Angling Regulations

      Every four years the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife conducts a public process to review and develop angling regulations. The process is as follows:

December 1, 2007 to February 29, 2008 - ODFW will accept angling regulation proposals from interested members of the public. To receive a package of materials, visit the ODFW web site: www.dfw@state.or.us.

Public meetings will be held from 7 pm to 10 pm in the following locations to discuss proposed angling regulations:

     May 13, 2008 - LaGrande

     May 14, 2008 - Bend

     May 15, 2008 - Klamath Falls

     May 16, 2008 - Central Point

     May 20, 2008 - Roseburg

     May 21, 2008 - Springfield

     May 22, 2008 - Newport

     May 23, 2008 - Tillamook

     May 27, 2008 - Salem

     May 28, 2008 - Portland

For meeting locations, check your local newspaper the week prior to the meeting date or any ODFW office.

The ODFW will meet August 8th, 2008 to discuss the proposed regulations. On September 11-12, 2008, the Commission will adopt the 2009 Oregon Sport Fishing Regulations. All Commission meetings are open to the public. Testimony is welcomed and encouraged. New regulations will take effect January 1, 2009.

Native Fish Conservation Plan

     The Native Fish Conservation Policy was adopted by the F&W Commission in 2002 to provide a framework for protection of wild fish, while integrating responsible hatchery programs and maintaining opportunities for sport, commercial, and tribal fisheries. That’s a tall order. The policy calls for the development of conservation plans for “individual species management units.”

     Kevin Goodson in ODFW’s Salem office explained that steelhead in the North Umpqua are a part of one of these Evolutionary Significant Units or ESU’s which may encompass multiple watersheds. For example, the department is currently working on the plan for Coastal Coho. The development of these plans will be prioritized. based on a Statewide Status Report expected to be published in late June. 

Steamboat Creek Watershed Plan

In September, the Forest Service issued a draft Environmental Assessment for Watershed Restoration efforts in the Steamboat Creek drainage. (See the President’s Message for a recap of the public meeting held in Roseburg). The EA includes a No Action alternative, and four others which include various amounts of in-stream restoration, culvert improvement, road maintenance, and road decommissioning.

The hot-button item is the proposal to decommission some roads. Although a good road system provides access for recreation and fire suppression, the road system is a huge source of sediment in the streams and maintenance funds are in short supply. The study area currently has approximately 160 miles of road, averaging 3.1 miles/square mile. Under the agency’s Preferred Alternative (Alt.2), 86.7 miles of road would be improved and 72.3 miles would be decommissioned. Under the Aquatic Alternative (Alt. 3) 78.5 miles of road would be improved, and 80.5 miles of road would be decommissioned. The "No Action" Alternative would keep all 160 miles of road intact.

Lamprey Status

A settlement agreement was reached between the plaintiffs (including Steamboaters) and the US Fish & Wildlife Service on the petition for listing of four species of Pacific Lamprey. USFWS was required to issue a finding on the merits of the original petition within 90 days - to determine if available evidence warranted additional investigation a decision on listing. They did not meet this deadline (and typically can’t because of lack of resources). The latest complaint, filed May 26, 2004 was to compel the publication of the required 90-day findings.

Under terms of the agreement, USFWS will issue their finding on the original petition by December 20, 2004. If that finding concludes that the petition is supported by “substantial scientific or commercial information indicting that the petitioned action may be warranted” they must publish a 12-month finding by November 15, 2005. As the losing party in this action, USFWS will pay for the litigation costs, approximately $6500. The will be a public comment period following publication of the finding in late December.

Lampreys provide a huge nutrient transfer from the ocean to waterways used by other anadromous fish, particularly important for the relatively nutrient-poor western Cascades watersheds. In the North Umpqua, lamprey counts at Winchester Dam were as high as 46,000 in 1965. The 7-year average from 1965 – 1971 was over 25,000. The counts then decreased dramatically – from 1975 through 1995 the average count was under 2,000; since 1995 the count hasn’t exceeded 50. Other west coast streams have seen similar declines.