Think we're doing something right? Something wrong? Want to give us your views on a particular issue? Then please write to us. To promote public dialogue on fish and wildlife matters, WDFW Director Jeff Koenings encourages you to drop him a line.You can e-mail the Director at director@dfw.wa.gov, or you can mail your letter to: Dr. Jeff Koenings, Director Washingon Department of Fish and Wildlife 600 Capitol Way N. Olympia, WA 98501-1091

July 26, 2000 Dear Mr. Koenings, I represent Maxwelton Salmon Adventure, a non-profit salmon restoration effort on South Whidbey Island. I am writing this letter on behalf of one of your research scientists, Dave Seiler, and the effort he demonstrated in assigning our program to complete a Coho smolt-trapping project this spring on Maxwelton Creek. As a biologist and UW Fisheries student, I wanted to help my organization better track our salmon enhancement efforts by gathering smolt data. After making inquires at school, I was given Dave's name by one of my professors. From the initial phone call, Dave was instrumental in working out the details and offering me advise on how to go about trapping smolt. He then came to Whidbey Island and spent the better part of a day laboring over trap installation. He supplied us with all the equipment and advise that was needed to complete the project. He kept in touch with us on a regular basis throughout the work and was always available for advise. The knowledge gained from the project has already been utilized in various ways. The trap was used as an educational tool for the students of the South Whidbey School District, as well as for the WSU/Beach Watchers program. Dave came to the island to give a presentation to the local chapter of the Puget Sound Anglers Club to explain the significance of smolt trapping. Our local newspaper ran a front-page article on the project. Our organization is publishing an article on our website and in our newsletter. The data we gathered from this project will be invaluable for us in the future. We plan to implement a carcass distribution project this fall and having smolt count numbers will allow us to determine if this tactic could be a way to increase our salmon numbers. Volunteer programs such as ours are a key element in the salmon recovery effort. Using good science, such as tracking smolt as a function of stream health, is imperative for the allocation of money and resources towards programs that show a high likelihood of success. Your Department gave us the resources to evaluate our smolt population, and we now have a better understanding of where our priorities lie. Thank you for your help and we look forward to collaborating with your Department again. Please thank Dave and Pete Topping for all their hard work. Sincerely, Jan Holbrook, Board of Directors Maxwelton Salmon Adventure

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