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Jason Holm, Assistant Regional Director
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: August 22, 2008
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The Sport Fish Restoration Program's Cycle of Success
Comes Full Circle at Wild Rose State Fish HatcheryThe U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) and Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) were joined by Wisconsin Gov. Jim Doyle to celebrate the renovation of Wild Rose State Fish Hatchery in central Wisconsin on August 18, 2008. The Service's Sport Fish Restoration Program worked with Wisconsin DNR and the Fox River/Green Bay Trustee Council to fund the renovation work with a common goal of expanding sport fishing and aquatic education opportunities for the citizens of Wisconsin.
"The Sport Fish Restoration Program funds projects that on a daily basis restore habitat for sport fish, restore streams and lakes, fund cutting edge fisheries research, provide fishing and boating opportunities and communicate with citizens about conservation issues affecting their state," said Charlie Wooley, the ServiceÕs Midwest Assistant Regional Director.
Wild Rose State Fish Hatchery is critical to Wisconsin's $2.3 billion sport fishery, and more than 94 percent of fish raised at Wild Rose are stocked in Lake Michigan. A combination of Sport Fish Restoration Program funds, angler licensing dollars and NRDA environmental restoration agreements are funding the three-phase renovation project.
Service biologist David Pederson said, "What was needed was a facility to meet the needs of the 21st century -- needs that recognize the genetic diversity of fish populations and needs that must cope with emerging diseases issues like viral hemorrhagic septicemia (VHS)."
After the project is completed in 2011, Wild Rose State Hatchery will have a cold water hatchery for trout and salmon and a cool water hatchery for northern pike, spotted musky, walleye and lake sturgeon.
The first phase of renovation at the hatchery was completed in spring 2008, which included construction of a cold water nursery building for egg incubation and early rearing, a broodstock building, four covered production raceways buildings, new water supply, distribution and water reuse systems, and a fish rearing wastewater treatment system. The second construction phase began in June 2008, and is estimated to be ready for cool water fish production in 2010. The third phase of renovation will restore the wetlands, springs and headwaters of a stream that was on the site before the century-old hatchery was built. For more information on the Wild Rose Hatchery Renovation project, visit http://www.dnr.state.wi.us/fish/wildrose/wrrenovation.html
"Understanding the success of the Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Program does not come from seeing tax figures, dollar amounts or price tags. Rather, understanding and appreciating the success of this program comes directly from seeing this on-the-ground action by state agencies, like Wisconsin DNR," Wooley said.
Taxes paid by anglers and recreational boaters on recreation fishing equipment and boat fuel are distributed to state fish and wildlife agencies through the State Fish and Restoration Program for conservation projects. Through this "Cycle of Success" the Sport Fish Restoration Program helps protect, manage and restore aquatic habitat, educate people about aquatic resources, and provide boating and fishing opportunities to anglers and recreation boaters.
Wooley said, "Because of the Sport Fish Restoration Program and the efforts of states agencies like Wisconsin DNR, the anglers -- men and women, teenagers and children Ð that fish the waterways of Wisconsin are able to give back what they take from these waters."
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Programs efficiently and effectively administer grant programs and work with fish and wildlife agencies in a mutually responsible, cooperative and creative grant partnership to protect and enhance fish, wildlife, and habitat resources for present and future public benefit. Region 3's Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Programs administer more than $183 million in grants to the states and tribes in the region. To learn more about the Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Program, visit http://www.fws.gov/midwest/FederalAid/
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