Letter I received from one of Arkansas' Representatives:

Thank you for contacting me about the status of the Greers Ferry and Norfork National Fish Hatcheries. This is an extremely important issue that directly affects Arkansas's 1st District and I have made it one of my top priorities.

As you know, in his Fiscal Year 2012 Budget, President Obama proposed cutting $6,288,000 from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) National Fish Hatchery Operations, where the production of fish is for the purpose of mitigating the effects of federal water development projects. Under this proposal, the Greers Ferry and Norfork trout hatcheries would lose their FWS funding. These hatcheries play a vital role in their communities, creating jobs and drawing in tourists, and I am committed to preserving funding for these important operations.

With a total annual operations budget of approximately $1.6 million, the Greers Ferry and Norfork National Fish Hatcheries in Arkansas are responsible for creating a total local economic impact of well over $150 million. They employ fourteen Fish and Wildlife experts; they account for nearly 2,000 jobs in rural Arkansas communities; and according to Arkansas's Department of Parks and Tourism, they generate approximately $5.5 million in federal tax revenues. The release of more than one million fish annually from these hatcheries contributes to our state's world-renowned reputation for trout fishing. Simply put, the investment into Arkansas's trout hatcheries pays for itself.

After the Army Corps of Engineers constructed dams in Greers Ferry and Norfork that drastically dropped water temperatures, these two hatcheries were created to maintain a trout population that could survive in cold-water. The Army Corps of Engineers built the hatcheries which have since been run by the FWS using their own funds. Now, the FWS has argued that the Army Corps of Engineers should fund these two hatcheries through an inter-agency agreement. In an attempt to pressure the Army Corps into funding the hatcheries, the FWS requested that funding for National Mitigation Hatchery Operations be removed from their budget. I have met with representatives from both agencies to ensure that an agreement is reached and that will fund these hatcheries and keep them open. The Fish and Wildlife Services have assured me that they have no intention of shutting down either of these hatcheries.

The hatcheries in Greers Ferry and Norfork are two examples of how the federal government should be investing taxpayer dollars. These operations generate large amounts of revenue on a relatively small investment and put Americans to work. Along with fellow members of the Arkansas delegation, I have signed on to a letter to President Obama expressing the need for funding these hatcheries and the important role that they play in their communities. I will continue to work to ensure that these hatcheries are fully funded for FY2012 and beyond.

Thank you again for sharing your thoughts with me on this important issue. If you have any additional comments or questions please do not hesitate to contact me. Also, I encourage you to visit my website at Crawford.House.Gov to sign up for my e-newsletter and receive regular updates from Washington, D.C