Republicans assail FWS over hatchery management
E&E News
By Jessica Estepa
March 6, 2014
House Republicans questioned the Fish and Wildlife Service's management of fish hatcheries, accusing the agency in a Natural Resources subcommittee hearing of failing to weigh economic interests in its decisions.
Fisheries, Wildlife, Oceans and Insular Affairs Subcommittee Chairman John Fleming scrutinized a 2013 agency report assessing the impacts of budget cuts on the hatchery system.
The Louisiana Republican took issue with the agency's listing fish propagation programs at the bottom of its priority list. He said such programs help provide fishing opportunities and become an economic engine for rural communities. His example: the Natchitoches National Fish Hatchery, which provides more than 1 million recreational fish for his district.
His concerns were shared by fellow Republican Reps. Phil Roe of Tennessee and Doug Collins of Georgia.
Roe described the Erwin National Fish Hatchery, which breeds three kinds of rainbow trout and is responsible for thousands of jobs and millions of dollars in income. He said he was troubled when FWS announced last year that some hatcheries could close in fiscal 2015 because of funding shortfalls.
"During these tough economic times, I understand and believe wholeheartedly that we all must do more with less, but it seems to me a program that sees a $73 return on every dollar spent should be protected and prioritized," he said.
Collins, whose district includes the Chattahoochee Forest National Fish Hatchery, accused FWS of favoring propagation programs that benefit endangered species and failing to consider economic impacts.
He said there is a "growing need for Congress to look at this bias and seek solutions to address such misguided policies."
But David Hoskins, FWS's assistant director for fish and aquatic conservation, said the report isn't a decision document, but rather reflects a comprehensive agency review of funding options. It is now being used to engage members of Congress, state fish and wildlife agencies, tribes and other stakeholders in discussions about how the system is run, he said.
Hoskins noted that funding for the hatcheries has been on the decline for years. In fiscal 2012, the system had a $2.1 million shortfall, which required the agency to use funds for deferred maintenance to cover operational costs and continue propagation programs.
Ranking member Del. Gregorio Sablan (D-Northern Mariana Islands) said the fiscal 2015 budget released by the White House would help alleviate those issues, as it provides the system with $48.6 million, a $2.1 million increase over the 2014 enacted levels.
"As the majority continues to ask agencies such as the Fish and Wildlife Service to do more with less, it has become clear that really, they can only do less with less," he said.
GOP senators demand answers
Members of the Senate Western Caucus also expressed concerns about the operation costs of the National Fish Hatchery System.
In a letter sent Tuesday to FWS chief Dan Ashe, they noted that the agency had said costs related to energy and environmental compliance standards had resulted in higher operations costs.
The report refers to "uncontrollable costs," especially in energy-related issues such as fuel for fish distribution, heading and cooling facilities, and the movement of water through pumps.
Those costs make it more challenging to, among other things, meet higher environmental compliance standards, the report says.
The senators, led by Arizona Republican Jeff Flake, said the agency had already taken steps to address some of these issues, such as seeking lower utility rates and using renewable energy supplies.
They asked Ashe to explain why this plan, developed in 1996, didn't reduce costs. Additionally, they asked for details on which regulations were affecting the system's operations and what policy changes would allow the system to work better.
"While we recognize that today's fiscal climate will require difficult decisions, we do not accept that those decisions should be driven by federal energy and environmental policies that are advanced at the expense of the [National Fish Hatchery System's] core mission," they wrote.
Other Republicans who signed the letter: Sens. John Barrasso of Wyoming, Mike Crapo of Idaho, James Risch of Idaho, Mike Lee of Utah, Orrin Hatch of Utah and Dean Heller of Nevada.
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