The D.C. Booth National Historic Fish Hatchery in Spearfish is filing a Freedom of Information Act request with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
According to D.C. Booth Fish Hatchery officials, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service attempted to close the hatchery last year, but after an extensive advocacy campaign the hatchery was given a one-year reprieve.
Hatchery Executive Director April Gregory says D.C. Booth’s future remains uncertain so its board of directors is requesting documents related to the proposed closure from the Fish and Wildlife Service.
“Many of my board members have put in multiple calls to the Denver regional office and none of those calls or emails have been returned,” says Gregory.
Gregory says the documents may aid in efforts to keep the hatchery open.
Laury Parramore is the Public Affairs Specialist with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in Arlington, Virginia.
“I was not aware that they had had no response from the regional office, but we will be processing that FOIA request in a timely manner,” says Parramore.
Parramore says the Spearfish hatchery is safe… for now.
“We are not going to be closing any fish hatcheries in fiscal year 2014 but closures may be necessary in fiscal year 2015 giving fiscal uncertainty and growing operations costs,” says Parramore.
Parramore says the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s fiscal year runs from October 1st through September 30th.
