IN THIS ISSUE

• LLTK Celebrates 20 Years
• Hatchery Reform Project Updates
• Conference Summary Report
• 21st Century Salmon and Steelhead Management
• Reform Implementation on the Columbia
• HSRG Update
• Farewell to Jack Larsen
• Facility Updates – Hatchery Wish List
• LLTK Merchandise
• Natalie Fobes Prints and Cards

LLTK CELEBRATES 20 YEARS

2006 marks LLTK’s 20th anniversary year. As we enter this milestone in our history, we also usher in a new phase of work with both the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife and the US Fish and Wildlife Service (see below), an ambitious fundraising campaign, and a full slate of events aimed at celebrating two decades of innovation in salmon recovery. In the fall, our annual Chairman's Council Luncheon will become a birthday dinner party, where we will honor the achievements of those who have contributed to our success and take a look forward toward the next 20 years. Stay tuned for your invitations to this and other special events in 2006. Also stay tuned for your chance to join in the festivities by sporting our new, special-edition 20th anniversary commemorative t-shirt, which will be available for purchase directly from the LLTK website in April. Salmon now… salmon in the future… Long Live the Kings!

HATCHERY REFORM PROJECT UPDATES

Hatchery Reform conference presenters (Photo by Kevin P. Casey) Long Live the Kings sponsored and coordinated the day-long conference “Hatchery Reform: Managing for Success” on October 28, 2005, at the Mountaineers Hall in Seattle. The event highlighted the independent scientific recommendations and co-manager implementation actions resulting from the Puget Sound and Coastal Washington Hatchery Reform Project. Joint presentations by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW), treaty Indian tribes, and the Hatchery Scientific Review Group (HSRG) included the role of hatcheries and hatchery reform in the future of salmon recovery and sustainable fisheries. Attendees included congressional and other federal agency office staff; legislative and gubernatorial officials and staff; tribal officials and staff; tribal agency representatives; and scientific, academic, fishing, and environmental representatives. A summary report has been mailed to all conference presenters and attendees. The report is also available electronically. To download and print or to order a copy of the report, as well as the conference presentations, or to view images from the event, please click here or follow these steps: Visit www.lltk.org Click on News and Events in the navigation bar on the left side of the page. Click on Events in the blue navigation bar at the top of the page. Select “Hatchery Reform: Managing for Success” from the list of events.

Recognizing the complex and multiple challenges the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife faces in implementing its hatchery reform, salmon recovery and sustainable fisheries responsibilities, WDFW’s director has asked LLTK to help make operational the science-based, ecosystem-focused salmonid management needed to meet these obligations. LLTK expects this 21st Century Salmon and Steelhead Management initiative to include:

• Short-, medium- and long-term strategic planning.
• Work plans with measurable benchmarks and methods/assignments for tracking and communicating progress.
• Staff training and technical consultation.
• An effective communication strategy with stakeholders and the public, to ensure transparent decision-making and a broad-based constituency supportive of the dramatic changes ahead.

Work on this new initiative began earlier this year, as LLTK facilitated several strategic planning meetings for a WDFW core leadership team of senior staff from all WDFW divisions, disciplines and areas of responsibility. LLTK continues to meet weekly with this group and/or key sub-groups to create a framework within which to evaluate strategic methods for change. You can follow the progress of this project in subsequent issues of the LLTK E-News and in our Summer Update and Year-End Report.

The Puget Sound and Coastal Washington Hatchery Reform Project has generated widespread interest other parts of the Northwest.

The US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) has adapted the principles and tools of the Hatchery Scientific Review Group and is applying them to an internal review of all 21 USFWS-owned or -affiliated salmon and steelhead hatcheries in the Columbia River Basin. USFWS has retained LLTK to facilitate this review.

LLTK began working in July 2005 with the Hatchery Review Team appointed by USFWS to develop hatchery reform recommendations based on those principles. LLTK has helped the Review Team create administrative procedures and scientific principles; field test them in a pilot review of the Warm Springs National Fish Hatchery (NFH) in central Oregon; draft a report containing recommendations for that facility; conduct co-manager and stakeholder reviews of the report; and begin preparations for the upcoming review of the three NFHs in the Mid-Columbia region (Leavenworth, Winthrop and Entiat). The draft Warm Springs report and more information about this hatchery review are available here.

In early February, NOAA Fisheries announced that it had retained Jim Waldo, who as one of the lead facilitators for the Puget Sound Hatchery Reform Project, to lead a review of the impacts of harvest and hatcheries on ESA-listed salmon and steelhead in the Columbia River Basin. More information about the NOAA review can be found here.

LLTK is no longer facilitating the HSRG, since that science panel has successfully drafted a scientific framework, reviewed all hatchery programs in the study area, and helped develop some of the tools needed for implementation of hatchery reform. However, the HSRG will continue to meet in 2006, in order to: 1) help guide effective implementation by funding demonstration projects; 2) continue tool development; 3) bring hatchery reform concepts to the scientific literature; 4) review progress by the co-managers; and 5) identify funding to expand hatchery reform to the Columbia.

Fin-clippers, including LLTK Project Director Michael Kern (left), at our Glenwood Springs hatchery on Orcas Island. One unique way to contribute to LLTK is to make a gift of much-needed equipment to one of our three hatchery facilities. Following is a list of items currently needed at each facility. If you would like to make a tax-deductible donation of one or more of these items, or to receive more information, please contact Fish Programs Coordinator Michael Schmidt at 206-382-9555, ext. 27, or mschmidt@lltk.org. Glenwood Springs Vaki bioscanner fish counter A composting toilet to replace the rented portable toilet currently in use Lilliwaup Netting to cover outdoor tanks (to prevent predation) Backup water pump Water intake flow-monitoring system (to monitor from offsite—an alarm sounds if something happens to water flow or condition) Wishkah Turbidity meter

Gear up for the 2006 season with a new set of LLTK attire! Our t-shirts, sweatshirts, and baseball caps are all comfy, machine-washable 100% cotton. Cozy fleece jackets, vests, and blankets will warm you up, while our sturdy anoraks keep you dry. You can now purchase LLTK merchandise directly from our website and be decked out in your new duds within a week. Visit the merchandise page today to place your order directly online using PayPal. And be sure to check back later this spring for our special 20th anniversary commemorative t-shirt. View and purchase all of the LLTK gear here.

Coho Alevins (Photo by Natalie Fobes) The two-month exhibit of Natalie Fobes’ salmon photography at Café Paloma in Pioneer Square, which closed on February 2, was a success- exposing LLTK to hundreds of new friends, and promoting the Fobes image gallery on our website. Café Paloma proprietor Sedat Uysal said that customers commented on the beauty of the Fobes images, and were particularly enchanted by the fabric “flags” printed with salmon imagery that graced the Café ceiling. This was the first public showing of the collection of six limited-edition Fobes prints that are being sold as a fundraiser for LLTK. Boxed note cards featuring the same images of Pacific salmon are also available and the proceeds also benefit LLTK. To view and/or purchase prints and boxed note cards online using our secure server, please click here.