The Clark County Council voted Wednesday to ask the state to restore $1.15 million in funding for a state-run fish hatchery on the West Fork Washougal River in Skamania County.

The council plans to send a letter to Clark County legislators asking them to restore the funding when their session starts in January, council Chair Sue Marshall said.

“The hatchery program is important so that there still is a recreational fishery,” she said. “It’s an economic driver in the community for that sport fishery and for the native population as well.”

During the 2025 legislative session, the state faced a $12 billion to $16 billion budget shortfall, leading Gov. Bob Ferguson to make some dramatic trims to the budget.

The hatchery closure was announced by the Washington Department of Fish & Wildlif

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