The VTFWCG formed a committee to generate comments opposing the closure of the Salisbury Hatchery.

Our comments are below. In general, the sporting community reacted quickly and new options to manage the budget shortfall are being discussed.

February 16, 2019
Re: Budget Proposal- Closure of the Salisbury Hatchery
Governor Scott and Secretary Moore,
We are writing to oppose the closure of the Salisbury Hatchery. Our membership is made up of concerned hunters and anglers primarily from Essex, Orleans and Caledonia counties who support policies that promote conservation, environmental education, and outdoor activities. This proposal runs counter to our mission.
We oppose this closure because it is a short-sighted fiscal move that will have long lasting implications. Instead, we would prefer to see the budget shortfall managed through a modest license fee increase, plus we feel there should additional mandated funding through targeting of non-fishing/hunting recreationalists on the landscape. The current plan will undermine fishing in VT for the next few years and will likely lead to a long-term loss of anglers through decreased opportunity, decreased participation in school programs, as well as the loss of cooperative programs like ours that engage people at a local level.
We also feel there are enough question marks surrounding the effluent measurement at the Salisbury Hatchery that a broader discussion among all parties should occur; there seem to be several assessment options that are open to interpretation. We strongly support clean water initiatives, but feel this may be an over reach, especially when we compare it to the magnitude of other issues affecting water quality in that region. The easiest option would be to restore the original assessment point where the effluent enters Halnon Brook. At that point, it is likely that no further action would need to be taken. Failing a change in the assessment that would allow the hatchery to remain open, it seems most reasonable to plan a phased closure to allow for brood stock capabilities to be established at other locations, including the almost-completed Roxbury Hatchery rather than an immediate closure.
We urge you to think long term about the fisheries program in VT and realize that this hatchery is a foundational piece of how VT citizens and youth connect to our woods and waters. Please reconsider your budget proposal and the DEC assessment point.
Respectfully submitted on behalf of VTFWCG members,
Matthew Breton, President
VTFWCG
PO Box 207
East Charleston, VT 05833
Cc: Commissioner Porter, Dept of VTF&W