The fight for our right to equality and inclusion in the management decisions continues. With fall upon us we are growing closer to the dates that the North of Falcon meetings will once again begin. As we continue to work with the WDFW and others toward a solution, we must also continue our work to educate our fellow sportsmen and women about the issue of locked doors and failed inclusion. For the first time in memory, the Citizen Sportsmen have banded together around this issue and have sent a very loud and powerful message that we will not stand by and watch our fish and our sport decline. Our strength is in our numbers! Our numbers reflect the passion we feel for our fish and sport, and is a sign of our solidarity! However, there are a large number of people who are not aware of what we are accomplishing here. We just haven’t reached them and let them know how they can join us. We are asking YOU for HELP! We have created the following letter which we want you to copy and paste, then print it out and get it to your neighbors, friends, guys and gals you meet on the river. Post it on bulletin boards and other places where people can see it. COMMIT TO GET AT LEAST 10 PEOPLE SIGNED ON! We are working everyday, as hard as we can to make a difference, we are asking you to take up the banner and make every effort to swell our numbers. Again, our numbers are our strength, and they DO make a difference. We owe it to our fellow citizens to let them know about these Secret Meetings and how damaging they are. HERE IS YOUR CHANCE TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE. GET THIS LETTER TO AS MANY PEOPLE AS YOU CAN. WE ARE COUNTING ON YOU. Citizen Sportsmen Change.Org Open Tribal/WDFW NOF OpenNOF@Gmail.com Dear Sportsmen, We are writing today to inform you of a very important issue that effects you as a sportsmen of Washington State. It involves our Co-management system and our Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW). Every year, the WDFW and tribes engage in meetings called “North of Falcon”. These negotiations results in our seasons and our Rules and Regulations Book. Some of these meetings are open to the public, but unfortunately, the most important meetings held between the Tribal Co-managers of the Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission (NWIFC) and the WDFW are closed to the public. You are barred from attending. There is no video, no observers and no way for us to know what deals they are making until its all over! These secret meetings result in policies and laws being adopted behind closed doors outside the view of the public in a manner contrary to our democratic form of government and may not be the best decisions for our fish and us. Transparency is the only way WDFW and the NWIFC can restore the trust and confidence of the public in the co-management of fish and wildlife in the state. We have started a petition to have a live video camera allowed in these meetings, broadcast, to let the public see and hear what is being agreed to. We ask you to join us in sending a clear message that WE MATTER! Please, add your voice of support by signing the on-line petition. To find out more and support the Petition, do a search for; Open WDFW/Tribal NOF Change.org Sincerely yours, Citizen Sportsmen of Washington, Open North of Falcon