WDFW NEWS RELEASE
Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife
600 Capitol Way North, Olympia, WA 98501-1091
http://wdfw.wa.gov/

October 7, 2011

Contact: Cindy LeFleur, (360) 906-6708

Washington and Oregon seek nominations
for Columbia River fishery advisory committees

OLYMPIA - Fishery managers in Washington and Oregon are seeking nominations for candidates to advisory committees that focus on sport and commercial fishing issues on the Columbia River. Nominations are due Nov. 15.

Members of the Columbia River Recreational Fishing Advisory Group and the Columbia River Commercial Fishing Advisory Group meet three to four times per year to discuss issues affecting salmon, steelhead and sturgeon fisheries.

The two groups advise fishery managers on such issues as designing sustainable fishing opportunities, developing fishery management plans, minimizing gear conflicts between sport and commercial fisheries and implementing annual marketing plans.

Members are expected to provide recommendations for fishing seasons through such forums as the North of Falcon process, the Columbia River Compact and joint state hearings.

Committee members will be selected by Oregon and Washington's fish and wildlife directors to represent fishing interests in both states. The advisors will be asked to serve from January 2012 through the end of 2014. The final membership will reflect all sectors of the two states’ fishing industries, including sport and commercial fishers, charters/guides, processors, equipment suppliers, retailers, ports and affected communities.

Any group or individual may submit a nomination. Nominations should include the following information: A resume with contact information and a statement that describes the nominee's fishing experience, interest in serving on the committee and ability to communicate with regional constituents. Those nominating someone other than themselves also should include their own contact information.

All nominations can be submitted to WDFW by mail at 2108 Grand Blvd, Vancouver, WA 98661, by FAX at (360) 906-6776, or by email to TeamVancouver@dfw.wa.gov . Nominations must be received no later than Nov. 15, 2011.