95 years down the drain

Will more states start to look at shuttering hatcheries as a way to cope with budget shortfalls?

The ODFW is shuttering the Butte Falls Hatchery which has been operation for 95 years. Unfortunately they are are also cutting the Western Oregon Streams Protection Program which worked on fish-enhancement projects.

More than half of the ODFW's 15 million general fund budget goes to running and maintaining the 9 state operated hatcheries.

LINK (Via: The Mail Tribune)

Comments

[WT Bash]

This is why anglers should push for the trout stamp! An extra 15 bucks come license time can go a long way!

[N]

This is great! Maybe now our wild fish will actually have a shot at making a comeback instead of being replaced by genetically inferior strains of hatch-brats. The only down-side is for the gear guides who will now actually have to wear waders instead of jeans and tenny-runners when they guide steelhead trips.

[mm]

scared in new york this is what we are getting scared of here too, trout stamps are a good theory as long as the money dosent get put into a general fund and spent on bullshit like it does here in ny

[NW fisher]

I agree, 15 bucks is fine as long as the money is guarenteed to fund trout, steelhead, and salmon improvements. It is not OK if the ODFW can use the money as general funds.

[WT Bash]

I know alot of PNW guys aren't fans of hatchery fish but in the GL's its all we got, here in Ohio I think we NEED the stamp just in case. But a gaurentee would be nice too!