Please sign the petition to show ODFW and the Fish and Wildlife commission that the harvest of wild Umpqua River steelhead, and especially North Umpqua steelhead, is not an appropriate management option.

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Dear Friends of Wild Steelhead,

The North Umpqua Wild Steelhead Coalition views the Umpqua River, and especially the North Umpqua, as the premier wild steelhead river in Oregon, based on its international reputation and the rarity of its wild steelhead.

Wild North Umpqua winter steelhead express life history and genetic characteristics that are rare across California, Oregon, Washington and Idaho.

Therefore, we believe that The North Umpqua deserves special management recognition, including prohibition of harvesting wild steelhead.

We are opposed to enactment of any angling regulation that would allow harvest of wild steelhead from the Umpqua River and especially in the North Umpqua. We also oppose any action by the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife or the Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission that would result in purposeful introduction of hatchery winter steelhead in the the North Umpqua.

Stocking hatchery winter steelhead in to the North Umpqua in order to provide a harvest fishery is is likely to compromise the productivity of this population and is contrary to the best available science regarding interactions between hatchery and wild steelhead.

We ask you to sign this petition to continue to ensure catch-and-release angling only for the remarkable wild winter steelhead of the Umpqua River:

"I am opposed to any attempt by the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife to allow harvest of wild winter steelhead on the Umpqua system. I am also opposed to implementation of a hatchery program for winter steelhead on the North Umpqua River.”

Please sign the petition to show ODFW and the Fish and Wildlife commission that the harvest of wild Umpqua River steelhead, and especially North Umpqua steelhead, is not an appropriate management option, given the biological and social significance of these fish.