This is what the National Fish Habitat Action Plan is all about — locally-driven efforts that build private and public partnerships to improve fish habitat.
Fish Habitat Action Plan partnerships are self-identified, self-organized, and self-directed communities of interest formed around geographic areas, keystone species, or system types.
These 10 Waters to Watch bring together community groups, non-profit organizations, local watershed groups, Native American tribes and state and federal agencies to plant stream-side vegetation, remove structures blocking fish from accessing habitat and protect rivers from the effects of agriculture runoff. The idea is to provide clean water and robust, healthy habitats for the many fish and wildlife species and people who call these areas home.
2009 National Fish Habitat Action Plan Awards Nomination and Guideline forms
The National Fish Habitat Annual Awards honor exceptional individuals or partner entities who have demonstrated a commitment to fish habitat conservation, science, or education. The awards celebrate those who have demonstrated extraordinary dedication, innovation or excellence in aquatic resource conservation. National Fish Habitat Awardees show how individuals can and do make a difference.
Awards will be made annually on the basis of nominations submitted by Fish Habitat Partnerships and the hundreds of organizations that make up the Partners Coalition. From the nominations submitted by Partnerships and the Coalition, the National Fish Habitat Board will then select several of the most meritorious for these nationally recognized awards. Honorable mentions may be made. Deadline for submissions is January 16, 2009.
In November, Lakeland Public Television did a broadcast news story on the Midwest Glacial Lakes "candidate" Fish Habitat Partnership's lake shore planting project on Whitefish Lake in Minnesota. The shoreline vegetation planting project was funded through the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF). For more information on the Midwest Glacial Lakes "candidate" Fish Habitat Partnership, click HERE.
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2008 "10 Waters to Watch" Update - Big Spring Branch, WI
Background
The Big Spring Branch is settled in northwest Iowa County and northeast Grant County, Wisconsin. The project area is located on the Big Spring Fishery ground owned by the Wisconsin DNR (WiDNR) and a small segment owned and operated by Menke Brothers Farms. It has been a stream under close surveillance by the WiNDR for the past several years, which continues to supply excellent information as to the effectiveness of the project. It is in conjunction with projects from years past; as you can see in the map below upon completion of the 2009 planned project there will be a continuous stretch of approximately three and a half miles of restoration.
National Fish Habitat Conservation Act of 2008 Introduced in Congress
Congressman Ron Kind (D-WI-3rd) Wisconsin and Congressman Wayne Gilchrest (R-MD-1st) (co-sponsor), introduced the National Fish Habitat Conservation Act of 2008, a comprehensive strategy to allocate conservation dollars for effective restoration of our national waterways on Friday September 26, 2008.
The National Fish Habitat Conservation Act was introduced to conserve the United States fish and aquatic communities through partnerships that foster fish habitat conservation and improve the quality of life for the people of the United States, and for other purposes. The House version, nearly mirrors the Senate version that was introduced on Wednesday September 24, 2008.
National Fish Habitat Conservation Act of 2008, Introduced in U.S. Senate
(WASHINGTON, DC) – Today, Senators Joe Lieberman (I-CT), Christopher Bond (R-MO), Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-NY), and George Voinovich (R-OH), introduced the National Fish Habitat Conservation Act of 2008, a comprehensive strategy to allocate conservation dollars for effective restoration of our national waterways.
Commentary from Senator Joe Lieberman:
“The National Fish Habitat Conservation Act, which I introduced today along with Senators Bond, Clinton, and Voinovich, will revolutionize how the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service approaches fish habitat conservation. With 40 percent of our fish populations in decline and half of our waters impaired, the current fragmented approach to fish habitat protection and preservation has clearly not worked. This bill encourages collaborative regional conservation efforts that bring together federal government agencies, state and local governments, conservation groups, fishing industry groups, and businesses. I look forward to working with my colleagues in Congress to enact this critical legislation to help restore fishstocks across the country.”
These 10 Waters to Watch bring together community groups, non-profit organizations, local watershed groups, Native American tribes and state and federal agencies to plant stream-side vegetation, remove structures blocking fish from accessing habitat and protect rivers from the effects of agriculture runoff. The idea is to provide clean water and robust, healthy habitats for the many fish and wildlife species and people who call these areas home.
The Southwest Alaska Salmon Habitat Partnership is a made up of local communities, Native organizations, subsistence users, anglers, hunters, commercial fishing interests, lodge owners, hunting and fishing guides, tourism interests, non-profit organizations, federal, state, and local agencies and corporations and foundations working cooperatively to conserve fish, wildlife and habitat and perpetuate the uses they support through voluntary habitat conservation in Southwest Alaska.