the Tailout May 2020 tailout_may2020finalx | Page 31

The driving force behind salmon advocacy is our mutual love for salmon and steelhead.
people who make decisions about the
way of life we love, and the resources
about which we are so passionate
often have no clue. Yet, they hold all
the cards. They are frequently driven
by issues of dire importance to them,
and about which we could care less,
and the reverse is also true. So we
often (most often, truth be told) have
to both educate them about things
they care to know nothing about and
try to get them to vote our way on
bills or measures not of their interest
and then to not bargain away our po-
sitions when it comes to the last min-
ute horse trading in the committee
rooms hours or even minutes before
final vote. If, big IF, we even get a
chance to be in the loop in those final
minutes, will they hear our voices or
even get a chance to?
But … there’s the stuff that you
can’t measure. Namely, what would
have happened if me and guys like
me had not done all the seemingly
ineffective things we have done? That
is the real question. Where would
we be today if the work we’ve done
had not been done? That is a harder
question to answer and one impos-
sible to measure. Those who know,
those of us who have done the work
understand how much worse off we
could be. That’s where the leap of
faith came in. It was the point in my
life where I asked myself the ques-
tion, “If I don’t do it, if I don’t roll
up my sleeves and get involved, if I
don’t suck it up and venture into the
unknown, Who Will? Or will it just
not get done at all?” That’s a question
I hope you will ask.
I am an OWG (Old White Guy).
As I look around in the meetings and
in the hearings, I see mostly other
OWGs. That’s a problem. At the next
meeting, I sometimes see one less
OWG and when I do, I ask myself
who’s stepping in to replace him or
who will take up the issue he fought
so hard for? Who will take up his seat
at the table, or will it go vacant along
with his issue?
I understand that reading this
may sound negative and with little
hope for the future. While frustrated,
I have five reasons to have hope —
four granddaughters and a grandson.
If grandpa doesn’t teach them about
fishing and hunting, they may not
learn. If grandpa doesn’t fight for
their opportunity to fish and hunt,
they may not have it. Their moms
and dads are busy trying to keep
them healthy and fed and clothed.
What CAN you do? Another great
question and one that deserves an
answer. Here are my thoughts:
• Pick an issue that’s important to you
and learn about it. Search online, read,
research. You don’t have to do it all
at once, but if it’s of interest to you,
what you read will stick. Write down
your questions.
• Understand your community. Who
else is interested in what you’re
interested in? What do they do, what
research have they done? Who do
they talk to?
• Engage. Attend a meeting, find out
more. Ask questions.
• Talk. It’s a powerful tool. Ask
question, share your concerns and
your points of view. Bitching about
how screwed up things are, or how it
isn’t like it used to be, does not work.
Be thoughtful.
• Understand who “they” is. When
you say, “Why did they do that?” or
“How can they get away with that?”
or “Why can’t they just do [fill in the
blank]?”, understand that “they” isn’t
a nebulous undefined entity, “they”
always ends up being a person with
a face, name, and phone number.
Sometimes “they” will end up being
You.
If you do those things, you will
find yourself in the company of some
good people who are fighting the
fight for our salmon and steelhead.
Sometimes they will be fighting for
you, sometimes they will be fighting
against you. But when you under-
stand, listen, and speak thoughtfully,
you will find yourself changing. Your
world view will change, and you may
even find purpose and satisfaction
in doing the work. I have, and I do.
Then, somewhere down the line, you
might even help make something
good happen. Who knows, you might
find yourself being “influential.”
Editor’s Note: While interviewing
countless sources for the 25 Most Influ-
ential Anglers in the West, Andy’s name
was ceremoniously nominated by several
people. His name was one of many that
we considered, and his accomplishments
resonated for a variety of reasons, the
most notable was his boots-on-the-ground
approach to advocacy. While he might
struggle in accepting the accolade, there is
no doubt his influence is felt throughout
the Pacific Northwest. As anglers with a
common goal, we have Andy to thank.
And many more who did not end up on
our list.
www.salmonandsteelheadjournal.com
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