BETHEL, VT — U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt.), Chair of the Senate Agriculture Subcommittee on Rural Development and Energy, joined representatives from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) to tour the White River National Fish Hatchery (NFH) and discuss the importance of the hatchery’s collaborative efforts to conserve and protect Vermont’s fish, ecosystem, and wildlife. At the event, Senator Welch also helped the USFWS spawn lake trout. 

“The White River National Fish Hatchery plays a vital role in repopulating fish populations and protecting them from invasive species in Vermont, across the U.S. and around the world. I’m incredibly grateful to those who worked so hard to rebuild this facility after Tropical Storm Irene and will continue to do what I can in Washington to support the hatchery,” said Senator Welch. 

The White River National Fish Hatchery works to address the challenges of invasive species, overfishing, agricultural runoff, development, and the challenges dams pose to fish who need to migrate to naturally spawn. 

Following extensive damage from Tropical Storm Irene in August 2011, the hatchery was decommissioned for 5 years. Since reopening in 2016, the hatchery has renewed its work to raise landlocked Atlantic salmon and lake trout to support restoration efforts in Lake Champlain and the Great Lakes.  

View photos from the event below: 

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