The Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies is pleased to see the National Fish Habitat Partnership program help provide more than $39.2 million to support 95 fish habitat conservation projects in 24 states. Collaborative partnerships between state fish and wildlife agencies, the US Fish and Wildlife Service, Tribes non-governmental organizations, and other partners are key to implementing these priority conservation projects.
“These partnerships strengthen and advance locally led conservation efforts to protect, restore and enhance the nation’s fish and aquatic communities,” said Curt Melcher, director of the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife and president of the Association of Oregon Agencies. of Fish and Wildlife. “The Association is pleased to be one of many partners coordinating to conserve and address the nation’s greatest fish habitat challenges.”
“Conservation is a team sport, and no program represents that as well as the National Fish Habitat Association and our network of associations across the country,” said Robert Boyles, director of the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources. and president of the National Fish Habitat Association. Board. “Our nation’s rivers and bodies of water connect us, and NFHP projects take steps to directly improve aquatic resources and fish stocks for all. Implementation of these projects announced today is critical to meeting our goals to protect, restore, and enhance fish habitat.”
See the full list of projects here.
Since 2006, the USFWS has provided more than $56.5 million to conservation projects that were leveraged at a 4:1 ratio to provide more than $292.7 million in financial support for fish habitat conservation projects that improve opportunities recreational and angling throughout the country. NFHP brings together the collective experience of federal, state, and nongovernmental organizations to identify and prioritize conservation work to achieve significant benefits for fish and other aquatic resources for the American people.
About the National Fish Habitat Association:
Since 2006, NFHP has supported 1,378 projects that benefit fish habitats in all 50 states. This effort works to conserve fish habitat across the country, leveraging federal, state, tribal, and private funding resources to achieve the greatest effect on fish populations through priority conservation projects from 20 California Habitat Associations. regionally based fish. In 2020, the NFHP was recognized by Congress as part of the American Conservation Improvement Act (ACE). NFHP guidance and policies are developed in conjunction with our associations and the National Fish Habitat Board. For more information, visit: https://fishhabitat.org/
AFWA and the National Fish Habitat Partnership Program:
The National Fish Habitat Action Plan is an unprecedented attempt to address an invisible crisis for fish across the country: the loss and degradation of their aquatic homes. The plan was born in 2001 when an ad hoc group supported by the Sport Fishing and Boating Partnership Council explored the notion of developing a partnership effort for fish on the scale of what was done for waterfowl in the 1980s through of the North American Waterfowl Management Plan. The waterfowl plan has done wonders over the past two decades to increase waterfowl populations by building strong local and regional partnerships to protect key habitats. AFWA supports staffing for the National Fish Habitat Association and plays a key role on the Board’s Executive Leadership Team. The National Fish Habitat Board is also made up of members from state and regional AFWA associations.
The Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies— the organization representing North America’s fish and wildlife agencies — promotes sound resource management and conservation, and speaks out on important fish and wildlife issues. Found on the web at www.fishwildlife.orgOn Facebook /Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies and on twitter @fishwildlife.