Obama administration endorses Illabot wild and scenic designation

Published 4:30 pm Thursday, July 28, 2011

A plan to designate Illabot Creek in Skagit County as a wild and scenic river got a strong endorsement from the Obama adminstration today in a hearing conducted by a Senate subcommittee, Sen. Patty Murray reported.

The plan is co-sponsored by Sen. Maria Cantwell. Both she and Murray are Washington Democrats.

Rep. Rick Larson, D-Wash, has introduced similar legislation in the House that is designed to protect the free-flowing character of Illabot, a Skagit River tributary which the politicians describe as important habitat for Chinook salmon, steelhead, bull trout and other wildlife.

It is also one of the sweetest small streams for sea-run cutthroat trout I have ever seen. And it has a great run of small coho, but I don’t think they’ve been available for anglers for some time.

“Today’s hearing moves us in the right direction toward protecting the pristine and delicate habitat of the Illabot Creek for generations to come,” Murray said in a statement.

Her statement quoted Joel Holtrop, Deputy Chief of the National Forest System as using his testimony to say: “We strongly support the legislation.”

Also in the submitted testimony from the Forest System: “Illabot Creek provides exceptional spawning and rearing habitat for summer and fall Chinook, coho, chum and pink salmon; native steelhead; and, one of the largest populations of bull trout in the Skagit River watershed.”

The last time one of my fly fishing mentors fished Illabot, somebody slashed two of his tires. That’s one way to help protect the creek, but my vote goes for a wild and scenic designation.