Dec. 15, 2020
Oregon Anglers Alliance Newsletter
Merry Christmas and thank you for helping the Oregon Anglers Alliance become a reality! After several organizations coming together, stumbling through the COVID-19, enduring awkward Zoom meetings, enlisting a law firm to achieve our 501(c)(3) designation, and working to become what is shaping up to be perhaps the largest pro-angling organization in Oregon, we are happy to announce that we have made it!
See us on Face Book @ Oregon Anglers Alliance
Visit our website @ oregonanglersalliance.org
"The Oregon Anglers Alliance is a collaborative mix of commercial and
recreational angling organizations, businesses, and natural resource
advocates. Our goal is to ensure that our fisheries management decisions
are based on science, providing an optimal future for our fisheries, with
optimal opportunity for ALL anglers for future generations. It is critical to
safeguard this privilege by enhancing, conserving, and increasing HABITAT,
HATCHERIES, and a sustainable HARVEST through community education
and outreach, and focused management strategies."
Thank you to Marc Fleck and Englund Marine! They have been our biggest cheering section. They believed in us and are largely responsible for our success.
Special thanks to OAA Vice President Josh Bettesworth of Englund Marine for being the driving force that has brought in so much support from anglers and businesses by projecting a strong and passionate voice for our organization. Josh is a key leader in the OAA's success.
At the same time, it is very important to give special thanks to all of the other Board members and Officers. We are a diverse group, with each of us having a slightly different skill-set and perspective.
Director Doug Buck. He's our most northern member and has been successful in recruiting organizations and donations from the Umpqua region and even as far away as Eugene. Doug’s sphere of influence is growing fast!
Director John Ward. John is a Board member for the South Coast Anglers, as well as the Coos County STEP Commission. For eight years, he served as president of the local chapter of Northwest Steelheaders. John has been integral in reaching out to local businesses in the Bay area, while keeping our legal team on track and ensuring that our contract obligations are met.
Chief Administrative Officer Bruce Bertrand. Bruce is the newest addition to our group, replacing Donnette Brown as our CAO (Thank you Donnette. We are grateful to have you as one of our Lower Rogue Representatives.) As a career educator, Bruce has a lifetime of experience with administrative duties. He is also past President of the South Coast Anglers serving many years, which explains much about his fisheries knowledge. And of course, he is a life-long passionate fisherman. The political arena of fisheries management is nothing new for Bruce.
Director Mary Duncan. Mary hails out of Gold Beach and has been successful in signing many local businesses to our organization while receiving some much-appreciated donations. Mary and her husband Aaron are active in their community and are a driving force for the Curry Anadromous Fishermen's organization. Month by month, they are helping to spread the word and win the support of the Lower Rogue community.
Director Bob Main. Long time Coos County Commissioner and of course passionate fisherman, Bob has been involved with many fisheries debates over the years. When he speaks, people listen. He is well versed in our legal protocol and the issues of contracts, land use, and just about anything that we may encounter. He is a polished leader, listener, and communicator that has helped to guide us through the web of government policy and politics.
As I've heard it said, "You need to follow the science, but don't forget to follow the politics."
Director Cliff Lance. Cliff is a dynamo. Some of us wonder if he really sleeps at night! He has been largely responsible for the planning, construction, and realization of the Tom Rumrich Morgan Creek Hatchery. This hatchery is an exemplary model for the State of Oregon and has been producing fall Chinook for almost 40 years.
In addition to that, Cliff has been a long-time primary driver of the South Coast Anglers and is a community kingpin for the Coos Bay-North Bend area. Cliff is largely responsible for designing all of our OAA merchandise, logo, letterheads, hats, shirts and more! He is doing a great job promoting and receiving donations to help keep us afloat through these tough times.
Chief Financial Officer Linda Pinkham. Linda resides just a short drive from the City of Gold Beach up the Rogue River. She is a professional writer and anyone who has read her articles in The Curry Coastal Pilot will recognize her as a polished professional.
Linda brings a lifetime of experience with her that is perfect for the OAA. In addition to being a great writer, she has a wealth of experience in website design, working in communications and management of nonprofit corporations, advertising, sales and marketing, and of course, fiscal management.
Linda is a member of the Oregon South Coast Fishermen and Curry Anadromous Fishermen and a long-time fly fisherman. She maintains a refreshingly objective and "outside of the box" outlook on organizational issues.
CAMPAIGNS AND ACTIVITIES
The OAA is fortunate to have had several members participate as part of a citizens advisory group to help craft the Rogue Stratum Plan. This is a combined effort of ODFW, a 14-member Upper Rogue Stratum team, and a 16-member South Coast Stratum team. The purpose for the Stakeholders was to provide recommendations for management strategies and actions relating to categories such as habitat, hatcheries, harvest, fishing, invasive species, research and monitoring, facilities and infrastructure, and enforcement.
Watch for a draft plan that is scheduled to be out this month for comment by Stakeholders, and consideration by the Commission.
The OAA was formally introduced at the November ODFW Commission meeting. Later in the meeting, we testified and supported the Commission and Staff decision to retain nine positions on the Salmon Trout Advisory Committee, with a proposal from Cedric Cooney to better define the purpose of our STEP program.
The OAA supports ODFW and the Hatchery Research Center in their quest to continue to improve the quality of hatchery fish and to define how they may be better used to compliment and conserve our native fish stocks, while extending a maximum sustainable harvest opportunity for all anglers.
The OAA has joined others in supporting ODFW in opposing the petition to list our Oregon Coastal Fall Chinook.
The OAA supports the challenge to the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers on the Rogue River mitigation numbers. Evidence shows that the input data to establish mitigation numbers has been inaccurate from the beginning. Correcting this error would result in higher fish propagation numbers in the Rogue River Basin. This would equate to greater angler opportunity, but more importantly would help to restore an imbalanced ecosystem.
We will continue working diligently to find common ground with the State of Oregon and others on issues that we can agree to improve upon. We will strive to continue to make improvements to our fisheries, the economics, and the angler opportunity that surrounds them. Thank you for joining what has been a much-needed, united organization, and to restore and protect the angling privileges that are so important to us, and to future generations.
And finally, get involved. Don't be the one that only speaks up to raise an objection. Speak up to support and reinforce all of the good things that you can. Together, we can make a difference.
May you find peace and joy in the coming year.
Pulsing rods and singing drags,
Leonard Krug, President
Oregon Anglers Alliance
oregonanglersalliance@outlook.com
oregonanglersalliance.org