Chad Lambert, president of the Lake Champlain Walleye Association, told the Senate Committee on Institutions that the group is seeking a pass-through state grant of $50,000 over two years through Vermont Fish and Wildlife to fund hatchery tanks and related infrastructure.

The association, which Lambert said was founded by anglers to restore an overfished walleye population, has shifted from pond rearing to an ‘‘intensive culture’’ tank system at the Ed Weed Hatchery. Lambert said the group currently has 16 tanks at the hatchery and that new tanks and pumps are expensive; he said two tanks recently cost about $35,000 and that the intensive-culture setup produces far better survival than historic pond methods.

Why it matters: Committee members were told that natural reproduction in the lake is now minimal and that nearly all walleye caught in recent sampling are hatchery-origin fish. Association testimony said the organization aims to restore historical walleye fisheries across Lake Champlain and other northern lakes and to spread stocking so fishing pressure is not concentrated in a few spots.

Lambert described the production improvements and monitoring the association uses: otolith tagging and sample testing, angler reporting and some acoustic tracking. He said the group’s target goal once was to stock roughly a half-million fry annually and that, this year, the hatchery’s combined work is on track to seed the lake with roughly 400,000 fish if all goes well. Lambert said the hatchery’s intensive-culture tanks contribute to a substantially higher survival rate than older pond-based production.

The committee heard particulars about costs and output. Testimony noted the 16 tanks in operation and that two new tanks provide a significant increase in fingerling output; the association said the newest tanks contribute to roughly 30,000 fingerlings stocked (association presentation described the production contribution per install). Lambert and Cameron Tetreault, the group’s treasurer, also described membership and fundraising: the association holds fundraisers and an annual banquet and reports a membership above 300.

Lambert repeatedly credited Vermont Fish and Wildlife for technical oversight and said the $50,000 request operates as a pass-through grant routed through that agency for accountability: "My understanding this this grant money is a pass through grant that goes through Vermont Fish and Wildlife for accountability," he said.

The committee did not vote. Staff said they would check whether the $50,000 request already appears on committee lists and follow up with the applicants and Fish and Wildlife for documentation and any required budget language.

Ending: Committee members expressed appreciation for the organization’s work and asked staff to confirm whether the appropriation is already in the committee’s materials and to return with any required budget or statutory language.