NASELLE – A meeting, held at the Naselle Youth Camp Friday, May 21, attracted representatives of various agencies to explore the potential for utilization of the Naselle Fish Hatchery in the event that facility should be closed in the future. At the present time, the hatchery is funded for another year of operation.

The agency representatives involved in the discussions in Friday’s meeting included people from the legislature, county government, Juvenile Rehabilitation Administration, the Youth Camp, the school district, natural resources, and Fish and Wildlife.

Some of the persons involved included State Sen. Mark Doumit, State Representatives Brian Hatfield and Brian Blake, Pacific County Commissioners Jon Kaino and Bud Cuffel, JRA’s Robin Cummings, NYC Superintendent Bob Nelson, NYC Principal Robin Andrea, Department of Natural Resource NYC Supervisor Rick Smith, and Tom Smith of Fish and Wildlife.

Andrea said, “This was strictly an exploratory meeting concerning the possibility of future use of the Naselle Fish Hatchery in the event that facility should be closed by the state. We explored ways that the Youth Camp, the school district, DNR, and other agencies might operate the facility to continue to contribute to the community. The education benefits of the use of the hatchery are unlimited and we want to make sure that all of the agencies can reach agreement on the continued use of the hatchery.”