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North Of Falcon briefing: staff describe 2026 season outcomes, quota reductions and rulemaking timeline
Summary
Agency staff told commissioners that 2026 North Of Falcon planning led to targeted quota reductions and conservation closures in several marine areas to protect constraining stocks; CR‑102 WAC language was filed May 6, a public hearing is set for June 9 and final rule adoption is scheduled on or after June 10.
Kelly Cunningham, director of the agency’s FISH program, and Kyle Addicks, division manager for intergovernmental salmon, briefed the committee on the North Of Falcon process and the 2026 fishing package, describing both constraints and recent adjustments.
Cunningham framed North Of Falcon as a complex, interlocking process involving Pacific Fishery Management Council decisions, treaty and co‑management obligations dating to the Puyallup decisions in the 1990s, and Endangered Species Act constraints for Puget Sound Chinook. He said those legal and management constraints mean fisheries must be adjusted as information arrives from adjacent jurisdictions.
Kyle Addicks summarized specific outcomes for 2026: reduced summer quotas in Marine Areas 5, 9 and 10 with the largest reduction in Area 10, a mark‑selective three‑day Chinook opener planned for Areas 7 and 9 in mid‑July, and reopening of the Area 5 winter fishery. He said coho forecasts improved in some locations, enabling longer seasons or more nonselective days in Areas 5, 6, 7 and 12. Addicks also described freshwater and coastal freshwater fisheries, noting closures where constraints required it (for example, closures of some Snohomish freshwater fisheries and a closure in the Lower Columbia River related to a habitat restoration project rather than abundance).
On procedures and timing, presenters said CR‑102 rule language to implement the adopted seasons was filed May 6 and is posted for public comment; a public hearing is scheduled for June 9 with final rule adoption on or after June 10 and publication of the fishing regulation pamphlet in late June to inform the July 1 start of many seasons.
Commissioners asked about flexibility during rulemaking, concurrence with Oregon, and the limits of in‑season adjustments. Staff said there is some flexibility on tactical elements (for example, spacing days in Area 5 for economic reasons) but limited ability to move impacts among constrained stocks once the North Of Falcon package is set; they also confirmed ongoing director‑to‑director and staff‑to‑staff discussions with Oregon to seek better concurrence on rules.
Why it matters: North Of Falcon results define in‑season openings, quota levels and conservation actions for salmon seasons that shape harvest opportunity and local economies across Puget Sound and the Columbia River system. The posted draft rules, the June hearing and near‑term rule adoption set the administrative timeline for the coming season.
The committee moved from the briefing into a discussion of future engagement with interstate treaty negotiators and routine updates to the commission.
