Vermont Fish and Wildlife seeks $2.13 million in capital funds; lawmakers press department on unspent dollars, dam funding and hatchery future

Commissioner Andrea Schwartzley, of the Vermont Department of Fish and Wildlife, appeared before the House Committee on Corrections and Institutions on Feb. 20 to present the department’s FY2026–27 capital request and answer questions about unspent funds, dam work managed through the Department of Environmental Conservation and the future of the Salisbury fish hatchery.

Schwartzley said the department’s biennial capital ask is $2,130,000 and described a portfolio of small-to-medium projects across five fish culture stations, 96 access areas, 105 wildlife management areas and three Green Mountain Conservation Camp campuses. “Our mission is the conservation of fish, wildlife, plants, and their habitats for the people of Vermont,” Commissioner Andrea Schwartzley said, summarizing the department’s remit and why the capital work matters.

Committee members pressed department staff on multiple financing and project-delivery details. Several legislators expressed concerns that funds shown as “unencumbered” in the committee packet were in fact obligated, and asked who controls specific pools of money — in particular roughly $3.115 million shown in the DEC column for dam-related work. Elizabeth Stratton, director of the administration division, said many recent obligations are not visible in the committee’s report because purchase orders were closed ahead of the state’s procurement system transition and have not…