[env-trinity] SF Chronicle 2 11 10

[Frank Emerson]

Dear All:

Without removing the dams, restoring cold water flows, recreating healthy wetlands, off channel habitat, estuaries, riparian shade trees of Old Growth size, clean gravels and riffles for BMI and spawning\rearing, etc. How does this help really? When all those salmonid habitats where taken away from the public for some or another municipal or business interest the Hatcheries were built as a substitute. So now we will have neither?

I am supportive of wild only managed watersheds and some rivers with hatchery runs for harvest. This just smells of an agenda to put the Fishing Industry: commercial salmon, catch and keep recreational salmon and steelhead angling, guiding, lodges, boat builders and tackle shops out of business. Without an economic contribution there will be less political, business or public interest in preserving California's Fisheries, SF Bay species, the Delta, the San Joaquin, the Sacramento, the Klamath, the Eel River. Or right here in my backyard the Carmel River. Where, coincidently. the local Editor of the "Carmel Pine Cone" is already claiming the expense to restore the unique (yes all wild) strain we have here is not worth the money spent because (his words) technically they are nothing more than trout. Which he frequently tells his reading public are one of the most common species in the world. 

As a fisherman I work many volunteer hours to restore the Carmel River. I also advocate for fisheries and public trust rights. It looks hopeless with the Political Environment we have now in California between Corp Ag, SoCal Water Agencies, the County and State Water Agencies wanting the water for business and the preservationists working to put these resources out of reach forever for the average person.

Sincerely,

Frank Emerson
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Byron Leydecker 
  To: FOTR List ; Trinity List 
  Sent: Thursday, February 11, 2010 3:10 PM
  Subject: [env-trinity] SF Chronicle 2 11 10


  Watchdog's suit says hatchery fish hurt natives
  Peter Fimrite, Chronicle Staff Writer

  Thursday, February 11, 2010

  An environmental watchdog group sued the state Wednesday for what representatives called a wholesale failure to protect native species from sickness, death and other harmful effects caused by hatchery-raised fish.

    a.. Labor Dept approves new rules on farm workers 02.11.10 
  The Center for Biological Diversity accused the Department of Fish and Game of harming native trout, steelhead, salmon, amphibians and other wildlife by planting millions of hatchery fish in streams and waterways.

  Studies have shown that hatchery-raised steelhead trout pass on genetic defects that hamper survival of their offspring and harm the natural balance. Nonnative hatchery fish also eat the eggs and babies of native frogs.

  "The California Department of Fish and Game has utterly failed to mitigate for the devastating impacts of stocking hatchery fish on native fish and wildlife such as chinook salmon, mountain yellow-legged frogs and long-toed salamanders," said Noah Greenwald, endangered species program director at the nonprofit center, which is based in Arizona but has offices in San Francisco.

  The lawsuit challenges an environmental report issued in January that analyzed the state's hatcheries and stocking programs and recommended ways to improve operations. The report, which Greenwald said favors stocking programs over maintenance of wild fish populations, was a response to a previous lawsuit filed by the center. 

  "We stand by our environmental impact report," said Kirsten Macintyre, a Fish and Game spokeswoman. "Unless the court instructs us to do otherwise, we will move forward with the stocking program as it's outlined."

  Environmentalists claim nonnative hatchery trout have caused declines in mountain yellow-legged frogs, Cascades frogs and long-toed salamanders in high mountain lakes. Unhealthy hatchery salmon have also contributed to the collapse of salmon runs in California and Oregon over the past two years, according to recent federal studies.



  Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/02/11/BATV1BVJ8E.DTL#ixzz0fGuQj3lj

   

   

  Byron Leydecker, JcT

  Chair, Friends of Trinity River

  PO Box 2327

  Mill Valley, CA 94942-2327

  415 383 4810 land/fax (call first to fax)

  415 519 4810 mobile

  bwl3 at comcast.net

  bleydecker at stanfordalumni.org (secondary)

  http://www.fotr.org 

   

   

   



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