Fish Hatcheries

Dear North Dakota fishermen and women,
 
We have a severe threat to our North Dakota fisheries developing RIGHT NOW. 
The Garrison and Valley City Fish Hatcheries which are funded and run by the
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will either have their funding severely cut
or will be closed according to the proposed 2012 Federal Fish and Wildlife
budget.  These fish hatcheries raise more than 15 million fish, including 12
million walleyes for North Dakota waters.  The cost of raising these fish is
less than 1% of the economic benefit derived from fishing to North Dakota
communities and that doesn’t begin to address the pride and enjoyment that
having such superior outdoor recreational opportunites in our state brings
to all of us.
We need to let our Congressmen and the Fish and Wildlife know how we feel
about this.  The budget cuts($6.2 million for all Federal Fish Hatcheries)
are small on a national scale, less than 4 tenths of a percent of the Fish
and Wildlife Budget.  The Fish and Wildlife is actually requesting an
overall increase of $64 million.  The Hatcheries are supremely efficient and
cost effective(amazing for a Federal Program).  Producing the same fish from
a private source would cost many times what they do now.  The Hatcheries are
a model of how various state and federal agencies can work together to
achieve a common goal to the benefit of all.
Attached is list of the various Fish and Wildlife persons involved in making
this critical decision with their mailing addresses and telephone numbers. 
Also the addresses, emails and telephone numbers of your Congressmen.  Take
the time to send each one a personal note urging them to reconsider this
decision.  These hatcheries are critical to keeping North Dakota’s fisheries
the superior recreational resource they are today.
 
Clark Williams, North Dakota Sportfishing Congress.
 
 
 
 
 
Dan Ashe, Director Nominee
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Mail Stop: 3238 MIB
1849 C St., NW
Washington, DC 20240
202-208-4545
 
Rowan Gould, Acting Director
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
1849 C ST., NW
Washington, DC 20240
 
 
Bryan Arroyo, Assistant Director for Fisheries and Habitat Conservation
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Mail Stop: 3331 MIB
1849 C. Street, N.W.
Washington, DC 20240
202-208-6394 / 202-208-5618 FAX
 
Stuart Leon, Chief of the National Fish Hatchery System
Division of Fisheries and Aquatic Resource Conservation (DFARC)
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Mail Stop: 770
4401 N. Fairfax Dr.
Arlington, VA 22203
703-358-2189 / 703-358-2487 FAX
 
Steve Guertin, Regional Director
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
P.O. Box 25486
Lakewood, CO 80228-1807
303-236-7920 / 303-236-8295 FAX
 
 
Senator Kent Conrad
530 Hart Senate Office Building
United States Senate
Washington, DC 20510-3403
Phone: (202) 224-2043
Fax: (202) 224-7776
https://conrad.senate.gov/contact/webform.cfm
 
Senator John Hoeven
G11 Dirksen Senate Office Bldg.
Washington DC, 20510
Phone: 202-224-2551
Fax: 202-224-7999
http://hoeven.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/contact?p=email-the-senator
 
Congressman Rick Berg
323 Cannon HOB
Washington, DC 20515
Phone: (202) 225-2611
https://berg.house.gov/contact-me/email-me