These comments are based on personal experiences, data accumulated and knowledge derived during 70 years of assisting the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) and predecessor agencies manage high lake fisheries. This assistance has included: egg taking, money for maintenance and equipment, carrying and stocking of trout fry in lakes, collecting fish observation data, and building a high lake and stream database that handles data on: lake and stream identity, location and physical characteristics, fish stocking, fish observations, water chemistry, water biology and recreational use. These data are extensive and are summarized in the section on Alteration of Lake Ecosystem Dynamics.
Download the PDFs: Trail Blazer NCNP EIS Comments (256 KB) and Appendix B (192 KB) to the comments.
This document outlines the historical involvement of Congress, as well as federal and state executive agencies, over the last 40 years in what might be called the "fish stocking controversy" in the North Cascades National Park (NCNP). We believe it to be the easiest and simplest way to get background on this issue. Furthermore, it may well be the most completely documented discussion of this history to date (including proper reference citations).
It is vital to understand this complete history in order to fully understand the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) that was released to the public by the National Park Service on May 23, 2005 pertaining to fish stocking in the NCNP complex. The EIS is an impressive piece of work, but it does not do a complete job of revealing why the continuation of fishing and fish stocking was one of the prerequisites that allowed for the very formation of the NCNP in 1968. This paper remedies that situation.
Download the PDF: Historical Case for Fish Stocking in the North Cascades National Park (184 KB)