[Contender]

I guess I’m not opposed to the increase. As far as the fish hatchery goes in Fairbanks: The hatchery at Clear Air Force Base shut down years ago and the one at Fort Richardson is due to close leaving squat for hatchery fish to stock all the lakes in the state. That is the only thing keeping our resources open in the Interior. If it weren’t for the stocked trout, char and salmon we wouldn’t have any native fish left in our lakes up here.

ADFG has been running a pilot program here in Fairbanks using well water supplied from Golden Heart Utilities Water Plant’s production wells. The trout have done pretty well and they are going to take some of Uncle Ted’s federal money to build a hatchery using the same technology. These same fish will be stocked all up and down the road system of the state. I am very much in favor of that project.