Commissioners write to governor

Wahkiakum County commissioners are continuing to lobby Governor Chris Gregoire to take a more active interest in natural resource issues affecting Wahkiakum and other rural counties.

Commissioners George Trott, Dan Cothren and Blair Brady on Tuesday signed a letter to the governor giving background on two fishery issues and inviting her to visit the county and meet with commercial fishing families.

Earlier this year, commissioners contacted Gregoire to express displeasure over the short opening for commercial and recreation spring salmon fishing. Recreational anglers were allowed 10 days fishing on the Columbia below the Interstate 5 bridge at Vancouver, and commercial fishermen were allowed 38 hours of fishing in waters above that bridge.

Fishery managers said the fishing was curtailed below the mouth of the Willamette River to reduce pressure on a poor return to that river. The local officials and fishers complained that Oregon permitted continual recreational fishing on the Willamette until late in the season while the fishery was reduced along the lower river.

In a letter dated August 5, Gregoire responded.

"I share your concern about the hardships this year's lower Columbia River restricted spring fishing season has caused your communities and business," the governor wrote. "I applaud the leadership you and others have shown in developing a viable fishing industry in your respective communities and want to be supportive of your efforts."

The governor said she is:

--advocating for funding assistance from state or federal sources for fishing families in the lower Columbia region;

--asking the Department of Fish and Wildlife to work closely with commissioners from the lower Columbia and to keep them informed of negotiations and decisions regarding next year's season;

--asking the department to include a county commissioner from the lower Columbia region on a management planning panel being developed with the State of Oregon.

"In addition, I asked the Fish and Wildlife Commission to report to me, early next year, on providing much needed economic opportunities for our rural communities," she said.

In Tuesday's letter of response, Wahkiakum commissioners commented that the management planning process has been adversely affected by urban interests.

"We are concerned about the hostile and aggressive urban-focused recreational fishery that sees little value in commercial or sports fishing on the lower Columbia River," the letter says.

The management process described by the governor is a descendant of a previous stakeholder process that "failed in July when the urban recreational interests walked out of the negotiations," the commissioners wrote. "Be assured that the sport and commercial fishing interests in the lower Columbia are willing to work through their differences because the know they must work together in order to keep the fisheries alive and well. This is not the case with the metropolitan representatives."

The commissioners also expressed concern about the WDFW's planned closure of the Elochoman Salmon Hatchery. The closure means a loss of fish production and hatchery jobs that doesn't align with the "long-term economic sustainability for fishing-dependent communities" mentioned in the governor's letter, the commissioners said.

"For fisheries to survive and thrive, we need production and we need access to fish," the commissioners said. "Current policies do not seem to be heading in that direction.

"We invite you and the commission members to come visit our county and meet our commercial fishing families," the letter says in its conclusion. "Come see how this industry continues to inspire the younger generation. We want to retrain jobs for young people. We would be happy to coordinate a visit with your office."