The Association Commends the Distribution of Over $18 Million in Funding for Fish Habitat Conservation Projects in 34 States
Washington D.C. (October 21, 2019)- The Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies is pleased to see the National Fish Habitat Partnership program assist in providing more than $18 million to support 83 fish habitat conservation projects in 34 states. Collaborative partnerships between the state fish and wildlife agencies, U.S. Fish and Wife Service, nongovernmental organizations, and other partners are key to implementing these conservation priority projects.
“The National Fish Habitat Partnership is working to leverage funding and maximize the benefits of fish habitat conservation dollars on the ground,” stated Kelly Hepler, President of the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies and Secretary of the South Dakota Department of Game, Fish and Parks. “The Association is pleased to be one of many partners coordinating to conserve and address the nation’s biggest fish habitat challenges.”
“These projects represent some of the best collaborative initiatives in conservation today,” said Ed Schriever, Director of the Idaho Department of Fish and Game and Chair of the National Fish Habitat Board. “The leveraging of resources through our partnerships is remarkable, and it proves we can collectively achieve more to benefit fish habitat.”
View the full list of projects here.
About the National Fish Habitat Partnership:
Since 2006, the National Fish Habitat Partnership has supported 852 projects benefiting fish habitat in all 50 states. The partnership works to conserve fish habitat nationwide; leveraging federal, state, tribal, and private funding resources to achieve the greatest impact on fish populations through priority conservation projects of 20 regionally-based Fish Habitat Partnerships.
AFWA and the National Fish Habitat Partnership Program:
The National Fish Habitat Action Plan is an unprecedented attempt to address an unseen crisis for fish nationwide: loss and degradation of their watery 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 the North American Waterfowl Management Plan. The waterfowl plan has worked wonders during the past two decades to boost waterfowl populations by forming strong local and regional partnerships to protect key habitats. AFWA supports staffing for the National Fish Habitat Partnership and also plays a key role in the Executive Leadership Team of the Board. The National Fish Habitat Board is also comprised of members from states and regional AFWA Associations
