South’s Tailwaters to Lose Hatcheries
- This topic has 23 replies, 11 voices, and was last updated May 3, 2011 at 7:07 pm by
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Nice Steve! I love to see a Congressman who is completely on top of an issue like this. You really can’t ask for better representation than that: he understands the financial, historical, biological and social rationale for why those hatcheries need to be funded.
Zach
A good case study is to see the contrast between Arkansas and Missouri in how they handle fisheries.
Hey guys –
I’ve been in touch with Trout Unlimited’s national leadership (meaning the CEO and his crew), and they are also working on this issue.
I don’t think there’s any dispute at this point that this is a cost-shifting fight but certainly there is a risk the hatcheries could be closed if the brinksmanship continues.
This is from TU’s CEO Chris Wood, who is a real nice guy:
Zach:
Thanks for writing.
Interior Secretary Salazar has asked for a “visible show of support” for the fish and wildlife funding that is threatened in some of the current budget proposals. He has invited Trout Unlimited and several other conservation organizations to send delegations to his office early next week for a meeting, photo/news op, and reception. TU has recruited influential volunteers and staff to attend that meeting.
On the subject of hatcheries, it is a tough one to address. In addition to a variety of volunteer positions with Trout Unlimited, I have served for the last four years on the Texas Parks and Wildlife’s Freshwater Fisheries Advisory Board. I now chair that board. Over that time TPWD has struggled with the state legislature to obtain the $$$ that is rightfully theirs from the freshwater fishing stamp and use it for its intended purpose — capital improvements and maintenance of the state hatcheries and purchase and stocking of fish (especially trout).
The hatcheries are subject to aging, golden algae, water source degradation and other assorted problems. With the state’s budget woes, the $$$ that come in through hunting and fishing licenses and stamps looks increasingly appetizing to the legislators, who have already “borrowed” some of it, forcing TPWD to fund some capital improvements with bonds vs. cash. As a result, a large portion of the current and future funding from the stamps will be used for debt service on the bonds. So while a strong economic case can be made for the value of healthy, productive hatcheries, such logic is seldom heard in times of economic hardship and the pitched battles in the legislature.
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