Photo from WDFW of Ryan Handeland, Scientific Technician in 2016.

Calling all high school seniors and current college students. The 2018 Regional Fisheries Coalition’s Paul G. Ancich Memorial Scholarship, which supports aspiring students with goals of going into a natural resource based profession within Washington State. Applications for the 2018 scholarship are due April 1st. Full details and application instructions on this year’s flier!

The Ancich Scholarship was created in 2011 by the Regional Fisheries Coalition (RFC) as a memorial scholarship to commemorate the conservation efforts of Paul G. Ancich. Ancich served as the RFC chair and president and also was a member of the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife Lands Management Council. He was an early supporter of Gig Harbor’s Donkey Creek Chum Festival and of the community’s efforts to establish a chum hatchery. Ancich was a commercial fisherman who strove to prevent the decline of salmon and salmon habitat.

This perpetual scholarship is designed to support the aspirations of students with goals of a natural science profession within Washington State. In 2018, seven of the fourteen regional fishery enhancement groups (RFEG’s) are participating in this scholarship opportunity are the Nooksack Salmon Enhancement Association, Skagit Fisheries Enhancement Group, South Puget Sound Salmon Enhancement Group, Tri-State Steelheaders SEG, North Olympic Salmon Coalition, Sound Salmon Solutions and the Hood Canal Salmon Enhancement Group. The scholarship will be awarded in the amount of $1400.

The Regional Fisheries Coalition represents 14 RFEG’s within Washington State. The RFEG’s collectively work to rebuild salmon populations, and restore and protect salmon habitat within their regions. Through federal, state, county, tribal and community partners, RFEG’s play an important role in local salmon restoration, monitoring and education.