U.S. Senator Peter Welch and Bipartisan Group Urge USFWS to Reconsider White River National Fish Hatchery Closure
U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vermont), alongside Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), U.S. Senators Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), and U.S. Representative Becca Balint (VT-AL), has formally requested the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services (USFWS) to reverse its decision to place Vermont’s White River National Fish Hatchery on inactive status. In a letter addressed to USFWS Director Brian Nesvik, the lawmakers expressed concerns that this action would hinder valuable scientific research and jeopardize a decade of progress in fishery restoration efforts, particularly concerning Atlantic salmon. The hatchery, operational since 1984, has been crucial in restoring native fish species in Lake Champlain, the Connecticut River, and the Great Lakes. The lawmakers highlighted significant achievements, including the discovery of wild-hatched Atlantic salmon fry in the Winooski River in 2016—the first in 150 years—and a substantial reduction in sea lamprey wounding of Atlantic salmon from...
