Dear Concerned Citizen for Reiter Pond Rearing Facility:

Thank you for your correspondence to the Fish Program concerning the continued operation of Reiter Pond Rearing Facility.

Many fishers, as well as Department staff, share your concern about the loss of funding for Reiter Pond and the potential for an associated decrease in summer steelhead fishing opportunity in Puget Sound. I believe it is important that you understand how the Department arrived at its decision to close Reiter Pond and the options we are considering for the future.

In 1993, the former Washington Department of Wildlife, who owned and managed Reiter Pond, was faced with a choice of what facilities to close as a result of budget reductions in their available budget. Because summer steelhead are not indigenous to Puget Sound, this chronically underfunded program at Reiter Pond was identified for closure. However, last minute funding provided by concerned sportsmen forestalled the closure of Reiter Pond for one year. At about the same time, the former Department of Fisheries and Department of Wildlife were merged into one agency; the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife.

A decision was made after merger to continue operating Reiter Pond by utilizing savings from personnel vacancies and other short term savings in the Hatcheries operating budget. Given the short term nature of these savings and the competing demands for limited state funds in the newly merged agency, Reiter Pond continued to operate as an underfunded activity with short term subsidies and unanticipated personnel vacancies in the Hatcheries Division making up the shortfall each year.

Due to a severe revenue shortfall in Wildlife Funds this past year (1998), it was necessary for the Department to take significant reductions in many priority functions. A total of $7.5 million dollars and over 100 positions were eliminated in order to bring spending in-line with available operating funds. Unfortunately, Reiter Pond was one of several hatcheries whose funding was eliminated.

Even though available funding for Reiter Pond was eliminated July 1, 1998, it continues to operate as a result of temporary locally-provided funding through June 1999.

In developing our 1999-2001 biennium budget, Reiter Pond and other fish production cuts taken as a result of the Wildlife Fund shortfall were considered for inclusion in the budget request to the Governor. In the final analysis, these projects could not be funded under the funding ceiling identified for this budgeting process. Simply put, there were too many other competing issues that were a higher agency priority for the limited level of funds available.

As of this writing, the Governor's budget proposal and subsequent House and Senate actions are still being analyzed for their effect. As soon as our authorized budget level is identified, we will be able to complete the process of determining our specific activities and operating levels within our appropriations. Reiter Pond, as well as many other worthwhile projects, will be given careful consideration in this process which enlists the concerns and recommendations from Fish Program staff statewide.

Again, thank you for your continued concerns. We can assure you that we will work to arrive at the most balanced outcome possible in resolving these tough funding issues. But, as is many times the case, there simply is not enough funding available for all of the projects desired.

Sincerely,

Bruce Crawford
Assistant Director
Fish Program

BC:dr

cc: Kelly White, Chairman, Fish and Wildlife Commission
Jeff Koenings, Director, WDFW
Gene Tillett, Hatcheries Division Manager
Debbie Nelson, Commission Office

Dear Concerned Citizen for Reiter Pond Rearing Facility:

Thank you for your correspondence to the Fish Program concerning the continued operation of Reiter Pond Rearing Facility.

Many fishers, as well as Department staff, share your concern about the loss of funding for Reiter Pond and the potential for an associated decrease in summer steelhead fishing opportunity in Puget Sound. I believe it is important that you understand how the Department arrived at its decision to close Reiter Pond and the options we are considering for the future.

In 1993, the former Washington Department of Wildlife, who owned and managed Reiter Pond, was faced with a choice of what facilities to close as a result of budget reductions in their available budget. Because summer steelhead are not indigenous to Puget Sound, this chronically underfunded program at Reiter Pond was identified for closure. However, last minute funding provided by concerned sportsmen forestalled the closure of Reiter Pond for one year. At about the same time, the former Department of Fisheries and Department of Wildlife were merged into one agency; the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife.

A decision was made after merger to continue operating Reiter Pond by utilizing savings from personnel vacancies and other short term savings in the Hatcheries operating budget. Given the short term nature of these savings and the competing demands for limited state funds in the newly merged agency, Reiter Pond continued to operate as an underfunded activity with short term subsidies and unanticipated personnel vacancies in the Hatcheries Division making up the shortfall each year.

Due to a severe revenue shortfall in Wildlife Funds this past year (1998), it was necessary for the Department to take significant reductions in many priority functions. A total of $7.5 million dollars and over 100 positions were eliminated in order to bring spending in-line with available operating funds. Unfortunately, Reiter Pond was one of several hatcheries whose funding was eliminated.

Even though available funding for Reiter Pond was eliminated July 1, 1998, it continues to operate as a result of temporary locally-provided funding through June 1999.

In developing our 1999-2001 biennium budget, Reiter Pond and other fish production cuts taken as a result of the Wildlife Fund shortfall were considered for inclusion in the budget request to the Governor. In the final analysis, these projects could not be funded under the funding ceiling identified for this budgeting process. Simply put, there were too many other competing issues that were a higher agency priority for the limited level of funds available.

As of this writing, the Governor's budget proposal and subsequent House and Senate actions are still being analyzed for their effect. As soon as our authorized budget level is identified, we will be able to complete the process of determining our specific activities and operating levels within our appropriations. Reiter Pond, as well as many other worthwhile projects, will be given careful consideration in this process which enlists the concerns and recommendations from Fish Program staff statewide.

Again, thank you for your continued concerns. We can assure you that we will work to arrive at the most balanced outcome possible in resolving these tough funding issues. But, as is many times the case, there simply is not enough funding available for all of the projects desired.

Sincerely,

Bruce Crawford
Assistant Director
Fish Program

BC:dr

cc: Kelly White, Chairman, Fish and Wildlife Commission
Jeff Koenings, Director, WDFW
Gene Tillett, Hatcheries Division Manager
Debbie Nelson, Commission Office