Westside Pheasant & duck hunters!!! please read

[Stilly bay]

Oct 30 6:30 at the Stanwood Middle school cafeteria marks one of the first public meets to try and determine what will happen to the Smith farm/ Leque island Pheasant release site on the Skagit Wildlife area.

We are back to square one with the entire project, so there is still hope.

There are several groups that are highly interested in flooding the area for salmon production and non hunting pursuits. They will all be there supporting their agendas. If you hunt pheasants in Western Wa or Ducks make sure that you stand up and make yourself known in support of keeping this piece of land open to all hunting.

Please take the time to show your support. WDFW has the final decision on all of this so please don't take the defeatist way out and believe that your opinion doesn't matter, this is one of the rare times where it really does.

this area was purchased for Hunters in the 70's, now the Indians want it for raising Salmon and Anti hunters want it for themselves. Don't let them chip away at another of our limited Westside hunting Resources!!!!!!

[D-Rock425]

 

[JCClement]

 

[Chesterdog]

Thanks for the info..

[Atroxus]

I wish I could make it...is there anyone I can email instead?

Also would be nice if we could get all hunters on board not just pheasant/duck hunters. Then maybe down the road when something like elk/deer/bear hunting land is in danger the bird hunters can return the favor. I think if we stop segregating ourselves into sub-groups and just work together to help all hunters, we could accomplish a lot more. 

[bowjunkie]

 

[Fishnclifff]

Didn't they just flood it and screw up the local wells with salt water intrusion?
Did the solve that problem?

[singleshot12]

Didn't they just flood it and screw up the local wells with salt water intrusion?
Did the solve that problem?

It was only flooded for a very short time,not long enough for salt to seep into the north end aquifer.Contaminating the aquifer was a major concern a few years back but has now been determined by the EPA as insignificant. Doesn't mean the aquifer won't be contaminated when salt leaches in over time. Then there will be a whole world of problems.

[singleshot12]

I see this is posted in the waterfowl section. Wouldn't the duck hunters just as soon see it flooded anyways? Thus making it too small for a release site ending the on going conflicts of the two differant user groups?
And isn't DU funding a major portion of the flooding project? 

[Stilly bay]

There are lots of duck hunters that use leque, even during pheasant season. If it were to be flooded again it would only be useable for those that had small boats, if hunting was even still allowed in that area at all.

I believe DU and the Indians originally funded the started up the salmon restoration project, but I think all that money is gone or used for something else by now. that is why the whole thing is back to square one, They still need to figure out if it would be worth it to repair the existing dikes or just build a new one and flood most of the area. This is why hunters need to voice their opinions on the matter.

[Stilly bay]

I wish I could make it...is there anyone I can email instead?

Also would be nice if we could get all hunters on board not just pheasant/duck hunters. Then maybe down the road when something like elk/deer/bear hunting land is in danger the bird hunters can return the favor. I think if we stop segregating ourselves into sub-groups and just work together to help all hunters, we could accomplish a lot more. 

Here is a copy of the email I recieved. Contact Loren Brokaw so you can be put on the list for the Leque Island stake holders emails.


Leque Island Stakeholders and Interested Parties,
 
Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) has scheduled a public meeting on Wednesday, October 30 from 6:30 – 8:00 pm to discuss the Leque Island Alternatives Analysis and Design project.  The meeting will be held in the Stanwood Middle School cafeteria, located at 9405 271st St NW Stanwood, WA 98292.
 
This meeting will kick-off the Leque Island Alternatives Analysis and Design project, and WDFW staff will provide information on the alternatives analysis and design process.  WDFW will present background information, project goals, and the expected timeline for drafting conceptual designs and selection of the preferred alternative. 
 
you will have the option to provide written feedback and comments in a survey.  You will also have the opportunity to volunteer to participate in a project Work Group that will look more closely at issues that arise throughout the design and alternatives analysis process. 
 
An additional public meeting will be held once conceptual design alternatives are drafted.
 
I hope that you can attend the meeting, and please feel free to contact me with any questions or concerns between now and then.
 
Thanks,
Loren
 
Loren Brokaw
Restoration Projects Coordinator
Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife
16018 Mill Creek Blvd
Mill Creek, WA 98012
 
Office:  (425) 775 – 1311 ext. 105
Cell:       (425) 697 – 0687

[Stilly bay]

bump

[Stilly bay]

weak and pathetic turn out. There are more than a few hunters that should be ashamed of themselves.

If you have hunted smith farm in the past, planned on hunting it in the future and didn't have a good excuse for not showing up or at least writing and email, then don't be surprised when other local hunting opportunities are taken away while others become overcrowded because of displaced hunters.
Don't be upset when your kids and grand kids have no hunting opportunities on this side of the state. Don't get up set when  little Billy is cooking or smoking meth when he could have been out hunting ducks or pheasants.

This is one of the first of HUNDREDS of proposed salmon restoration areas, a project that they don't even know what the out come will be.
By Restoring smith farm they hope to create an extra 10-15K salmon smolt. Not juvies or full grown fish, but smolt. IMO it is just not worth it for the amount of people -hunters and non hunters alike- using that piece of land through out the year in a part of the state where public access is already limited.

if anyone has any interest in following this project or god forbid getting off your lazy ass and doing something, here is the website.

http:wdfw.wa.gov/lands/wildlife_areas/skagit/leque_island_project.php