U.S. Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, D-Skamania, toured the Skamania Fish Hatchery near Washougal on Tuesday, April 7.
The state is pushing toward a full closure of the Skamania Fish Hatchery this year due to budget cuts and increased regulatory costs from lawsuits. Alongside Southwest Washington fishermen, who rely on the steady operation of the Skamania Hatchery, and officials from both Clark and Skamania counties, Gluesenkamp Perez encouraged the Washington state Legislature to prioritize the necessary resources to reopen this critical facility.
In a March letter to Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) Director Kelly Susewind, Gluesenkamp Perez argued that the state is failing to put to use federal funds that she helped secure for hatcheries such as the Skamania Hatchery. As a member of the Appropriations Committee, she helped secure Mitchell Act funding to help with operations and maintenance of Columbia Basin hatcheries.
However, the state opted to forgo funding the Skamania Hatchery on the North Fork of the Washougal River, which produces thousands of steelhead.
Under the 1938 Mitchell Act, Congress provides funding to support salmon and steelhead production in the Columbia River Basin, a news release by the congresswoman’s office stated. The release added that Gluesenkamp Perez has consistently advocated for the highest possible funding levels for Mitchell Act hatcheries, such as the one in Washougal, through the federal appropriations process — securing roughly $79 million for hatchery operations and maintenance in fiscal year 2026. While limited, these funds have been supplemented by state dollars in the past to continue Mitchell Act hatchery programs across Washington.
During a roundtable discussion with local stakeholders in the fishing community, a transition to a wild broodstock program was identified as a potential long-term solution that could reduce legal vulnerability and align with conservation goals.
Following the roundtable discussion, Gluesenkamp Perez said, “I am very concerned by the timeline of walking away from wild broodstock hatcheries programs. I think it has a lot to offer our community and I think we cannot allow a hypothetical perfect be the enemy of manifest good.”
A gap in fish production is expected due to missed release cycles since the facility was mothballed, which will impact recreational fishing in coming years.
“I’m concerned about good stewardship of public resources and public interest,” Gluesenkamp Perez said. “I am terrified of a future where fishing is a luxury good.”
Clark County Councilor Matt Little said that he doesn’t believe anyone is listening to Southwest Washington hunters and anglers.
“We’re getting the short end of the stick here,” he said.
Little added that millions of dollars of economic benefit steelhead bring to the region could be lost. Also, Little said that when a lack of steelhead runs occurs due to a closure of the facility, recreational opportunities to spend time outdoors would be lost.
Gluesenkamp Perez explained in a news release that lawsuits have increased the cost and risk of running fish hatcheries that lack a wild broodstock program. She added that targeting the closure of a critical steelhead hatchery could have heavy costs for food on the table.
“Families in Washington have relied on steelhead for generations,” she said in the release. “At the fancier grocery stores, it costs $79.95 per pound right now, but the cost per hatchery fish is roughly $4 for taxpayers. That’s high quality protein at a time when groceries are becoming a real burden. An interest group’s ability to sue until they get a favorable outcome shouldn’t determine who has access to recreational or subsistence fishing.”
Another item discussed in the roundtable included further federal program possibilities and earmarked appropriations. Without intervention, the Skamania Hatchery could face a full decommission or be allowed to heavily decline due to deferred maintenance while mothballed.
Susewind responded to Gluesenkamp Perez’s March letter, explaining the decision to close the Skamania hatchery. Susewind also stated that beginning in 2014, WDFW had received approximately $6 million per year in federal funding to operate Mitchell Act hatcheries in Washington. However, inflation and the new NOAA-Fisheries’ Biological Opinion requirements that have caused costly upgrades for modernization, have resulted in costs that outpace the funding WDFW receives, Susewind claimed.
“In response to not receiving enough federal funding to cover those costs, the state recognized the importance of the Mitchell Act hatcheries and backfilled the program with state funds the past several years, with General State Funds appropriated by the legislature in the enacted budgets,” Susewind stated in response. “Unfortunately, due to the difficult state funding landscape this last year, the state enacted budget did not fully fund the backfill required to meet the needs of the Mitchell Act program. Of the two facilities (North Toutle and Skamania) supported with state funding, maintaining the programs at North Toutle was determined a priority and more of a risk to close due to the recreational, commercial and Tribal fisheries its coho and Chinook production support. Another element that required consideration is that a reduction in Chinook production at North Toutle has legal implications as it would be inconsistent with the Pacific Salmon Treaty, Tribal agreements, and Washington State Executive Order 18-02 for Southern Resident killer whale recovery.”
For what’s next in the process, Gluesenkamp Perez said she will continue to examine different funding pools and work to educate Congress on the matter.
“I’m going to take a look and see who on my committee is likely to understand this issue and how to educate people in Congress about the specifics here,” she said.
