NEWS RELEASE from Olympic National Park:
PORT ANGELES — Olympic National Park is proposing minor changes to recreational fishing regulations within the park.
These proposed changes apply to non-tribal, recreational fisheries within the boundaries of Olympic National Park.
Park staff is inviting the public to review the proposed changes at http://parkplanning.nps.gov/ONPFishingRegs2014-15 and provide comments or information that may not have been considered in developing these proposals.
The proposed changes to fishing regulations are specific to the Dickey, Hoh and Quillayute River mouths in the Pacific Coastal Area of the park.
The proposed changes would clarify and simplify park regulations near the river mouths, improve consistency of the park’s regulations regarding non-retention of wild fish, and eliminate the need for annual changes to gear and hatchery limits since they would conform to state regulations in those areas.
In the proposed changes, annual park gear regulations and daily limits for hatchery salmon and steelhead would be identical to state regulations for areas immediately upstream of the park boundary in those rivers. (See following table.)
Annual park regulations would require the catch-and-release of cutthroat trout and wild coho and Chinook salmon in the Pacific Coastal Areas.
Park fishing regulations take effect on May 1, 2014 and will be available at: http://www.nps.gov/olym/fishing.htm, park visitor centers and local sporting goods stores.
To be considered in the final decision process, comments must be received by March 24, 2014.
ATTACHMENT:
Recreational Fishing Regulations in the Pacific Coastal Area of Olympic National Park, 2014-2015
Table 1. Proposed Annual Regulations for Pacific Coastal Areas of Olympic National Park, 2014-15, listed by (1) area, (2) season, (3) gear and (4) daily limit:
Dickey River Mouth, Pacific Coastal Area
June 1-April 30
Park gear regulations from river mouth to park boundary are identical to state regulations from the park boundary upstream to the confluence of the East and West Forks
Release all wild steelhead, salmon, and trout. Park daily limits for hatchery salmon and steelhead are identical to
state daily limits for hatchery salmon and steelhead from the park boundary upstream to the confluences of the East and West Forks
Hoh River Mouth, Pacific Coastal Area
May 15-April 15
Park gear regulations from river mouth to park boundary are identical to state regulations from the park boundary upstream to state Dept. of Natural Resources’ Oxbow Campground boat launch
Release all wild steelhead, salmon, and trout. Park daily limits for hatchery salmon and steelhead are identical to state daily limits for hatchery salmon and steelhead from the park boundary upstream to state Dept. of Natural Resources’ Oxbow Campground boat launch
Quillayute River, Pacific Coastal Area
Year-round
Park gear regulations are identical to state regulations from the park boundary upstream to confluences of Sol Duc and Bogachiel Rivers
Release all wild steelhead, salmon, and trout. Park daily limits for hatchery salmon and steelhead are identical to state daily limits for hatchery salmon and steelhead from the park boundary upstream to confluences of Sol Duc and Bogachiel Rivers.
