Governor Doyle Celebrates Grand Opening of Wild Rose Fish Hatchery Renovation
WILD ROSE � Governor Jim Doyle today was joined by Department of Natural Resources Secretary Matt Frank, federal fish and wildlife officials, anglers, and local residents in celebrating the grand opening of the $15.9 million renovation of Wild Rose State Fish Hatchery. The project updates a century-old facility that�s long been a pillar of Wisconsin�s stocking program, enabling it to meet modern environmental standards and to raise even more fish.
�Today�s a great day for anglers,� Governor Doyle said. �This project is critical to Lake Michigan�s world-class fishing and to expanding fishing opportunities across the state. The upgrade will allow Wild Rose to continue to produce these fish for generations to come.�
�We�re thrilled to be opening these new facilities for trout and salmon and to bring Wild Rose into the 21st century,� said DNR Secretary Matt Frank. �The renovation of this hatchery will cement Lake Michigan�s status as the top fishing destination in Wisconsin and the anchor of our $2.75 billion sport fishing industry.�
The completion of the coldwater facilities allows DNR to continue producing Chinook, Coho and brown trout. In the future, it will allow Wild Rose to start raising rainbow trout, eventually increasing by 15 percent the total amount of trout and salmon produced for Lake Michigan.
Construction work on the coldwater facilities started in 2006 and was largely completed this spring. Work started earlier this year to build new coolwater facilities for musky, walleye, lake sturgeon and northern pike and is expected to be completed in 2010. A third phase will restore the wetland, springs and stream disturbed when the hatchery was originally built in the early 1900s by a private fish farmer.
The state-of-the art facilities will better protect the groundwater aquifers that supply Wild Rose with water, and will assure the fish are healthier and protected from fish diseases like viral hemorrhagic septicemia, or VHS, first detected in Wisconsin waters in 2007.
The new coldwater facilities were paid for by an innovative funding package. Nearly 40 percent of the total, or $6 million, comes from the environmental restoration agreements reached with paper companies on the Fox River. About $3.6 million comes from Sport Fish Restoration, federal revenues from the excise tax on fishing and boating equipment. The Great Lakes Trout and Salmon stamp that anglers buy to fish Lake Michigan and Lake Superior is providing $1.5 million.
