millions of hatchery salmon for release Paid positions also available as marking effort continues OLYMPIA – The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) is seeking additional help marking more than 110 million hatchery salmon and steelhead to identify them as hatchery fish before being released into state waters in 2022. WDFW’s mass-marking program has played a vital role in salmon management since the mid-1990s. Hatchery fish are marked by clipping their adipose fin while still in the fry stage, before being released to make their way from their home waters to the ocean and back. This marking helps differentiate hatchery fish from natural-origin or “wild” fish, playing a key role in fisheries where anglers may encounter salmon stocks or species listed under the Endangered Species Act. WDFW is currently hiring paid positions to perform this vital work, but staffing in recent years has been challenging, said Eric Kinne, WDFW’s Hatchery Division manager. “This work is essential to fishing throughout the state, and critical to salmon conservation efforts,” said Kinne. “We continue working to recruit for these positions, but last year members of the community stepped up in a big way to help us complete this annual effort.” This work is performed every year for several months in the spring and early summer, at hatchery facilities across Washington. Work is often performed in shifts throughout the day and even on weekends, so there are many opportunities to volunteer. Anyone interested in volunteering at a WDFW hatchery can visit WDFW’s website at https://wdfw.wa.gov/get-involved/volunteer Anyone interested in applying for a paid marking position can look for positions in their area and apply through Kelly Services. These temporary, full-time positions pay $16.49 per hour with the ability to start immediately, no experience required and training provided. WDFW requested additional funding ahead of this year’s legislative session to improve automation of its marking process and fund additional work, but much of the annual marking effort is still done by hand by employees and volunteers working in marking trailers. “We have 11 million more fish to mark this year than last year, which is great news but also means we need even more help in 2022,” Kinne said. “If this work isn’t completed, it could have big impacts on fisheries in Washington.” To learn more about WDFW’s mass-marking program, visit https://wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/management/hatcheries/mass-marking. The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife works to preserve, protect, and perpetuate fish, wildlife and ecosystems while providing sustainable fish, wildlife, and recreational and commercial opportunities.
!!! ALSO !!!
If you haven’t seen this release it is your chance to let WDFW know what you think about current and future opportunities to fish for coastal bottom fish. Allen Morrow From: WDFW Public Affairs Sent: Tuesday, March 08, 2022 4:44 PM
Subject: WDFW News Release: Public invited to provide input on 2023-2024 coastal recreational bottomfish fisheries
WDFW NEWS RELEASE Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife 1111 Washington St. SE, Olympia, WA 98501 wdfw.wa.gov March 8, 2022 Contact: Lorna Wargo, 360-581-5611 Public Affairs Contact: Ben Anderson, 360-902-0045 Public invited to provide input on 2023-2024 coastal recreational bottomfish fisheries
OLYMPIA – The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) is hosting two virtual public meetings this spring to discuss management options for coastal recreational bottomfish, including rockfish, lingcod and other non-salmon species, in 2023 and 2024. The first of these meetings will be held on Wednesday, March 16, while the second will take place on Tuesday, May 3. Both meetings start at 2 p.m. West Coast bottomfish are managed by the Pacific Fishery Management Council (PFMC) on a biennial management cycle. PFMC is currently considering harvest levels -- annual catch limits -- and management measures such as seasons and bag limits that will affect Washington coastal bottomfish fisheries in 2023-24. The purpose of the Wednesday, March 16 meeting is to review options for the coastal recreational bottomfish season prior to PFMC’s April meeting, when the council will adopt recommendations for public review. The purpose of the Tuesday, May 3 meeting is to consider the recommendations and hear input from the public on Washington coastal recreational bottomfish fishery prior to the PFMC’s June 2022 meeting when final regulations will be adopted. WDFW hosted two earlier meetings in October 2021 and January 2022 to provide stakeholders with an overview of PFMC’s biennial process for bottomfish, as well as harvest trends and new abundance information for several stocks. The spring meetings will be conducted virtually on Microsoft Teams. To participate, visit the meeting link, or call in to the meeting and then enter the meeting ID. • March 16, 2022 Call-in: 564-999-2000 Meeting ID: 569371062# • May 3, 2022 Call-in: 564-999-2000 Meeting ID: 140310854# For more information, visit wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/regulations/halibut. The meetings will be recorded and posted online so people can also watch afterwards at their convenience. For more information on bottomfish management, visit PFMC’s website at https://www.pcouncil.org/managed_fishery/groundfish/. The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife works to preserve, protect, and perpetuate fish, wildlife and ecosystems while providing sustainable fish and wildlife recreational and commercial opportunities.
House Bill 2027 - One more negative bill added, please respond.
Thank you for helping us with these bills. This recently added bill needs your response too. These bills are to take over WDFW. If taken over by any branch of state government, you will see HSRG reimplemented. When the administration changes, i.e, the Governor, House, or Senate, which can happen every 4 years, is going to change WDFW's direction. WDFW will become a political pawn at our expense. The way it is structured now, it does not have to bend to new legislators or governor. It flows on its own. It just needs to be run like a commission with quality appointees and fully staffed so it can function properly.
This Bill is a restructuring/governance of WDFW and possibly eliminating the WDFW Commission. This is another giant power grab and to bring back HSRG.
From the bill:
"The legislature intends to convene a task force to provide recommendations to the legislature for the establishment of a new governance structure for the department of fish and wildlife, including restructuring or potentially eliminating the fish and wildlife commission."
Oppose this bill. Sample language you may use or read the bill and make your own:
This possible restructure or elimination of the Commission is a take away of the people's right to public access to our WDFW/Commission that was established by vote in 1995 by Referendum 45 and passed by 61%.
We do not want the government taking away the voice of the people. We need to stay with the Commission and its mandate to honor it as written. Please kill this bill.
Please see below for information about legislation action(s) being considered regarding our future fishing opportunities.
Once again it is time to pay your yearly. dues. For a family membership it is $35.00 and for a corporate membership it is $75.00. Dues are due by April. If you do not pay by then, you will be taken off the membership list, will no longer receive the club letter and The Reel News.
You can pay your dues at the monthly meetings or sent a check to the club address: Puget Sound Anglers, P.O.Box 1002, Olympia, Washington 98507.
If you need more information you can contact me ay 360-491-0431 or e-mail me at deeglenn2@comcast.net.
Dee Glenn
Secretary/Treasurer
What is happening?
We've got an Outing planned for Saturday 1/29/22 in Grayland.
The plan is to leave MudBay Park & Ride at 12:30pm on Saturday 1/29/22. Heading for Grayland to have a bonfire and eat some dogs before digging clams.
For those that would like to try fishing for Surf Perch there should be time before digging. Long range forecast is for some strong winds. I'll keep you posted.
It should be a daylight dig. Low Tide is 4:30 and is a -0.7
For those that would like to meet us down there, we will be at the usual spot behind Grayland Beach State Park. Hit the beach, turn left and look for the 1st fresh water flowing over the beach. We will be set up just before it. Look for the Blue/White Outings Banner
Let me know if you plan on joining us and I'll throw in enuf dogs for everybody. It is a great way to get out of the house and I have yet to hear of clams spreading any virus.
If you are interested in going or would like some more information, just holler at me or Mike.
Allen Morrow ramorrow@pacifier.com
360-866-0189
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Mike Silvers
Puget Sound Anglers South Sound Chapter
setthehook55@gmail.com
cell/text (360)951-5160
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Please take a look at this document. It addresses an attempt by some in the legislature to place control of WDFW’s salmon hatchery program in the hands of groups opposed to its very existence. This effort will become law unless we can create enough public comment in opposition to it. If any of these bills pass, we will have even less opportunities to fish than we have today.
Allen Morrow, President
South Sound Chapter Puget Sound Anglers
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 (Power grab 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 Full Bill Document for SB5721
SB5656 Full Bill Document for SB5656
HB1653 Full Bill Document forHB1653
Thank you
Puget Sound Anglers
Be sure to check the Club News tab and the Calendar tab to see what is currently going on with our club. Monthly meetings are held at the Lacey Community Center/Woodland Creek Community Park (see directions below) on the first Thursday of each month. All are welcome to attend. Come listen to our guest speaker and other fish stories.
WDFW Announcement
Area 13 + has reopened!
FISHING RULE CHANGE
WASHINGTON DEPARTMENT OF FISH AND WILDLIFE
600 Capitol Way North, Olympia, WA 98501-1091
May 19, 2021
Marine Area 13 open to salmon fishing
Action: Re-opens salmon seasons under permanent rules as listed in the 2020/2021 Washington Sport Fishing Rules pamphlet.
Effective date: Immediately.
Species affected: Salmon.
Location: Marine Area 13.
Reason for action: Federal Endangered Species Act consultations on 2021-22 Puget Sound salmon fisheries have been completed (NMFS Consultation #WCR-2021-01008), and a Biological Opinion and Incidental Take Statement have been issued. Accordingly, Marine Area 13 salmon fisheries can be reopened consistent with preseason fishing plans.
Information contact: Fish Program, 360-902-2700
Fishers must have a current Washington fishing license, appropriate to the fishery. Check the WDFW "Fishing in Washington" rules pamphlet for details on definitions and regulations. Fishing rules are subject to change. Check the WDFW Fishing hotline for the latest rule information at (360) 902-2500, press 2 for recreational rules. For the Shellfish Rule Change hotline call (360)796-3215 or toll free 1-866-880-5431.
Individuals who need to receive this information in an alternative format, language, or who need reasonable accommodations to participate in WDFW-sponsored public meetings or other activities may contact the Title VI/ADA Compliance Coordinator by phone at 360-902-2349, TTY (711), or email (Title6@dfw.wa.gov).
Fishers must have a current Washington fishing license, appropriate to the fishery. Check the WDFW "Fishing in Washington" rules pamphlet for details on fishing seasons and regulations. Fishing rules are subject to change. Check the WDFW Fishing hotline for the latest rule information at (360) 902-2500, press 2 for recreational rules. For the Shellfish Rule Change hotline call (360)796-3215 or toll free 1-866-880-5431.
