Legislator Says Bill Will Keep Hatchery at Victorville Open
Assemblyman Paul Woodruff (R-Redlands) said Thursday he has the necessary 41 votes to keep the Mojave River State Fish Hatchery from closing, or at least from staying closed for long.
The Victorville hatchery, scheduled to close Oct. 1 as part of budget cutbacks by the Department of Fish and Game, is the primary supplier of rainbow trout to public fisheries in Southern California. DFG projections indicate that the planting schedule in the region would be reduced by nearly half if Mojave River closes.
“What they’re saying is, if you want to catch trout you’ll have to go to Northern California,” Woodruff said.
The assemblyman said he met with DFG Director Pete Bontadelli this week “and told him there’s no way this is acceptable.”
With a week remaining, it’s too late for action in this legislative session, but Woodruff said: “Fish and Game is going to get a letter that in January there will be a bill to undo what they did (in closing Mojave River). We hope then they will say this isn’t worth closing this thing down when they’ll just have to start it back up, which costs additional money.”
Woodruff said he also has Senate support led by State Sen. Bill Leonard (R-Big Bear).
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