S-2753.1  _______________________________________________

                    SENATE JOINT MEMORIAL 8021

          _______________________________________________

State of Washington      54th Legislature     1995 Regular Session

By Senators Haugen, Oke, Drew, Spanel and Snyder

Read first time 03/24/95.  Referred to Committee on Natural Resources.

Requesting the United States Forest Service to allow steelhead boat fishing on the Skagit River.

    TO THE HONORABLE BILL CLINTON, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, AND TO THE PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE AND THE SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, AND TO THE SENATE AND HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE UNITED STATES, IN CONGRESS ASSEMBLED, AND TO THE UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE AND THE UNITED STATES FOREST SERVICE:

    We, your Memorialists, the Senate and House of Representatives of the State of Washington, in legislative session assembled, respectfully represent and petition as follows:

    WHEREAS, The Skagit River is famous as a location to  recreationally fish for the sea run rainbow trout, commonly known as steelhead; and

    WHEREAS, There is a long tradition of steelhead fishing on the Skagit River, and fishing from a boat is an important part of that tradition; and

    WHEREAS, The Skagit River is also a wintering and nesting area for bald eagles, a threatened species; and

    WHEREAS, The Skagit River bald eagle population is one of the largest populations of bald eagles in the southern United States, and the population of bald eagles on the Skagit River has steadily increased over the last twenty years; and

    WHEREAS, The bald eagles that make their home on the Skagit River have adapted to the activities of the human population in the area; and

    WHEREAS, The human population of the Skagit River valley, and those persons who recreate on the Skagit River, have made great efforts to assure that the bald eagle population will increase, and in fact, the population has increased markedly; and

    WHEREAS, The Skagit River bald eagle population has shown that mankind and bald eagles can coexist without extreme restrictions upon mankind's activities; and

    WHEREAS, The United States Forest Service has unilaterally decided to place a boating ban on the upper Skagit River ostensibly for the protection of bald eagles; and

    WHEREAS, The bald eagle population was flourishing under conditions that allowed free boating access and use of the river; and

    WHEREAS, The Forest Service has no scientific proof that the free use of boats on the Skagit River harms the bald eagle population in any way;

    NOW, THEREFORE, Your Memorialists respectfully pray that the United States Forest Service repeal their rules for boating restrictions on the upper Skagit River to allow for steelhead boat fishing.

    BE IT RESOLVED, That copies of this Memorial be immediately transmitted to the Honorable Bill Clinton, President of the United States, the Secretary of the United States Department of Agriculture, the Chief of the United States Forest Service, the President of the United States Senate, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and each member of Congress from the State of Washington.

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