Please Help Save Our Hunting Access! Time sensitive.

[fishermanjoe]

Attention all duck hunters and public land advocates. Our public land hunting opportunities have been getting smaller, and the state is planning on getting rid of one of our premier sites. Fir Island is on the chopping block! One of the WDFW land managers provided this link and instructed hunters to voice their opinion. If there is anyone with some high up Ducks Unlimited connections please share this with them. Even if you don't hunt the island comment on this issue. This is time sensitive! They are only taking comments on the issue till the 16th of this month.

https://wdfw.wa.gov/species-habitats/habitat-recovery/nearshore/conservation/projects/island?fbclid=IwAR0eIpK2VGxlFz5tPj_7F7ScGb_wAgo0pEPN_u5UyBiQyWECFJTQP6HErWA

[Special T]

Attention all duck hunters and public land advocates. Our public land hunting opportunities have been getting smaller, and the state is planning on getting rid of one of our premier sites. Fir Island is on the chopping block! One of the WDFW land managers provided this link and instructed hunters to voice their opinion. If there is anyone with some high up Ducks Unlimited connections please share this with them. Even if you don't hunt the island comment on this issue. This is time sensitive! They are only taking comments on the issue till the 16th of this month.

https://wdfw.wa.gov/species-habitats/habitat-recovery/nearshore/conservation/projects/island?fbclid=IwAR0eIpK2VGxlFz5tPj_7F7ScGb_wAgo0pEPN_u5UyBiQyWECFJTQP6HErWA

Washington waterfowl Association has been fighting this. DU has been reached out to and that fact is They are on board with it. The previous  half of the farmed island flooding 18 ish years ago the DU actually did support work on the project. I believe it was the Hydrolic engineering, but cannot remember for sure.

One of the responses DU gave a person whom is a DU and WWA member is that "paraphrased" Duck hunters are a bunch of backward ignorant sportsmen and we dont know what is good for us.  I gave up my DU membership when they flooded the farmed island the first go around. Apparently they are still able to buffolo folks into thinking they are an organization that supports duck hunters. WRONG! they are a conservation Org that recieves its funding from duck hunters whom think they will be supported by DU.

[pianoman9701]

In the link provided, I don't see where Fir Island is on the chopping block. Please reference the section that deals with that. Thanks.

[Man Tracker]

It is the Farmed Island segment of the Skagit Wildlife Area across the river from HQ on Fir Island.  Probably the last (and best) piece of public waterfowl that is farmable.  Unique in many ways.  Once gone, what is to hild ducks in Skagit Bay?  All the food will be up north...

[pianoman9701]

It is the Farmed Island segment of the Skagit Wildlife Area across the river from HQ on Fir Island.  Probably the last (and best) piece of public waterfowl that is farmable.  Unique in many ways.  Once gone, what is to hild ducks in Skagit Bay?  All the food will be up north...

Again, please cite where this is among the 4 options in the proposal. 

[jackelope]

It is the Farmed Island segment of the Skagit Wildlife Area across the river from HQ on Fir Island.  Probably the last (and best) piece of public waterfowl that is farmable.  Unique in many ways.  Once gone, what is to hild ducks in Skagit Bay?  All the food will be up north...

Again, please cite where this is among the 4 options in the proposal. 

Fir Island is part of the island unit.

[Special T]

It is the Farmed Island segment of the Skagit Wildlife Area across the river from HQ on Fir Island.  Probably the last (and best) piece of public waterfowl that is farmable.  Unique in many ways.  Once gone, what is to hild ducks in Skagit Bay?  All the food will be up north...

Again, please cite where this is among the 4 options in the proposal. 

How can I help this is in my backyard. Of the 4 proposals 1 is no salmon restoration 1 is full resoration, and 2 are different parts of the island. Fact is partial restoration will mean no crops get planted. The ammount of time and labor needed to move equiptment onto and off the island will push partial restoration to full restoration.

Farming intrests have put this on the chopping block trying to stave off eminent domane purchases that are in the plan. Farmers are gonna have Waterfowlers turn on them when it comes time because they sacrificed us.  The only realy statement is no restoration.

I have seen many harbor seals eating salmon and steelhead, so what ever numbers this acrage is claimed to produced will be consumed by seals.



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[timberghost72]

It is the Farmed Island segment of the Skagit Wildlife Area across the river from HQ on Fir Island.  Probably the last (and best) piece of public waterfowl that is farmable.  Unique in many ways.  Once gone, what is to hild ducks in Skagit Bay?  All the food will be up north...

Again, please cite where this is among the 4 options in the proposal. 

Click the link to the Analysis Draft Report. It's all there.

[Widgeondeke]

here are maps of the area and options

hope this helps someone

[Fishmaker57]

Attention all duck hunters and public land advocates. Our public land hunting opportunities have been getting smaller, and the state is planning on getting rid of one of our premier sites. Fir Island is on the chopping block! One of the WDFW land managers provided this link and instructed hunters to voice their opinion. If there is anyone with some high up Ducks Unlimited connections please share this with them. Even if you don't hunt the island comment on this issue. This is time sensitive! They are only taking comments on the issue till the 16th of this month.

https://wdfw.wa.gov/species-habitats/habitat-recovery/nearshore/conservation/projects/island?fbclid=IwAR0eIpK2VGxlFz5tPj_7F7ScGb_wAgo0pEPN_u5UyBiQyWECFJTQP6HErWA

Washington waterfowl Association has been fighting this. DU has been reached out to and that fact is They are on board with it. The previous  half of the farmed island flooding 18 ish years ago the DU actually did support work on the project. I believe it was the Hydrolic engineering, but cannot remember for sure.

One of the responses DU gave a person whom is a DU and WWA member is that "paraphrased" Duck hunters are a bunch of backward ignorant sportsmen and we dont know what is good for us.  I gave up my DU membership when they flooded the farmed island the first go around. Apparently they are still able to buffolo folks into thinking they are an organization that supports duck hunters. WRONG! they are a conservation Org that recieves its funding from duck hunters whom think they will be supported by DU.

Not sure who in D.U. gave such a response, but I'm guessing it wasn't quite as insulting as quoted second hand. In responding to your stated belief about D.U., nothing could be farther from the truth. Ducks Unlimited has NEVER claimed to support duck hunters directly. Their goal is wetlands preservation, so ducks and geese have adequate nesting habitat. Without D.U., there would be far fewer ducks and geese to harvest....period. DU's support comes from all walks of life, including hunters who understand the relationship between wetlands conservation and thriving duck populations.

That being said, having grown up in Skagit County (Conway class of 71) and spending literally hundreds of hours hunting Fir Island, I appreciate your efforts on trying to save the last piece of good huntable ground out there. If they had there way, they would kick ever farmer off Fir Island and let the river take it back!

[Special T]

Attention all duck hunters and public land advocates. Our public land hunting opportunities have been getting smaller, and the state is planning on getting rid of one of our premier sites. Fir Island is on the chopping block! One of the WDFW land managers provided this link and instructed hunters to voice their opinion. If there is anyone with some high up Ducks Unlimited connections please share this with them. Even if you don't hunt the island comment on this issue. This is time sensitive! They are only taking comments on the issue till the 16th of this month.

https://wdfw.wa.gov/species-habitats/habitat-recovery/nearshore/conservation/projects/island?fbclid=IwAR0eIpK2VGxlFz5tPj_7F7ScGb_wAgo0pEPN_u5UyBiQyWECFJTQP6HErWA

Washington waterfowl Association has been fighting this. DU has been reached out to and that fact is They are on board with it. The previous  half of the farmed island flooding 18 ish years ago the DU actually did support work on the project. I believe it was the Hydrolic engineering, but cannot remember for sure.

One of the responses DU gave a person whom is a DU and WWA member is that "paraphrased" Duck hunters are a bunch of backward ignorant sportsmen and we dont know what is good for us.  I gave up my DU membership when they flooded the farmed island the first go around. Apparently they are still able to buffolo folks into thinking they are an organization that supports duck hunters. WRONG! they are a conservation Org that recieves its funding from duck hunters whom think they will be supported by DU.

Not sure who in D.U. gave such a response, but I'm guessing it wasn't quite as insulting as quoted second hand. In responding to your stated belief about D.U., nothing could be farther from the truth. Ducks Unlimited has NEVER claimed to support duck hunters directly. Their goal is wetlands preservation, so ducks and geese have adequate nesting habitat. Without D.U., there would be far fewer ducks and geese to harvest....period. DU's support comes from all walks of life, including hunters who understand the relationship between wetlands conservation and thriving duck populations.

That being said, having grown up in Skagit County (Conway class of 71) and spending literally hundreds of hours hunting Fir Island, I appreciate your efforts on trying to save the last piece of good huntable ground out there. If they had there way, they would kick ever farmer off Fir Island and let the river take it back!

Fact. DU is ok with this move to flood the Farmed island. Fact Money raised in Western Wa does not stay here, we are a revenue source.  Mostly duck hunters go to banquets and send money away. I personally would be OK with DU and Even still be a Member if they wern't part of Flooding the previous section of the farmed island.  You are correct DU never has said they are a hunters org but they partner with nearly every hunting product company and the marketing is directed at waterfowlers.

[Fishmaker57]

Again, I'm not arguing your point on flooding the island, still think they haven't shown where this will improve anything from a scientific point of view. Just wanted to point out that, to date, D.U. has spent $74,299,162 on projects in this state, and conserved 68,145 acres of wetlands in Washington.

[Special T]

Again, I'm not arguing your point on flooding the island, still think they haven't shown where this will improve anything from a scientific point of view. Just wanted to point out that, to date, D.U. has spent $74,299,162 on projects in this state, and conserved 68,145 acres of wetlands in Washington.

A portion of that $ is DU involvement in flooding  the public land for "Salmon habitat". They might claim they are helping but as a waterfowler I disagree. How many acres of watefowl groceries have been converted to inter-tidal habitat? How about Leque Island?, what about Nisqually?

https://www.ducks.org/washington/washington-conservation-projects/washington-nisqually-estuary-restoration-project?poe=washington-conservation-projects

https://www.ducks.org/washington/washington-conservation-projects/skagit-wildlife-area-projects?poe=washington-conservation-projects

Im not saying DU doesnt do any good... They are DRY SHAVING duck hunters in this state. When our access is greatly limited does it matter how many birds we have?