Feds want to open Ellsworth and Orland fish hatcheries to hunting

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • June 10, 2026

Two national fish hatcheries that raise Atlantic salmon in Hancock County could be opened to public hunting for the first time through a proposal to increase hunting and fishing access on federally managed lands. The Craig Brook National Fish Hatchery in Orland and the Green Lake National Fish Hatchery in Ellsworth are the only Maine properties on a federal list of more than 100 in 32 states that could be opened to or expanded for fishing or hunting under a Trump administration directive. Visitors to both hatcheries would be able to hunt upland game, big game and some migratory birds. The proposal also lifts hunting restrictions at National Park Service properties. Residents of Tremont will be allowed to hunt deer in Acadia National Park this fall following a local vote aimed at reducing populations.