Letter sent requesting Tribal/WDFW NOF process be open.

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Bay wolf
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Letter sent requesting Tribal/WDFW NOF process be open.

Post by Bay wolf » Wed Nov 23, 2016 11:08 am

The Tribal and WDFW North of Falcon meetings are closed to the public! We have little to no idea what is going on in these meetings. There is no official transcripts released and they make agreements in these meeting that affect our fisheries!

Now, a group is calling for the meeting to be opened to the public. Something that is mandated by State law, but has been ignored.

Read the letter here:
http://tidalexchange.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
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Re: Letter sent requesting Tribal/WDFW NOF process be open.

Post by Larry3215 » Wed Nov 23, 2016 11:39 am

Interesting web page - but I cant find the letter. Do you have a direct link? I think this is a good idea. Doing things behind closed doors is not good.

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Re: Letter sent requesting Tribal/WDFW NOF process be open.

Post by Bay wolf » Wed Nov 23, 2016 12:08 pm

[quote="Larry3215"]Interesting web page - but I cant find the letter. Do you have a direct link? I think this is a good idea. Doing things behind closed doors is not good.

Sorry Larry, I can't get the link to the PDF to work. If you go to the THFWA web site (link below) you will be able to see the entire letter. The article is on the right side of the page titled:
Advocacy requests WDFW and Tribal co-managers open NOF season setting meetings to the public.

http://thfwa.org/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
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Re: Letter sent requesting Tribal/WDFW NOF process be open.

Post by BARCHASER10 » Wed Nov 23, 2016 12:17 pm

About 13-14 years ago I went to an NOF meeting in Lynnwood in the conference center of a motor inn. First time I was ever at one of those. I walked in and there were several conference rooms. After awhile a group of people walked into one of the conference rooms so I followed them in an took a seat next to the wall with one other guy. There was a long table with 8-9 people at one end who were obviously tribal guys and at the other end were 8-9 guys who were obviously government types.

The body language from the tribal folks was hostile, lots of folded arms. One of the government guys started giving a presentation with visual aids and the tribal guys pretty much ignored him, lots of paper shuffling, whispering etc. After 10 minutes or so one of the tribal guys spotted me and asked what I was doing there and I said I'm just an interested private citizen and he he told me to leave. At the same time two heavily armed Troopers stood in front of me and escorted me out the door.

My guess is it wont be the WDFW who sez "No" it will be the tribes.

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Re: Letter sent requesting Tribal/WDFW NOF process be open.

Post by kodacachers » Wed Nov 23, 2016 12:42 pm

Good letter. I generally agree, though this is one of those "be careful what you ask for things." Open to the public won't be limited to just the sport fishermen. I'd imagine our friends at the Wild Fish Conservancy will want to attend as well.

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Re: Letter sent requesting Tribal/WDFW NOF process be open.

Post by Bay wolf » Wed Nov 23, 2016 2:00 pm

kodacachers wrote:Good letter. I generally agree, though this is one of those "be careful what you ask for things." Open to the public won't be limited to just the sport fishermen. I'd imagine our friends at the Wild Fish Conservancy will want to attend as well.
Better to have everything out in the open for ALL,then to continue to serve a small interest group without public (tax payer) input! This mess needs to be brought out in the open and fixed!! We've let it go on too long and look where we are at now!
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Re: Letter sent requesting Tribal/WDFW NOF process be open.

Post by Larry3215 » Wed Nov 23, 2016 7:00 pm

Bay wolf wrote:
Larry3215 wrote:Interesting web page - but I cant find the letter. Do you have a direct link? I think this is a good idea. Doing things behind closed doors is not good.

Sorry Larry, I can't get the link to the PDF to work. If you go to the THFWA web site (link below) you will be able to see the entire letter. The article is on the right side of the page titled:
Advocacy requests WDFW and Tribal co-managers open NOF season setting meetings to the public.

http://thfwa.org/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Thanks. Sounds like a good letter to me.

What I dont see is any easy way to add our votes to this and pass it on to WDFW or who ever is in charge of the NOF meetings. Should this also go to NOAA? Dont they have some input on this?

Here is a direct link.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B2tWjg ... RKQ1U/view" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

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Re: Letter sent requesting Tribal/WDFW NOF process be open.

Post by Bay wolf » Wed Nov 23, 2016 7:38 pm

I've contacted Tim Hamilton at THWFA and asked if they can provide a link(s) where we can send in letters of support. I'll post any information I get back. I think letters to Dr. Unsworth, the Govonors Office and to the Chairmen of the Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission would be a good start.

Larry, thanks for getting that link posted!
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Re: Letter sent requesting Tribal/WDFW NOF process be open.

Post by Bay wolf » Fri Nov 25, 2016 5:21 pm

I received a reply from Tim Hamilton about where we can send emails to and to recommend THFWA place links on there site for the various places to send emails too. In addition to the ones listed, I would add the Governors office as well. Below is a copy to Tim Hamilton's reply. Please!!! Anyone and everyone who is wanting more transparency and informational flow in our fisheries process, take a moment and send in an email voicing your support to open the NOF process up to the public as State Law mandates.

Tim's Reply:

"That would be great. I've added the following at the end of our feature on the website regarding the letter we sent in.

Those that would like to support the effort to open co-management meetings to the public are asked to send a short email to Director Jim Unsworth at Director (DFW) <[email protected]> and carbon copy the Commission at WDFW Commission <[email protected]>

The more emails we can get in the better. I'd really appreciate you lighting up the blogs, social media, whatever you can do to get it out there.

Tim"

Here is a copy of my email to Dir. Unsworth. Feel free to copy and paste as you like.

Director Unsworth,

As you are well aware, the relationship between the citizens of Washington State and our Tribal Co-managers is at a very low point. Following the chaos and mis-communications that took place last year at and following the NOF process it is understandable that many in the non-tribal community have a perception of misdeeds and mistrust.

You have a great opportunity to remedy a lot of the misconceptions as well as greatly improve relations between our communities.

We are asking you to concur with and put into place a method to open the Co-management/State NOF negotiations to the public. Further, we would like to have public records available for any electronic and telephonic communications where fishery are discussed.

By prohibiting the public from attending these meetings, the agency has perpetrated a climate of secrecy, mistrust and suspicion.

Please, do the right thing. Agree to open these meeting to the public, and press the Tribal Co-mangers to agree as well. If in fact everyone is negotiating in good faith, and there is nothing to hide, then there is no reason to keep the door closed to the tax payers!

Regards,
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Re: Letter sent requesting Tribal/WDFW NOF process be open.

Post by Bay wolf » Mon Dec 12, 2016 10:09 am

UPDATE
This is an update from Tim at Twin Harbors Fish and Wildlife Advocacy:

On Friday, we appeared before the Commission in Olympia to promote the transparency in NOF. The Dept (Warren) stated the tribes were "sternly opposed". Course the historical staff at WDFW led by Ron Warren are in the same boat, just won't admit it in public. However, the Commissioners themselves were very receptive. Wecker intro a "blue sheet" on Saturday which is an instruction to the staff for a briefing on the rights of the citizens and the applicable state laws. Passed unanimously.

It's going to be an uphill fight. The staff will try to argue that if the public is allowed to see what goes on that the tribes will refuse to negotiate and as a results the feds will block all non-tribal seasons in PS. Course, I'd see that as a BS scare tactic to try and get the Commissioners to back off. Warren is reportedly preparing the Dept's response to the letter we sent in.

As I've anticipated all along, I suspect we will have to seek a "boldt decision" for the people.

Tim


PLEASE!!! Continue to send letters to the commission, the Governor, the WDFW Director and to your legislative members endorsing this. Transparency in these negotiations is the first MAJOR step in equality! There is a reason the Tribes and WDFW are fighting this so hard!! It's State Law that these meeting be open to the public, yet they are violating the law and shutting us out! WHAT ARE THE HIDING???
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Re: Letter sent requesting Tribal/WDFW NOF process be open.

Post by Larry3215 » Mon Dec 12, 2016 11:12 am

My computer crashed and Im stuck using the wifes machine. Can someone make this easier and post the email addresses and phone numbers for all the folks this letter needs to be sent to?

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Re: Letter sent requesting Tribal/WDFW NOF process be open.

Post by Bay wolf » Mon Dec 12, 2016 12:42 pm

Here is a list:

[email protected] (WDFW Commission General email)

[email protected] (Assistant Director - Fish Program) He's fighting against and is the spokesmen against!

[email protected] (Director, WDFW)

[email protected] (Member, WDFW Commission ) She Supports open meetings!!

http://www.governor.wa.gov/contact This will get you to a form to contact the Governors office.

[email protected] (Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission,Craig Bowhay Fishery Programs Director.

https://fortress.wa.gov/atg/formhandler ... tForm.aspx State Attorney's Generals Office Contact Form.

[email protected] (Twin Harbors Fish and Wildlife Advocacy) They are the ones initiating the action!!
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Re: Letter sent requesting Tribal/WDFW NOF process be open.

Post by Bay wolf » Mon Dec 12, 2016 1:09 pm

By the way, here is the Revised Code that is at the heart of this: As you can read, these meeting SHOULD be open to the public!

RCW 42.30.010
Legislative declaration.
The legislature finds and declares that all public commissions, boards, councils, committees, subcommittees, departments, divisions, offices, and all other public agencies of this state and subdivisions thereof exist to aid in the conduct of the people's business. It is the intent of this chapter that their actions be taken openly and that their deliberations be conducted openly.
The people of this state do not yield their sovereignty to the agencies which serve them. The people, in delegating authority, do not give their public servants the right to decide what is good for the people to know and what is not good for them to know. The people insist on remaining informed so that they may retain control over the instruments they have created.
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