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Mike McKenzie
05-21-2007, 04:28 PM
Last December the Striped Bass Stamp Fund Advisory Committee ask Ryan Broddrick, the Director of DFG, for a meeting to discuss whether or not the Department had any plans to develop a striped bass management policy that would put the Department in line with the Fish and Game Commission’s Striped Bass Policy. This request was brought about due to the apparent lack of any effort on the Departments behalf to address the collapsing striped bass fishery in the Bay and Delta. We finally got a meeting date set and it will be held on Wednesday, May 30th from 9:00AM-12:00 PM in the Director’s Conference Room on the 12th floor of the Resources Building at 1416 9th St. Sacramento.

It think that it is important that the Director and his Staff see some faces of anglers, that are striped bass fishers and advocates, that do not want to see their fishery go down the tubes for a lack of a pro-active policy for management of this valued (and valuable) resource. It is entirely possible that this could be your last chance to make your thoughts known to the people that make the decisions.

Remember that these “resource managers” are political animals and will always go the “politically expedient” route unless your voices make it difficult for them to go that way. As most of you know lately the only progress we’ve been making with saving our delta fisheries, has been through the Courts with lawsuits. We need to make our thoughts known to the decision makers and that we will hold them accountable for their actions (or lack of ) I know most will be working at the time of the meeting but it might be worthwhile to try and get a day off and get your voice heard. We need to make a real impression on these folks or you can watch your fisheries go down the drain, literally!! Get your thoughs organized on what you want for the striped bass fishery and distilled down to 2 articulate minutes (per agenda item for public comment) then,
Please come and join us!

Mike

Here’s a copy of the agenda:


May 30, 2007
Director’s Conference Room
1416 Ninth Street, 12th Floor
9:00 -12:00
9:00 Introductions……………………………………………………..………………Group

9:10 Introductory Remarks……………………………………..…..……….Ryan Broddrick
Mr. Broddrick will provide introductory comments.

9:25 SBSF Fund Conditions, Current & Projected Expenditures……....Marty Gingras
Mr. Gingras will provide a Striped Bass Stamp Fund summary including information on the fund condition, current expenditures, and projected expenditures.

9:40 BDSFES Fund Condition & Current Expenditures ………..……... Terry Foreman
Mr. Foreman will provide a Bay-Delta Sport Fishing Enhancement Stamp Fund summary including the fund condition, current and projected expenditures.

10:00 Striped Bass Presentation………………………………………….…….Marty Gingras
Mr. Gingras will present a status report on the striped bass population in the Delta.

10:30 Policy Review…………………………………………...…………………….…Neil Manji
Mr. Manji will review the current striped bass policy and the Department’s objectives in updating the striped bass policy.

10:50 Committee Role……………………………………………………...……Ryan Broddrick
Mr. Broddrick will describe the role of each committee in expenditure of dedicated fund.

11: 30 Public Comment Period (2 minutes per person)
During this open comment period, non-committee members will be able to provide a two minute comment to the group.

12:00 Adjourn

If you have any questions, please contact
Heather McIntire (916)539-2028 or Karen Mitchell (916) 445-0826.

Mike McKenzie
06-01-2007, 07:39 AM
The short of it is... We did not get what we wanted from DFG, which was a more proactive effort at delta and striped bass protection from the over all decline.(Fish need water)
We also asked for and did not receive a commitment to a time table for getting the job done. What we got was that it will take "about" 2 years and "about" a million dollars to come up with striped bass management plan. One thing for certain.. We made it absolutely clear to them that the angling community gettin' more and more PO'd as the fisheries continue to decline and they do nothin' except "study stuff"!

I'd like to think that this quote, ( from the article about shutting down the pumps in todays Sac Bee )

" The latest shutdown came after a request from the state Department of Fish and Game, which also asked small water users in the south Delta to halt diversions. Fish and Game also suspended all scientific collection of smelt except for those needed to monitor the population."

was the direct result of our meeting Wednesday but the reality is that the only reason they shut the pumps down is they REALLY FEAR any further action by the Courts as a result of our lawsuits..

Just the fact that they turned off the pumps gives some hope for us, in that it is an unprecedented move as far as the fisheries are concerned and maybe the log jam over that issue has been cleared!
Mike

Darian
06-01-2007, 08:29 PM
Hey Mike,.... didn't it cost around $1 million to try to move the whales bck to the ocean :?: :?: They sure found the money for that action on a moments notice.... :x :x

OceanSunfish
06-01-2007, 11:59 PM
Mike,

Thanks for your continued efforts. I wish I could've been at the meeting myself.

Tonight on the 6:30 news (KCRA Sacramento) held a poll in light of both the Fed and State pumps shutting down.

The question was:

Do you think efforts to save endangered fish are worthy of jeopardizing the state's water supply?
Yes
No

http://www.kcra.com/news/index.html

How stupid!

Of course the news folks don't ask the question correctly. It's not about a single species or fish, it's about the entire ecosystem.

They should've replaced "endangered species" with "endangered delta ecosystem".

Everyone, please send a reply to KCRA and rant about their worthless poll.

Mike McKenzie
06-02-2007, 11:03 AM
Here's my reply to them sent last night....

""Do you think efforts to save endangered fish are worthy of jeopardizing the state's water supply?"
This polling question is framed to make it's relevancy absolutely worthless, unless you are trying to further some warped agenda! Why don't you ask a poll question that reflects the reality of the situation?? Such as.." Is it OK with you, to sacrifice California's treasured Public Trust Resources (water, fish and wildlife ) for private gain by corporate agriculture and developers ??? " You might learn something meaningful.......
No one wants to take water away from people but the political abuse of our resources must end! You folks might want to get yourselves informed a little better, on the "real water issues" in California! JEEEEZ!"
Mike McKenzie
stripermike@earthlink.net

..............

You'd think that a "responsible" news organization would know how to ask a question that is worthy of people's time
Mike

OceanSunfish
06-02-2007, 09:32 PM
I figured you sent a reply. As usual, your choice of words are appropriate and well thought out.

My reply was not so friendly, cogent, or polite.

Finally, I understand someone from the DWR called into a 'fishing show' this AM and stated that the pumps are really down for maintenance and that it makes for good PR. No surprise here.