OLYMPIA - The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) and Tacoma Power are hosting a public meeting regarding Cowlitz River fisheries and hatchery programs May 29 in Centralia.

The meeting is scheduled from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. at Centralia College in Washington Hall Room 103, at Washington Ave. and Pear St.

Representatives from WDFW and Tacoma Power will discuss an update to the Fisheries and Hatchery Management Plan (FHMP) for the Cowlitz River and recommendations for next years' hatchery production. There will be an opportunity for public input on both issues.

As a condition of its operating license, Tacoma Power submitted the updated FHMP to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) in November 2011, outlining its plan to maximize wild fish production in the Cowlitz River while also working to maintain sustainable fishing opportunities.

The plan sets out expectations for increasing the abundance of wild salmon and steelhead in the river, maintaining hatchery production and monitoring and evaluating programs in the coming years. The updated plan is available on FERC's website at http://1.usa.gov/14tdhC2.