September 5-6, 2012 Minutes

MEETING MINUTES
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WASHINGTON FISH AND WILDLIFE
COMMISSION MEETING

September 5-6, 2012

Natural Resources Building - First Floor, Room 172
1111 Washington Street, Olympia, Washington

ATTENDANCE:
Commission
Public
Miranda Wecker, Chair
Brian Walter
Gary Douvia, Vice Chair
Janna Nichols
Larry Carpenter
Al Schmauder
David Jennings
Andrew Marks
Jay Kehne
Heath Heikkila
Conrad Mahnken
Les Clark
Chuck Perry
Frances Clark
Rolland Schmitten
Jerry Lowe
 
Jack Field
Commission Staff:
Greg Johnson
Tami Lininger
Kent Martin
Erin Gariépy
Ed Fedder
 
Bryan Irwin
Department Staff
Diane Gallegos
Phil Anderson, Director
Linda Saunders
Joe Stohr, Deputy Director
Gary Wilburn
Joseph Shorin, AGO
Dan Cothren
William Frymire, AGO
Frank Haw
Nate Pamplin
Jeromy Jording
Guy Norman
Bret Andrich
Rich Childers
Joe Verdoes
Brian Calkins
Ken Crews
Kelly Cunningham
Ron Garner
 
Gordon Ruh
 
Brent Hackney
 
David Knutzen
   

WEDNESDAY, September 5, 2012

Chair Wecker called the meeting to order at 1:03 p.m.

1. Call to Order:

  1. Commissioners’ Discussion
    • Strategic plan
    • Columbia River

2. Director's Report:
The Director briefed the Commission on various items including:

  • Mazama Pocket Gophers
  • Memorandum of Understanding with Tulalip Tribe
  • Hatchery operation in Elwah River
  • Emergency Rule filings
  • Wolf Update

3. Open Public Input:
The following people signed up to provide public input:

  • Al Schmauder – Fish Ladder Chambers Dam
  • Brain Walter – Columbia River
  • Janna Nichols – Neah Bay, fish population
  • Jack Field – Wolf Management
  • Kent Martin – Gov. Kitzhaber Letter
  • Dan Cothren – Columbia River fishery management
  • Diane Gallegos – Support for the WA Wolf Conservation & Management plan
  • Liz Hamilton Hamilton – Columbia River fishery management

4. Columbia River Fishery Management
Guy Norman, Region 5 Director, briefed the Commission on the recent communications, and the results of meetings with the Oregon and Washington Fish and Wildlife Directors to develop proposals for a two-state process and schedule.  Based on these discussions, the Commission provided guidance on appropriate next steps in this process. 

The Commission appointed Commissioners Carpenter, Mahnken & Schmitten with Vice Chair Douvia as an alternate, as the sub group to attend the upcoming meetings with the Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission delegates.

Chair Wecker recessed the meeting at 3:55 p.m.


THURSDAY, September 6, 2012

Chair Wecker called the meeting back to order.

5.  Puget Sound Shrimp Policy Review – Briefing
The Fish Committee provided a report on the Puget Sound Shrimp Policy Review followed by a briefing by Rich Childers, Puget Sound Shellfish Manager who sought guidance from the Commission on the process to review and update the Puget Sound shrimp fishery policies C-3610 and C-3008.

The following members of the public signed up to provide testimony for this item:

Joe Verdoes
Bret Andrich
Ken Crews
Ron Garner
Brent Hackney
Gordon Ruh

6.  Miscellaneous and Meeting Debrief
The Commission discussed items that arose immediately before or during the meeting and after the preliminary agenda was published.

  • Adjustment of November regular meeting

Commissioner Carpenter moved, seconded by Vice Chair Douvia, to reschedule the November 2-3, 2012 regular meeting to November 9-10, 2012.  Motion carried unanimously.

  • Columbia River fisheries management
  • Possibility of panel format for public input
  • Acceptance and analysis of revisions of Puget Sound Spot Shrimp options

Chair Wecker adjourned the meeting at 10:59 a.m.