Update, May 19, 2022: Petitioners including Douglas County, Umpqua Fishery Enhancement Derby, Inc. and Scott Worsley (a fishing guide) filed for a preliminary injunction seeking to prevent from taking effect the Commission's April 22 decision to not release hatchery summer steelhead smolts in 2022 and to eliminate the Rock Creek hatchery summer steelhead program until the case is decided on the merits or is otherwise disposed of by the court.
Late yesterday morning, the Marion County Circuit Court granted the petitioners' request. Hatchery summer steelhead smolts will be released consistent with the court order which is expected to be issued by the end of the week.
In light of this development, the Commission intends to delay to a future (yet to be determined) date, the special meeting to discuss information received from various tribes and other comments related to the Rock Creek summer steelhead hatchery program that was requested at its last meeting on May 13.
April 22, 2022
SALEM, Ore.—In a split 4-3 vote at their meeting in Astoria today, Commissioners decided to not release hatchery summer steelhead smolts into the North Umpqua this year and eliminate the Rock Creek summer steelhead hatchery program.
The vote ends this hatchery program as it will be the second year in a row of no hatchery summer steelhead smolts being released on the North Umpqua. None were released in 2021 due to wildfire impacts.
Commissioners heard testimony from two panels representing opposing views on hatchery summer steelhead releases on the North Umpqua, as well as the Coquille Indian Tribe, the Cow Creek Band of Umpqua Tribe of Indians, Representative David Brock Smith, Representative Boomer Wright, Douglas County Commissioner Tom Kress and about a dozen members of the public who signed up to testify remotely.
In other business, the Commission:
Amended Burns Paiute Tribe Ceremonial Harvest Permit Hunt Area
The amendment will allow limited hunting for mule deer in the Buena Vista Unit of Malheur National Wildlife Refuge (MNWR) and include the Buena Vista Unit in the hunt area for Burns Paiute Tribe ceremonial harvest permit for mule deer hunting.
Adopted 2022-23 Game Bird Regulations:
These regulations will be effective beginning July 1, 2022. The major changes from last year are:
Fall turkey: Increased the daily bag limit for the Western Oregon Fall Turkey Season to two turkeys per day. The season limit of two turkeys of either sex remains in place but hunters can now fill both tags on the same day.
Northwest Permit Goose season: Reduced Canada/cackling goose bag limit from four to three per day.
Fern Ridge Wildlife Area: Opened the southern portion of the South Coyote Unit to public use, including hunting, and incorporated the area into the Wildlife Area Reservation Hunt Program.
Set commercial and recreational halibut seasons
The Commission set seasons in keeping with International Pacific Halibut Commission recommendations with this year’s fishery catch limit slightly lower than last year. See a summary of the recreational season at https://www.dfw.state.or.us/MRP/finfish/halibut/seasonmaps/2022_hbt_map.pdf
Adopted 2022 ocean salmon seasons based on NMFS regulations
The Commission adopted ocean salmon fishing regulations for state jurisdiction waters (within three miles offshore) based on Pacific Fishery Management Council (PFMC) adopted seasons. The primary limiting Chinook stocks considered in crafting 2022 ocean fisheries off Oregon were Columbia River natural tule and California Coastal Chinook. Other Chinook stocks of concern include Sacramento River Fall Chinook which have slightly improved, and Klamath River Fall Chinook whose abundance continues to be low. The ocean abundance forecast for Columbia River coho salmon is high at 997,200 fish, which would be slightly higher than last year's actual return. Season dates and bag limits are available on the PFMC website https://www.pcouncil.org/documents/2022/04/d-6-a-supplemental-stt-report-1-preliminary-analysis-of-tentative-2022-ocean-salmon-fishery-management-measures-04-12-2022.pdf/ and will be posted on MyODFW.com later.
The Commission’s next meeting on May 13 will be virtual.
A recording of this meeting is available at ODFW’s YouTube channel. ### |
