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May 2008 Featured ArticlesThe Magnificant Wild North Umpqua Steelhead The Magnificent Wild North Umpqua Winter Steelhead High in the cascades, within sight of spectacular Mount Thielsen, the Wild and Scenic North Umpqua emerges full grown from the lava field aquifers that surround Crater Lake, a rugged river coursing through majestic corridors of old growth conifer and broadleaves, its bedrock channel polished smooth by eons of rushing water. Snow mantles the ridges, and higher up, breaks in the wind torn clouds reveal glimpses of lofty pinnacles. Deep in the canyon the jade green river glides through satin smooth pools, tumbles over chutes into booming rapids, and slows somewhere downriver to glide once more in momentary respite before the next chute. It is that way all through the canyon. Rain showers come and go while sprightly water ouzels splash and swim in the shallows, cheerfully warbling their lilting melody. Briefly a ray of faint winter sun slants through the silvery mist drifting in the Douglas fir, cedar, and hemlock, and there, amidst the beauty of it all, are the steelhead pools. For reasons that cannot be put into words, you know that it is the most beautiful river you have ever seen, and deep within the rushing currents, finning their way into the fly water between Idleyld and Soda Springs, are the magnificent North Umpqua wild winter steelhead, among the most beautiful on earth,… fresh run fish that will aggressively take a fly. To see, ever so briefly, such a steelhead beached gleamingly on the clean gravel is a glimpse into another world that can be entered in no other way. AFTER YOU HAVE HOOKED A MAGNIFICENT WILD WINTER STEELHEAD, FOUGHT IT, LANDED IT, PHOTGRAPHED IT, AND MEASUREDED IT, WHAT MORE DOES IT HAVE TO DO FOR YOU? KEEP THE CIRCLE UNBROKEN! RELEASE IT TO SPAWN AGAIN! Umpqua Wild Steelhead Need Your Help! Umpqua Wild Steelhead Need Your Help!On Monday May 5th 2008 Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) announced their proposed changes to the 2009-2012 Oregon Sport Fishing Regulations. Please visit the ODFW website and download a copy of the “2009 Oregon Sport Fishing Regulation Development: A Public Process May Meeting Packet”: http://www.dfw.state.or.us/news/2008/may/050508.asp or contact Rhine Messmer of ODFW for a copy (phone: (503) 947-6214 email: rhine.t.messmer@state.or.us). There are eight different proposed regulations that would allow for the harvest of wild winter steelhead on the Umpqua system. A very vocal, organized group is doing their best to get the 1 wild steelhead/day, 5 wild steelhead/year kill regulation re-instated. We need all advocates of wild steelhead from far and wide to speak out strongly and in large numbers against the proposed kill regulations if we are to see the current wild steelhead release regulation stay in place on the Umpqua. ODFW adopts the sport fishing regulations through a “public process”—it is up to the public to let ODFW know which regulations they support or oppose. This is your opportunity to speak loud and clear to ODFW regarding your stand on killing Umpqua wild steelhead. Here is how to get your voice heard:
1. Write a letter: Share your thoughts with ODFW on the proposed regulations. Address letters to: ODFW, Angling Regulations, 3406 Cherry Avenue NE, Salem OR 97303 or you can email your letter to Rhine Messmer (Angling Regulations Coordinator) at the email address listed above. All letters and emails will be forwarded to the Fish and Wildlife Commission as part of the public record. Anyone who is affected by the proposed regulations is encouraged to write, one does not have to reside in Oregon to participate. 2. Attend a Public Meeting: Throughout the month of May are ten public meetings where ODFW staff presents an overview of the Public Process and proposals for statewide regulations. Then district staff will present the proposals for a given Angling Zone—there should be several Zones represented at most meetings. There should also be time for questions and comments from the public. The remaining meeting details are: May 23rd in Tillamook at the Oregon Dept. of Forestry, 5005 3rd St; May 27 in Salem at the ODF&W Headquarters, 3406 cherry Ave NE and May 28th in Clackamas at the Sunnybrook Service Center (Clackamas County Building) 9101 SE Sunnybrook Center. 3. Testify at a Commission Meeting: There are two Commission meetings where the public has the opportunity to comment: August 8th at ODFW Headquarters in Salem and September 12th at Oregon Hatchery Research Center near Alsea. You can find details on presenting testimony to the Commission at the ODFW website: http://www.dfw.state.or.us/agency/commission/procedures.asp
Steamboaters will issue a position paper on the proposed Umpqua regulations, highlighting problems we see with re-instating the kill fishery—we will distribute this paper in the coming weeks. The position paper will have plenty of points one can use in their letter writing efforts and talking points for the public meetings. The intent of this notice is to let you know what is happening and ask you to get involved in the public process. It cannot be stressed enough how important it is to have a large show of opposition to all variants of the kill regulation. One version of the 1/5 regulation proposal was submitted 175 times. Not only is there a large contingent of sport fishers that support killing wild winter steelhead on the Umpqua, ODFW Staff is in favor of re-opening the river to wild steelhead harvest. Steamboaters are in the process of crafting a detailed, in-depth formal argument against the kill regulation that we will distribute to the Commission in late June. We will make this set of documents available to any interested party at that time. Until then, please get involved--start writing letters and plan on attending a public meeting this month. Get the word out to as many people as possible—that magnificent race of wild winter steelhead that call the Umpqua home are depending on us.
If you have any questions regarding the Public Process, please contact Steamboaters at steamboaters@hotmail.com |
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