The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Neosho National Fish Hatchery (NFH) in southwest Missouri will host the grand opening of its state-of-the-art visitor center on Thursday, December 9, 2010. The visitor center is expected to accommodate more than 100,000 visitors per year, enhance environmental education and interpretation opportunities, and generate economic benefits for Newton County and surrounding areas.
“We are so proud to see this project come to fruition,” said Tom Melius, Midwest Regional Director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. “The architectural style of the facility commemorates the beginnings of the National Fish Hatchery Program. As the oldest operational Federal fish hatchery in the country, Neosho can be proud to be both a living legacy of conservation and its community.”
Public and media are invited to attend the ceremony and tour the facility alongside Federal and state legislators and Fish and Wildlife Service officials. The ceremony will begin at 9:30 a.m. CT and conclude with a ribbon cutting at 10:30 a.m. Formal tours will begin at 10:45 a.m. and the facility will be open from noon to 5:00 p.m for informal tours. The hatchery is located at 520 E. Park Street, Neosho, Missouri. For additional information, contact hatchery manager David Hendrix at 417-451-0554.
The 9,500 sq. ft. facility is registered with the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED program and includes photovoltaic solar panels, energy efficient building systems, geothermal wells, and was built using environmentally friendly, natural materials including fiber cement siding, wood framing, metal roof, stained concrete and marmoleum flooring. The visitor center is expected to generate local economic benefits in the form of enhanced tourism revenues and associated employment opportunities in southwestern Missouri.
Neosho NFH was established in 1888 and is the oldest operating federal fish hatchery. The hatchery raises endangered pallid sturgeon for recovery efforts in the lower Missouri River and rainbow trout for stocking in Lake Taneycomo. The hatchery also supports conservation of the endangered Ozark cavefish and restoration of native mussels.
The mission of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is working with others to conserve, protect and enhance fish, wildlife, plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. We are both a leader and trusted partner in fish and wildlife conservation, known for our scientific excellence, stewardship of lands and natural resources, dedicated professionals and commitment to public service. For more information on our work and the people who make it happen, visit www.fws.gov.
-FWS-
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