Washington, DC: The National Fish Habitat Partnership (NFHP) announced today that it was awarded a $50,000 grant from the Bass Pro Shops for on-the-ground conservation priority projects of NFHP. Through the grant, NFHP was able to award funding for three projects total through the Fishers and Farmers Partnership, Pacific Marine and Estuarine Partnership, and the Reservoir Fisheries Habitat Partnership.

Established through Bass Pro Shops and the National Fish Habitat Partnership, this grant program will improve habitat and fishing opportunities through the following projects:
Elephant Butte Adopt-A-Cove, New Mexico
Project Objectives: The Reservoir Fisheries Habitat Partnership funded two projects previously on Elephant Butte (FY14 and FY18). Elephant Butte was named as one of the National Fish Habitat Partnership’s (NFHP’s) Waters to Watch in 2019. The Elephant Butte Adopt-a-Cove objective is to facilitate partnerships among state and federal agencies and volunteer organizations to improve littoral fish habitat. Funding from this grant will continue conservation improvements, including; cutting and anchoring Juniper trees to sub-water surfaces to improve habitat, planting 2,000 Gooding’s willow pole cuttings at selected locations, purchasing 1,000 tree seedlings through New Mexico State Forestry to create floating willow nurseries as part of Eagle Scout projects, constructing 20 floating islands at select sites, as part of an Eagle Scout Project, constructing 200 artificial structures from donated materials (pipe and tubing), and constructing 200 spawning benches. Funding will also be used to purchase seeds for four terrestrial plant species to establish vegetation in the wetted bank during irrigation drawdowns and to help mitigate flooding during spring runoff. Project partners include, Sun Country Outdoors/New Mexico B.A.S.S., Bureau of Reclamation, New Mexico State Parks, Friends of Elephant Butte State Park, New Mexico Department of Game and Fish, Butte General Store, New Mexico Student Chapter of the American Fisheries Society, Sierra County Conservation District, Freemont Mining, Elephant Butte Chamber of Commerce, Reservoir Fisheries Habitat Partnership.

Gilbert Creek Trout Habitat Improvement Project, Wisconsin
Project objectives: Within the Fishers and Farmers Partnership, over 3,000 feet of stream trout habitat will be improved on Gilbert Creek in Dunn County, Wisconsin. Expected project outcomes include; a reduction in streambank erosion and resulting sedimentation within the stream, an increase in amount of instream habitat available to brook and brown trout, increase in adult trout abundance and survival, increase in trout reproduction, increase in habitat available to other aquatic and terrestrial species, increased angler access, and to improve fishability of Gilbert Creek. Project Partners include, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, Volunteers from ClearWaters Trout Unlimited, Dunn County Fish and Game Club, Dunn County Land and Water Division, and the Fishers & Farmers Partnership.

South Fork Toutle-Bear and Little Cow Creek Restoration, Washington
Project Objectives: Within the Pacific Marine and Estuarine Partnership, grant funding received will help to continue ongoing salmonid habitat restoration work in the South Fork Toutle River watershed in southwest Washington State. Project funds will help to purchase large wood to improve instream habitat complexity and increase floodplain roughness in the stream riparian areas. Wood placement will benefit 2,900 feet of stream habitat in Bear Creek, and 2,000 feet of stream habitat in Little Cow Creek, and 400 feet of habitat in the mainstem South Fork Toutle River. In addition to improving habitat quality and availability for ESA-listed salmonids, these projects will improve angling opportunities for salmon, steelhead, and trout in the lower South Fork Toutle River. In particular, winter steelhead and coho are highly targeted by anglers in the South Fork Toutle River, which currently has ample public access.
Project Partners include, The Salmon Recovery Funding Board, Lower Columbia Fish Enhancement Group, USFS Gifford Pinchot National Forest, Washington Department of Ecology, The Pacific Marine and Estuarine Partnership, and the Washington Department of Corrections.

“It speaks volumes that Bass Pro not only recognizes the connection between habitat and angling but is willing to support these efforts as a leading outdoor retailer,” said Ed Schriever, Chairman of the National Fish Habitat Board. The partnerships that benefitted through this grant can directly leverage these funds with the angling community and conservation groups in a very powerful way.”

Funding from this grant was facilitated through Beyond the Pond, a 501(c)3 organization, which was established to help build capacity for the 20 Fish Habitat Partnerships under the National Fish Habitat Partnership.

About the National Fish Habitat Partnership:
Since 2006, the National Fish Habitat Partnership has supported over 1,000 projects benefiting fish habitat in all 50 states. The National Fish Habitat 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. For more information, visit: http://fishhabitat.org/