EMERGENCY RULES
FISH AND WILDLIFE
Purpose: Amend personal use fishing rules.
Citation of Existing Rules Affected by this Order: Amending WAC 232-28-619.
Statutory Authority for Adoption: RCW 77.12.047.
Under RCW 34.05.350 the agency for good cause finds that immediate adoption, amendment, or repeal of a rule is necessary for the preservation of the public health, safety, or general welfare, and that observing the time requirements of notice and opportunity to comment upon adoption of a permanent rule would be contrary to the public interest.
Reasons for this Finding: Summer run steelhead returns to the Cowlitz and North Fork Lewis rivers have been strong and hatchery escapement goals on both rivers are expected to be met. The strong returns provide opportunity to liberalize the daily bag limit in these areas to allow increased harvest of hatchery summer run steelhead. There is insufficient time to promulgate permanent rules.
Number of Sections Adopted in Order to Comply with Federal Statute: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; Federal Rules or Standards: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; or Recently Enacted State Statutes: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.
Number of Sections Adopted at Request of a Nongovernmental Entity: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.
Number of Sections Adopted on the Agency's Own Initiative: New 1, Amended 0, Repealed 0.
Number of Sections Adopted in Order to Clarify, Streamline, or Reform Agency Procedures: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.
Number of Sections Adopted Using Negotiated Rule Making: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; Pilot Rule Making: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; or Other Alternative Rule Making: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.
Date Adopted: June 30, 2004.
J. P. Koenings
Director
by Larry Peck
(1) Cowlitz River (Cowlitz County)
Effective July 1 until further notice, up to three hatchery steelhead may be retained as part of the trout daily limit in those waters of the Cowlitz River from the highway 4 Bridge at Kelso upstream to 400 feet or posted markers below the barrier dam.
(2) North Fork Lewis River (Clark County)
(a) Effective July 1 until further notice, up to three hatchery steelhead may be retained as part of the trout daily limit in those waters downstream of Colvin Creek.
(b) Effective July 1 through September 30, 2004, up to three hatchery steelhead may be retained as part of the trout daily limit in those waters upstream of Colvin Creek.
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