Dale Hollow NFH, as well as eight other fish hatcheries across the country, including six in the southeast, face funding cuts related to mitigation activities. This funding cut is part of the President's proposed budget for FY 2012 and has not yet been approved by Congress. According to the proposed budget, Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) will remove these funds from the National Fish Hatchery System unless full reimbursements are negotiated from, what they call, "responsible parties". The total cut and the equal reimbursement sought is $6.28 million for all nine hatcheries.

Anglers, the communities that rely on these stocked fish, and the business people who also rely on this industry can contact their local U.S. Congressman and Senators: Alexander and Corker to let them know we want a funding solution to keep fish stocked in Tennessee and Dale Hollow NFH fully funded.

For Tennessee this means that the funding to raise and stock fish for waters around TVA and COE dams will be cut if a funding solution is not realized by October. COE has proposed to pay $3.8 million in reimbursement to FWS. FWS has requested $4.7 from COE, leaving funds for COE mitigation 20% short. Dale Hollow raises fish for four COE waterways (Percy Priest Tailwater, Center Hill Tailwater, Dale Hollow Tailwater, and Dale Hollow Reservoir).

A bigger issue for Tennessee is TVA. Dale Hollow raises fish for about twenty TVA waters all over middle and east Tennessee.

If a solution is not made by October, one of two scenario are likely, however, if we voice our opinions, this situation can be resolved before the devastation begins:

Scenario 1: FWS decides to close Dale Hollow NFH, because it will be facing an approximate, two-thirds cut in funding, and would leave that hatchery not worth operating. In this case, Tennessee will lose 1.3-1.4 million fish per year, which are currently spread out throughout the state.

Scenario 2: FWS decides to leave Dale Hollow NFH open but produce no fish for TVA waterways and only 80% for COE waterways. In this scenario, Tennessee fishermen will lose about 960,000 fish per year.

Please contact your U.S. House Representative, Senator Lamar Alexander, and Senator Bob Corker as soon as possible to get their involvement to solve this issue for the future of one of the greatest Tennessee pastimes.