Why is this important? Back in the 1960’s when I left the Seattle area for college there was still lots of primal western slope forest, lots of undeveloped recreation opportunities for an as yet manageable western Washington population. But even then,for anyone in the primary population centers of Seattle/Tacoma who wanted to fish on a quality, western slope native fishery, there were few, if any, local choices and inevitably a long drive. Lots has changed since the 1960’s. The amount of primal, western slope forest has shrunken to the point endangerment of that ecosystem. The population of Seattle/Tacoma and surrounding suburbs burgeoned beyond anyone’s imagination. The demand for recreational opportunities in general, and the importance of remnant outdoor recreational alternatives has skyrocketed. There is no longer lots of land, lots of rivers, lots of fish. And, we have learned how to utilize fisheries without killing them off. The population deserves to have what there is, what remains, re-evaluated in terms of how it is used and what is the trade-off. What remains in the Tacoma watershed is, right now, highly (temporarily, 50 years) degraded for some purposes, still valuable for others. There is, for fishing purposes, 6 miles of Upper Green River between the lower diversion dam and the Howard Hansen Dam. That was, in the 1960’s, 6 miles of a largely untouched (except by TWD employees), forever unplanted, native rainbow fishery. It was in the 1960’s unique in Western Washington, and to the degree to which that fishery still exists, infinitely more unique and valuable today. Above the Howard Hanson dam the small size of the river, the fast gradient, and the sterility (purity) of the water change the equation in terms of opportunity to experience large, native rainbow. And limited, controlled, catch-and-release fishing is only one of a large number of remaining potential recreational uses with ZERO impact on the water.. What could be Buying up and closing watersheds is a luxury no developing communities have been able to afford for a long time. We have learned, by necessity, multiple use. Eugene/Springfield sits on the confluence of the McKenzie and Willamette rivers. For 80 miles above town, the McKenzie River and it’s watershed run as the greatest recreational asset in Lane County, with fishing, boating, white-water rafting, swimming, golf courses, communities, logging, and agriculture. On any given summer day thousands of people are recreating in one way or another on the McKenzie. And then, after 80 miles of
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