National Fish Habitat Action Plan

/

Role: Member of Core Work Group, Writing Team, and Contributing Author

Time Frame: 2005-2006

Deliverable: National Fish Habitat Action Plan

The original National Fish Habitat Action 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 (NAWMP). NAWMP efforts had been successful in significantly boosting waterfowl populations by forming strong local and regional partnerships to protect key habitats.

The National Fish Habitat Plan was presented in April 2006. The plan’s ambitious goals is presented in its preamble, signed by the leadership of the Departments of Interior and Commerce and the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies.

Galvanized into action by the threat of aquatic habitat losses, an unprecedented coalition of anglers, conservation groups, scientists, and state and federal agencies forged the National Fish Habitat Plan. The plan’s principal aim is to better protect, restore, and enhance fish habitat through partnerships that foster conservation and improve the quality of life for the American people.

Similar to the NAWMP, The NFHP approach was intentionally non-regulatory, partnership focused, and science and data based. The plan’s overall aim was to make strategic investment in habitat to protect intact systems, rehabilitate degraded systems, and improve engineered systems. Decision support was driven by improved habitat assessment tools at the national, regional, and watershed levels.

Since 2006 the National Fish Habitat Partnership (NFHP) has grown and matured. The Plan was codified by Title II of PL 116-188 America’s Conservation Enhancement Act: National Fish Habitat Conservation Through Partnerships on October 30, 2020.

Today NFHP works through a network of 20 regional Fish Habitat Partnerships to restore the health of our nation’s aquatic ecosystems for fish and people to rely on. These regional partnerships leverage federal, state, tribal, and private resources to achieve the greatest impacts on conservation. Impacts of the National Fish Habitat Partnership include:

Since 2006, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) and partners have provided over $320 million in funding support for fish habitat conservation projects that improve angling and recreational opportunities from Hawaii to Maine.

  • The 20 Fish Habitat Partnerships bring together federal and state agencies, non-governmental organizations, and private sector interests to assess regional fish habitat conditions and identify and prioritize their respective regions' habitat conservation needs.

  • In 2024, FWS and partners provided more than $27.4 million to support 91 fish habitat conservation projects in 29 states.