Howzer
11-12-2003, 01:33 AM
Pete Van Gytenbeek's presentation to the Wild Steelhead Coalition, November 5, 2003
WDFW Commissioner Pete Van Gytenbeek offered those attending the November 5 2003 Wild Steelhead Coalition members meeting some of his views on how to effectively access and communicate with the WDFW Commission. It seemed to me that Pete’s main message was this: the Commission system works for those people that are willing to participate.
Pete started his presentation by stating that the Commission’s charge is to represent its constituents, namely the licensed hunters and anglers in Washington state. He continued with a bit of background information on some of the key challenges that WDFW is now facing. Among those challenges are operating with shrinking budgets, reduced staffing, and a growing number of projects aimed at responding to Federal Endangered Species Act requirements.
Pete noted that effective enforcement of fish and game laws continues to be a major challenge. The good news, he said, is that the State Patrol and WDFW game wardens now work together. The bad news is that within this cooperative agreement, game wardens sometimes find themselves working on cases that have nothing to do with fish and game violations. The “Eyes in the Woods” program has been very helpful for catching violators of hunting regulations, and he believes it is worth expanding that program to also include assistance with the enforcement of fishing regulations in our lakes, streams, and marine waters.
When it came time to talk about the current rules proposals, Pete encouraged us to stay involved. Just because a proposal request did not make it onto the recommended list does not mean that it is necessarily dead. The Commissioners get to see all the proposals that were submitted, so the entire process of public input to department recommendations is now very transparent. There will be a public hearing on rule proposals December 5-6 at Fort Warden in Port Townsend, and the Commission will make its final decisions February 6-7 in Olympia (see http://www.wa.gov/wdfw/do/oct03/oct3103c.htm for more details). If we hope to influence the Commission’s decisions, we need members to attend and testify at this hearing.
Pete also encouraged us to do a better job working with our legislators in Olympia. They control the state budget, and we can make a lot of progress in shaping WDFW policies by improving our communications with the legislature. Pete suggested we simply make appointments with our representatives and tell they why we value wild steelhead, and why they should make protecting and restoring wild steelhead populations a high priority. To that end, Pete suggested that we develop a new white paper on the value of wild steelhead, and then get that white paper to our legislative representatives and WDFW Commissioners.
He also suggested we take a fresh look at WDFW’s Wild Salmonid Policy, and critically evaluate how well the state is doing in following its directives. Wild Steelhead Coalition members were enthusiastic about taking on a project to issue a “Report Card on the implementation of WDFW’s Wild Salmonid Policy.” So stay tuned for more information on the development of this effort.
In closing, Pete repeated these words: “Get into the system because it does work- even though it may be slow, it will work for you if you’re willing to get involved.”
Speaking for those in attendance, I’d like to thank Pete one more time for attending our meeting and sharing his time and insights into how we can be more effective at influencing WDFW policies. Pete’s support for our cause, and his enthusiasm and optimism for improving the welfare of Wild Steelhead in the Northwest were obvious. For all those things we owe him our gratitude. Thank You Pete!
Nate Mantua
VP of Science and Education
Wild Steelhead Coalition
WDFW Commissioner Pete Van Gytenbeek offered those attending the November 5 2003 Wild Steelhead Coalition members meeting some of his views on how to effectively access and communicate with the WDFW Commission. It seemed to me that Pete’s main message was this: the Commission system works for those people that are willing to participate.
Pete started his presentation by stating that the Commission’s charge is to represent its constituents, namely the licensed hunters and anglers in Washington state. He continued with a bit of background information on some of the key challenges that WDFW is now facing. Among those challenges are operating with shrinking budgets, reduced staffing, and a growing number of projects aimed at responding to Federal Endangered Species Act requirements.
Pete noted that effective enforcement of fish and game laws continues to be a major challenge. The good news, he said, is that the State Patrol and WDFW game wardens now work together. The bad news is that within this cooperative agreement, game wardens sometimes find themselves working on cases that have nothing to do with fish and game violations. The “Eyes in the Woods” program has been very helpful for catching violators of hunting regulations, and he believes it is worth expanding that program to also include assistance with the enforcement of fishing regulations in our lakes, streams, and marine waters.
When it came time to talk about the current rules proposals, Pete encouraged us to stay involved. Just because a proposal request did not make it onto the recommended list does not mean that it is necessarily dead. The Commissioners get to see all the proposals that were submitted, so the entire process of public input to department recommendations is now very transparent. There will be a public hearing on rule proposals December 5-6 at Fort Warden in Port Townsend, and the Commission will make its final decisions February 6-7 in Olympia (see http://www.wa.gov/wdfw/do/oct03/oct3103c.htm for more details). If we hope to influence the Commission’s decisions, we need members to attend and testify at this hearing.
Pete also encouraged us to do a better job working with our legislators in Olympia. They control the state budget, and we can make a lot of progress in shaping WDFW policies by improving our communications with the legislature. Pete suggested we simply make appointments with our representatives and tell they why we value wild steelhead, and why they should make protecting and restoring wild steelhead populations a high priority. To that end, Pete suggested that we develop a new white paper on the value of wild steelhead, and then get that white paper to our legislative representatives and WDFW Commissioners.
He also suggested we take a fresh look at WDFW’s Wild Salmonid Policy, and critically evaluate how well the state is doing in following its directives. Wild Steelhead Coalition members were enthusiastic about taking on a project to issue a “Report Card on the implementation of WDFW’s Wild Salmonid Policy.” So stay tuned for more information on the development of this effort.
In closing, Pete repeated these words: “Get into the system because it does work- even though it may be slow, it will work for you if you’re willing to get involved.”
Speaking for those in attendance, I’d like to thank Pete one more time for attending our meeting and sharing his time and insights into how we can be more effective at influencing WDFW policies. Pete’s support for our cause, and his enthusiasm and optimism for improving the welfare of Wild Steelhead in the Northwest were obvious. For all those things we owe him our gratitude. Thank You Pete!
Nate Mantua
VP of Science and Education
Wild Steelhead Coalition