Staff Report on 2009-2012 Sport Fishing Regulations
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Attachment 3 Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife 3406 Cherry Avenue NE Salem, OR 97303 August 8th, 2008 Commission Meeting Staff Report on 2009-2012 Oregon Sport Fishing Regulation Development: Regulation Proposal Preview This package contains the following: • Background information on angling regulation development • The angling regulation development process • Role of the Angling Regulation Review Board and results of Board’s review of Staff and Public Proposals • How to Participate in the Public Process • Key Issue Summary • A summary of proposals for 2009 that includes public feedback and staff recommendations The Fish and Wildlife Commission will preview “Category A” and “Category C” proposals on August 8, 2008 (Salem OR). A brief overview of “Category B” proposals will be presented at the August Commission meeting and the major preview of “Category B” proposals will take place at the September 12, 2008 (Newberg OR). The Commission will adopt final rules on all proposals at the September 12, 2008 Commission meeting in Salem. Presented to the Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission August 8th and September 12th, 2008 TABLE OF CONTENTS Page 2009 Oregon Sport Fishing Regulation Development Public Process to Review Sport-Fishing Regulations .................................................... 3 Background Information ................................................................................................. 3 The Role of the Angling Regulation Review Board; Screening Criteria ..................... 3 The Angling Regulation Process...................................................................................... 4 Table 1. Results of Angling Regulation Review Board screening ............................... 6 Table 2. Public attendance at nine statewide public meetings..................................... 7 How to Participate in the Public Process........................................................................ 8 Summary of ODFW, OSP and Public Proposals ........................................................... 10 Key Issues .......................................................................................................................... 10 Statewide...................................................................................................................... 10 Northwest Zone ........................................................................................................... 11 Southwest Zone ........................................................................................................... 12 Willamette Zone.......................................................................................................... 13 Central Zone................................................................................................................ 14 Northeast...................................................................................................................... 15 Southeast, Snake River, and Columbia River Zones............................................... 16 Marine Zone ................................................................................................................ 17 Summary of Proposed Changes in Angling Regulations for 2009 ..................................... 19 Statewide Zone .................................................................................................................. 19 Northwest Zone ................................................................................................................. 36 Southwest Zone ................................................................................................................. 50 Willamette Zone................................................................................................................ 72 Central Zone...................................................................................................................... 95 Northeast Zone..................................................................................................................108 Southeast Zone .................................................................................................................112 Snake River Zone..............................................................................................................117 Columbia River Zone .......................................................................................................119 Marine Zone ......................................................................................................................124 2 2009 Oregon Sport Fishing Regulation Development A Public Process Background: Every four years the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) develops Oregon Sport Fishing Regulations by utilizing a "Public Process." This process allows ODFW and Oregon State Police (OSP) staff and the general public an opportunity to propose new or modified sport fishing regulations. A series of Public Meetings will also be held throughout Oregon to get public input on all proposed angling regulations. The last Public Process occurred in 2004 and was intended to cover angling regulations from 2005 through and including the year 2008. The current public involvement process will be used to shape Oregon Sport Fishing Regulations from 2009 through and including 2012. The 2009 Oregon Sport Fishing Regulation development process was initiated in September of 2007 with development of ODFW and OSP staff proposals and will conclude in September 2008 when the Commission adopts the 2009 Oregon Sport Fishing Regulations. During "Interim Years" (between major Public Review years), the Fish and Wildlife Commission has directed that angling regulation changes be limited to conservation needs, inadvertent restrictions, clarifications and new non-controversial angling opportunities. In addition, during the 2006- 2008 interim years, the Fish and Wildlife Commission also directed Staff to develop proposals for expanded angling opportunities with a focus on youth angling opportunities in urban areas of the state. Role of the Angling Regulation Review Board: To help reduce the volume of proposals that are carried through the entire 12-month Public Review Process the Commission has directed staff to have an Angling Regulation Review Board screen all proposals (ODFW/OSP and Public proposals) so only those proposals which address substantive problems or opportunities are carried forward. The Angling Regulation Review Board consists of ten public representatives solicited from various ODFW Working Groups, Task Forces, and general angling public. (Attachment 3, memo to Ed Bowles from Rhine Messmer) One member of the Fish and Wildlife Commission, Carter Kerns, also participated as a member of the Review Board. A rigorous screening process was developed to allow a high level of public participation, help reduce review costs for staff and Commissioners and focus the public on substantive proposed changes to angling regulations. All proposals rejected by the Review Board will be presented to the Fish and Wildlife Commission for final rule making. Review Board Screening Criteria: The Angling Regulation Review Board screens all proposals using criteria previously adopted as rule by the Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission. The established criteria are as follows: Criteria for Angling Regulation Proposals (Division 11 OAR’s): (A) Easily understood, with clearly defined limits or boundaries; (B) Enforceable; (C) Consistent with statutory mandates and Department management policies, goals, plans, and rules; (D) Consistent with biologically sound principles; (E) Consistent with court orders, and approved agreements between ODFW and other management entities or landowners; 3 (F) Supported by affected citizens; (G) Consistent with regulations on similar or nearby waters, unless social or biological circumstances require diversity; (H) Necessary to achieve an identified objective; (I) Necessary to balance harvest with reproduction or recruitment; and (J) Necessary to provide angling opportunity to sequential fisheries. If taken individually, the criteria are difficult to use in a meaningful or logical fashion. For the reviews, these criteria were summarized into four main categories which encompassed Commission Criteria that could be evaluated by the Review Board. Review Board members were asked to apply these categories to examine each proposal using information provided by ODFW/OSP staff, fellow Board members and their individual expertise on the issue. If a Board member determined that any proposal failed to meet one or more of the criteria, the proposal would receive a no vote by the Board member. If the answer was "yes" for all four criteria, the Board member voted to have the proposal pass the Review Board. If the majority of Review Board members rejected a proposal, the proposal would be carried further in the process as a category “C” proposal and a recommendation of “do not adopt in current form”. If the proposal passed the Review Board with a majority vote, then the proposal would be carried forward in the public process and further analyzed by staff and presented at May public meeting. A tie vote caused the proposal to be accepted. Commission Kerns also has the option of passing a proposal that not make it through the Review Board if he considered that the proposal would need to automatically go to the Commission for consideration. The four summary categories are as follows: 1. Does the proposal establish need? (yes or no) Is protection