Over the last five years, SCDNR and the Waddell Center have taken some drastic budget hits, to the point where we were not sure that the Center could stay open.  Our community has and will continue to emphasize that regardless of what Columbia thinks, the Waddell Center is very important to Beaufort County and we are prepared to fight to keep it open.  In light of the impressive work that the Center has done with shrimp farming and stock enhancement programs for Red Drum and Cobia we are all committed to finding more programs and funding in order to take better advantage of their incredible facilities and personnel.    Waddell Mariculture Center Offical Site: http://www.dnr.sc.gov/marine/mrri/waddell/   One of the Waddell Center's eliminated programs that I have heard the most complaints about was the facilities tour.  This was a terrifically popular towur for tourists, civic groups and school children.  Although it was not an expensive program, their concerns about bio-security and the necessary gestures that sometime have to be made for budget cutters made it a hard one to fight for.  We have agreed in principle, however, to try to get the tours going again.  SCDNR will work on the bio-security problems and the personnel and we will work on getting a local funding source.  The only way to get the Waddell Mariculture Center the good PR and the attention that it deserves is to let the people see what they do so well.  If you are interested in helping to protect and enhance the role of the Waddell Mariculture Center in Beaufort County, contact us here.