This article was written 草莓传媒鈥檚 news partner, The Banner Montgomery, and republished with permission. .
Last year, after the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration unexpectedly pulled support for operations at Maryland鈥檚 Horn Point oyster hatchery, officials worried about its future. They thought they might have to lay off half their employees, which would substantially curtail output from a facility that has played a central role in a recent resurgence of oysters in the Chesapeake Bay.
But lab director Mike Sieracki said he was surprised to learn this spring that Maryland lawmakers had slipped $400,000听听for the hatchery.
Then last month, NOAA backfilled over $350,000 it had听听from the hatchery budget, according听to statements this week from U.S.
Sen. Chris Van Hollen鈥檚 office and the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science, which runs the hatchery.
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