April 27, 2022 4:00 a.m.

On Tuesday, the Douglas County Board of Commissioners, the Umpqua Fishery Enhancement Derby, and local fishing guide Scott Worsley filed a legal petition seeking judicial review of the State Fish and & Wildlife Commission’s decision to permanently terminate the summer steelhead program on the North Umpqua River and dispose of 78,000 smolts currently held at the Rock Creek Hatchery.

A release from the plaintiffs said the lawsuit seeks immediate and expedited review of the commission’s decision on April 22nd, and a court order blocking the Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife from killing or removing the smolts from the hatchery other than to release them into the North Umpqua River.

Douglas County, UFED and Worsley claim the commission’s decision unlawfully:

*failed to support its decision with substantial evidence, including ignoring its own staff recommendation and ODFW’s determination that terminating the program would provide no benefit to wild fish and,

*ignored multiple management directives and objectives in the existing fisheries management plans;

*followed a rushed process that failed to follow formal notice, comment and hearing procedures.

The plaintiffs also say their complaint filed in Circuit Court claims that the commission ignored the:

*best available science;

*social, economic and recreational needs of the local community;

*findings of the ODFW’s scientific assessment;

*needs of federal recognized Tribes

The Carollo Law Group in Roseburg is representing the plaintiffs.