Fish and Wildlife asks Senate committee for $2.13 million to maintain hatcheries, access areas

The Department of Fish and Wildlife told the Senate Institutions Committee on Wednesday the 16th it is requesting $2,130,000 over the next two years for capital projects, focusing on fish culture (hatcheries), access-area maintenance and infrastructure repairs. Department staff said the capital appropriation is a flexible single-line item that the agency relies on to maintain assets statewide and to leverage federal grant match.

Department presenters said the request is larger than the department’s typical annual capital ask (generally $1.2–$1.5 million per year) because of concentrated needs across its hatcheries, access areas and other facilities. The department reported it manages roughly 196 public water-access areas, about 105 wildlife management properties, two conservation camps that serve about 900 children annually, and nine residences linked to fish-culture stations (Ed Weed in Grand Isle; Bald Hill; two in Salisbury; Bennington; Sandbar; and Kehoe in Castleton). Staff also said the department has approximately 140 employees statewide.

Why it matters: the capital bill provides the…