EMERGENCY RULES
FISH AND WILDLIFE
Effective Date of Rule: Immediately.
Purpose: The purpose of this rule making is to provide for treaty Indian fishing opportunity in the Columbia while protecting salmon listed as threatened or endangered under the Endangered Species Act. This rule making implements federal court orders governing Washington's relationship with treaty Indian tribes and federal law governing Washington's relationship with Oregon.
Citation of Existing Rules Affected by this Order: Repealing WAC 220-32-05700Z and 220-32-05700A; and amending WAC 220-32-057.
Statutory Authority for Adoption: RCW 77.04.130, 77.12.045, and 77.12.047.
Other Authority: United States v. Oregon, Civil No. 68-513-KI (D. Or.), Order Adopting 2005-2007 Interim Management Agreement For Upriver Chinook, Sockeye, Steelhead, Coho & White Sturgeon (May 11, 2005) (Doc. No. 2407); Puget Sound Gillnetters Ass'n v. Moos, 92 Wn.2d 939, 603 P.2d 819 (1979); 40 Stat. 515 (Columbia River compact).
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: Clarifies language to allow sales only of sturgeon caught in the John Day pool, including platform and hook and line caught sturgeon. The John Day pool is open for a sturgeon set line season. There is room on the guideline to allow for a season, and harvestable numbers of sturgeon are available. Conforms state rules to tribal rules. Consistent with compact action of July 26, 2007. There is insufficient time to promulgate permanent regulations.
The Yakama, Warm Springs, Umatilla, and Nez Perce Indian tribes have treaty fishing rights in the Columbia River and inherent sovereign authority to regulate their fisheries. Washington and Oregon also have some authority to regulate fishing by treaty Indians in the Columbia River, authority that the states exercise jointly under the congressionally ratified Columbia River compact. Sohappy v. Smith, 302 F. Supp. 899 (D. Or. 1969). The tribes and the states adopt parallel regulations for treaty Indian fisheries under the supervision of the federal courts. A court order sets the current parameters. United States v. Oregon, Civil No. 68-513-KI (D. Or.), Order Adopting 2005-2007 Interim Management Agreement For Upriver Chinook, Sockeye, Steelhead, Coho & White Sturgeon (May 11, 2005) (Doc. No. 2407). Some salmon and steelhead stocks in the Columbia River are listed as threatened or endangered under the federal Endangered Species Act. The National Marine Fisheries Service has issued a biological opinion under 16 U.S.C. § 1536 that allows for some incidental take of these species in the fisheries as described in the 2005-2007 interim management agreement.
Columbia River fisheries are monitored very closely to ensure consistency with court orders and Endangered Species Act guidelines. Because conditions change rapidly, the fisheries are managed almost exclusively by emergency rule. As required by court order, the Washington (WDFW) and Oregon (ODFW) departments of fish and wildlife convene public hearings and invite tribal participation when considering proposals for new emergency rules affecting treaty fishing rights. Sohappy, 302 F. Supp. at 912. WDFW and ODFW then adopt regulations reflecting agreements reached.
Number of Sections Adopted in Order to Comply with Federal Statute: New 1, Amended 0, Repealed 0; Federal Rules or Standards: New 1, 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 2.
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: August 2, 2007.
J. P. Koenings
Director
1) Open period: Immediately through 6:00 p.m. August 18, 2007.
2) Open area: 1H (John Day Pool only).
3) Gear: Setlines. Fishers are encouraged to use circle hooks and avoid J-hooks. It is unlawful to use setline gear with more than 100 hooks per set line, with hooks less than the minimum size of 9/0, with treble hooks, without visible buoys attached, and with buoys that do not specify operator and tribal identification.
4) Allowable Sales: Sturgeon caught in the John Day pool between 4 feet and 5 feet in length may be sold. Sturgeon within the size limits stated above and caught in the John Day pool platform and hook and line fishery may be sold during the open periods of the set line fishery. Sturgeon between 45 inches and 60 inches in length may be retained in the Bonneville Pool (1F) for subsistence purposes only. Sturgeon between 4 feet and 5 feet in length may be retained in The Dalles and John Day pools (1G, 1H) for subsistence purposes.
5) Sanctuaries: Notwithstanding the provisions of WAC 220-22-010, during the open periods described above:
6) Area 1F (Bonneville Pool) shall include those waters of the Columbia River upstream from the Bridge of the Gods, located approximately 2.3 miles above Bonneville Dam, and downstream of a line projected from the west end of the Port of The Dalles Dock across the Columbia River to a Washington department of fisheries' boundary marker on the Washington shore.
7) Area 1G (The Dalles Pool) shall include those waters of the Columbia River upstream from a line projected from an Oregon department of fish and wildlife deadline marker on the Oregon shore to the 5-mile-lock light (6 seconds red) on an island near the Oregon shore, to an island near the Washington shore to a Washington department of fisheries' fishing boundary marker on the Washington shore at the southwest corner of Horsethief Lake, SP&S Railroad fill and downstream of a line projected across the thread of the Columbia River at the grain elevator at Rufus, Oregon, to a deadline marker on the Washington shore.
8) Area 1H (John Day Pool) shall include those waters of the Columbia River upstream from a line projected across the thread of the Columbia River from a fishing boundary marker approximately 1/2-mile above the John Day River, Oregon, to a fishing boundary marker on the Washington shore and downstream of a line projected across the thread of the Columbia River from the upstream bank of the Umatilla River.
9) Miscellaneous: It is unlawful to sell, barter, or attempt to sell or barter sturgeon eggs that have been removed from the body cavity of a sturgeon prior to sale of the sturgeon to a wholesale dealer licensed under chapter RCW 75.28, or to sell or barter sturgeon eggs at retail. It is unlawful to deliver to a wholesale dealer licensed under chapter RCW 75.28 any sturgeon that are not in the round with the head and tail intact.
10) OTHER: Quick reporting required for Washington wholesale dealers, WAC 220-69-240. When quick reporting is required, Columbia River reports must be submitted within 24 hours of closure of the designated fishery.
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The following section of the Washington Administrative Code is repealed:
| WAC 220-32-05700Z | Columbia River sturgeon seasons above Bonneville. (07-156) |
| WAC 220-32-05700A | Columbia River sturgeon seasons above Bonneville Dam. |