Do We Have a Champion to Fight Poachers?

By Norm Ritchie, Co-President of the Board

The Oregon “Turn In Poachers” (TIP) program has been successful in having poachers brought to justice. Managed by Oregon Hunters Association (OHA) in partnership with ODFW and state police (OSP) the program incentivizes witnesses reporting poachers with awards of $1,000 for unlawful taking of big game such as Elk, even twice that much for big horn sheep. It’s not surprising that OHA would set the award for the illegal take of salmon at only $200.

ODFW and OSP believe there would be a significant increase in reporting fish poaching if the award was set higher. All three of these organizations are looking for an organization for OHA to hand over the fish part of the program and increase the bounty. All agree NW Steelheaders is a great fit for grabbing this baton from OHA, including the Steelheaders board. But we recognize this will require a champion from within our ranks.

Many of us have seen people fishing the wrong side of a deadline or snagging, etc. – too many. If you have been enraged by such actions, here is your chance to strike back and be part of the solution. Be our champion for ethical fishing. Contact OfficeManager@anws.org to express your interest or get answers to your questions.

Please let us know if you think our organization should give this effort a high priority and assist with related fund raising.

The Short Session is Setting the Agenda for the 2025 Long Session

By Bob Oleson, Co-President and volunteer Policy Advocate

The recent five week session was intended to deal with small policy budget adjustments. However, this year our lawmakers received fairly high marks in the media due to the passage of major bills dealing with housing, drug addiction, and campaign finance reform. (Folks who fish and hunt will be pleased to know the past legislature appropriated approximately $3 million to address the growing threat of invasive species and zoonotic diseases.) Both political parties showed up for serious work and demonstrated a commitment to bipartisan solutions. Dozens of important bills were enacted.

Regarding fish, wildlife, habitat and water quality there were numerous meetings and discussions about upcoming state needs. Resulting concepts will be developed into specific proposals for the 2025 long session, where many hundreds of bills will be enacted. For us this list will include determining the future of our hatchery system, finalizing the proposed wildlife coexistence program, continuing to advance the Columbia River fishing reforms, and much more.

Numerous new legislators and new policy/budget requests will appear in advance of the next session and its many committee meetings. You are encouraged to begin engaging in both the political and lawmaking processes. ANWS will continue to keep you in the information loop regarding a wide range of potential legislative priorities. Many of our issues and positions will only receive  necessary attention if we are persistent and knowledgeable advocates at both the chapter and state levels. Let’s keep working together to improve the places and opportunities for fishing and enjoying the outdoors.

2024 NW Steelheaders Hall of Fame Set for Saturday, November 9th

Mark your calendars now! The Hall of Fame will be at the Gray Gables this year. The address, 3009 Chestnut St Portland, OR 97267, is just off McLaughlin Blvd (Hwy 99E) in Milwaukie. They are known for providing a great banquet.

So get this on your schedule now and look for more details - and an early bird registration discount - in the next newsletter!

Fred Meyers to Donate to NW Steelheaders – The Rest is Up to You!

By Norm Ritchie, Co-President of the Board

NW Steelheaders has enjoyed a good relationship with Fred Meyers for years having received grants for specific achievements from the Meyer Memorial Trust, but that does not help cover our overhead expenses. The Fred Meyer Community Rewards Program can help with that, but it requires your help.

Fred Meyer customers with an awards card or an awards account using their phone number enjoy fuel discounts and grocery discounts not otherwise available. Linking your awards membership to the Steelheaders does not reduce your customer awards in any way or cost you anything. Fred Meyers will simply donate quarterly to the Steelheaders based on the spending of the awards members linked to the Steelheaders.

Please, PLEASE, take just a few minutes one time to add Steelheaders to your account:

1. Go to https://www.fredmeyer.com/i/community/community-rewards

2. select “2. Search for your organization here.”

3. It will take you to your log in page.

4. Once logged in it will take you to the Community Awards page where you can select your awards organization.

5. Simply type “Steelheaders” and select.

If you shop at Fred Meyers, but don’t have an awards membership, you can sign up and save some money, while helping the Steelheaders:

1. Rather than signing in, select “Create Account” from the Sign In drop down menu and follow instructions.

2. Use whatever phone number you would use at the store checkout to receive your awards as your “Alt ID”.

3. Once your profile is set up select Community Rewards to type and select Steelheaders.

Thank you for your support.

Chapter Meetings

A few chapters have resumed Monthly Chapter Meetings in-person, and we hope to get everyone meeting as soon as possible! To get more detailed meeting information please visit our Events Calendar. If you're having trouble finding a meeting you can attend, please reach out to us at office@anws.org and we'll help you out. As always, Chapter Meetings are free and open to the public. If you're new to Northwest Steelheaders, attending a meeting is a great first step to getting more involved with your local fishing community. 

Upcoming Meetings

•  Columbia River Chapter - Tuesday, April 9 @ 6:30 pm

•  McLoughlin Chapter - Tuesday, April 9 @ 7 pm

•  Tualatin Valley Chapter - Thursday, April 11 @ 7 pm

•  Salem Chapter - Tuesday, April 16 @ 7 pm

•  Emerald Empire Chapter - Tuesday, April 23 @ 6:30 pm

•  Mid-Valley Chapter - Wednesday, May1 @ 6 pm

•  Sandy River Chapter - Thursday, May 2 @ 7 pm

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