Upland Finfish Hatching & Rearing General Permit

The Upland Finfish Hatching and Rearing General Permit regulates the discharge of wastewater from fish hatcheries in Washington state. Salmon, trout, and other finfish species are grown for a variety of reasons, such as commercial sales, fishing opportunities, and conservation.

The current permit went into effect Oct. 1, 2021, and it expires Sept. 30, 2026.

Permit reissuance

The draft permit is now available for review and public comment. A public notice was published in the Washington State Register on April 1, 2026.

Public involvement

Ecology invites comments on the draft permit from 9 a.m. April 1, 2026, through 11:59 p.m. May 22, 2026. Ecology prefers online comment submissions. Written comments by mail must be postmarked by May 22, 2026, to be included in the public record. Comments should reference specific permit text when possible.

Ways to comment

  • Submit comments online
  • By U.S. mail (postmarked by May 22, 2026)
    Laurie Niewolny
    Washington Department of Ecology
    PO Box 47775 
    Olympia, WA 98504-7775
  • At our public hearings

Public meetings and hearings

We will host two online public meetings via Zoom in May: one in the afternoon and one in the evening. We will share the same informational presentation at each session about the permit reissuance process and our proposed changes in the draft permit. A question-and-answer session will follow, then a formal public hearing.

The hearings provide an opportunity for the public to give formal spoken testimony on the proposed draft permit. The public hearings begin immediately following the meetings and conclude when public testimony is complete. Spoken testimony will receive the same consideration as written comments.

Afternoon Public Meeting and Hearing
May 5, 2026 – 1:30 p.m.
Register in advance for this meeting

Evening Public Meeting and Hearing
May 6, 2026 – 5:30 p.m.
Register in advance for this meeting

Next steps 

Ecology will review and consider all comments received. We will make appropriate revisions based on public comments, publish an official Response to Comments as an appendix to the fact sheet, and make a final decision on permit issuance in late summer 2026.

Anticipated timeline

April 1 – May 22, 2026: Formal public comment period on the draft permit
May 5 and 6, 2026: Public meetings and hearings
Late Summer 2026: Decision on reissuance
Sept. 30, 2026: Current permit expires

Regional contacts for help with your permit:

For facilities located in the following counties:

King and Kitsap

Laurie Niewolny
laurie.niewolny@ecy.wa.gov
360-584-8852

Island, San Juan, Skagit, Snohomish, and Whatcom

Chris Smith
chris.smith@ecy.wa.gov
206-594-0169

For facilities in the following counties:

Pierce

Honor Carpenter
honor.carpenter@ecy.wa.gov
360-485-2701

Clallam, Grays Harbor, Jefferson, Mason, Pacific, and Thurston

Adonia McKinzi
adonia.mckinzi@ecy.wa.gov
360-480-1434

Clark, Cowlitz, Lewis, Skamania, and Wahkiakum

Yago Perniciaro
yago.perniciaro@ecy.wa.gov
360-790-3343

For facilities located in the following counties:

Benton, Chelan, Douglas, Kittitas, Klickitat, Okanogan, Yakima

Marcia Porter
marcia.porter@ecy.wa.gov
509-454-7864

For facilities located in the following counties:

Adams, Asotin, Columbia, Ferry, Franklin, Garfield, Grant, Lincoln, Pend Oreille, Spokane, Stevens, Walla Walla, Whitman

Ridwan Akogun
ridwan.akogun@ecy.wa.gov
509-904-5190