Take Action for the North Fork of the Smith River

Protect the North Fork of the Smith River water quality by providing comments to the Oregon DEQ Please take a moment to express support for protecting the invaluable North Fork of the Smith River which waters flow into the iconic Smith River in northern California. Eight decades of important protections have been secured for the Smith River through the Redwood State and National Park, Wild and Scenic river designations as well as the Smith River National Recreation Area Designations. Incredibly, in spite of all this great work to protect the Smith - a threat still exists.  An international mining company is actively pursuing plans to develop a nickel strip mine in the headwaters of the wild and scenic North Fork of the Smith River here in Oregon.  The Red Flat Nickel Corporation would locate their mine south of the Kalmiopsis Wilderness within the Baldface Creek drainage, which is a key tributary to the NF Smith. By protecting Bald Face Creek we protect superb habitat for steelhead and protect the water quality within the Smith River basin which will help all the steelhead that call the Smith home. Support the proposal to designate outstanding resource waters in Oregon.  Comments are being accepted until April 20th! Simply go to to the Oregon DEQ's website, HERE, and add your support. Below is a sample letter you can copy and paste if you like. “My name is_________________ and I support and encourage the Oregon Environmental Quality Commission to designate the North Fork Smith River and its tributaries located in southwest Oregon, as Outstanding Resource Waters.  State and Federal agencies, sportsmen and recreation enthusiasts all recognize the exceptional water quality of the NF Smith and the valuable fisheries, which includes threatened species and critical habitat.  The watersheds of the North Fork Smith River have ecological significance, as well as, hosting many rare and unique plant species.”  Please share and thank you for supporting wild steelhead protections.

If You Care About Wild Steelhead

We have great opportunity to rebuild and sustain wild steelhead populations in the rivers of Washington's Puget Sound.  As a supporter of  Wild Steelheaders United, we encourage you to speak up by August 13th. 
 
The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife will be setting aside some Puget Sound rivers to be managed exclusively for wild steelhead.  These rivers -- “wild steelhead gene banks” – will not receive hatchery steelhead plants.  The purpose is to provide strongholds for wild steelhead where they have the potential to be self-sustaining. 
 
Importantly, fishing is allowed on rivers designated as gene banks if a fishery can be structured that maintains the health of the wild steelhead population.
 
Establishment of wild steelhead gene banks is required by Washington’s Statewide Steelhead Management Plan, adopted by the Fish and Wildlife Commission in 2008.  In 2012, the Sol Duc and Clearwater rivers on the Olympic Peninsula were the first gene banks designated and several more have been designated in southwest Washington.
 
Recommend the entire Skagit, Elwha and Puyallup river basins as wild steelhead gene banks


 

Click the link below to log in and send your message:
https://www.votervoice.net/BroadcastLinks/HpRcSejVxjgC2Jhy3OsOJg 

Be Steelheaded

Trout Unlimited is launching a new initiative to save wild Steelhead.

WHY IS THIS IMPORTANT?

Today, 70 percent of the major steelhead populations in Oregon, Idaho, Washington and California require federal protection and opportunities to catch wild steelhead have diminished dramatically in many rivers. At the same time, we are seeing wild steelhead make a comeback, in rivers like the Elwha and Eel. We believe that the future of wild steelhead — and angling opportunity for these incredible fish — cries out for coordinated action across their native range.

TROUT UNLIMITED’S CONSERVATION WORK.

Above all, it is a home to anyone who believes in the quest to protect these fish.

Click on the link to go to Wild Steelheaders United, their support site and informational hub. You can also find a permanent link in my Favorite Site list on the right margin of this blog.

While you're there you can click on the box that says

 COUNT ME IN!

to take a stand and to sign up for regular updates.

If fishermen don't do this, who will?