ODFW invites anglers to an open house in Salem on Jan. 4

Salem, Ore. – Oregon anglers will have a chance to share their ideas, comments and concerns about the state’s fisheries with top ODFW managers at an Open House on Jan. 4, 2011 in Salem.

The meeting will go from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the ODFW Headquarters, 3406 Cherry Ave. NE in Salem. The agenda will be set, in large part, by the questions and concerns raised during the meeting.

“This open house meeting is a good way to start the new year,” said Rhine Messmer, ODFW Recreational Fisheries Program manager. “It’s a chance for us to hear what issues are on the minds of anglers so we can take appropriate action.

The meeting is being held in conjunction with a meeting of the Inland Sports Fishing Advisory Committee, which provides public perspectives and input on implementation of ODFW’s 25-Year Angling Enhancement Plan. The plan is available on the ODFW website at https://www.dfw.state.or.us/resources/fishing/docs/25_Year_Recreational_Angling_Enhancement%20Plan.pdf.

Twice a year the fishing advisory committee meetings are open to the public as a forum for interested anglers to bring their fishery management issues, thoughts and ideas to ODFW fishery managers and administrators.

In addition to the open-forum, ODFW staff will provide an update on changes to the public process for developing new angling regulations. The department is looking for ways to improve the public process and still retain its value to the public and the department.

 “We’ve heard from the public and from the Fish and Wildlife Commission that the current process is too cumbersome and too much time is spent on proposed regulations that would never be adopted,” Messmer said.

 “We are interested in hearing what anglers think of some of the key changes we’re proposing to the process,” he added. “The public plays an important role in the development of our fishing regulations and we want to ensure that we don’t diminish the public benefits from this process.”

Revisions of the public process are underway, and will be adopted by the Fish and Wildlife Commission next August. The revised process will be used for the development of the 2013 Oregon Sport Fishing Regulations.

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