(Washington, DC) – On the heels of the President’s signature of the America’s Conservation Enhancement Act (ACE Act; S. 3051) into law, there are several responsibilities of the National Fish Habitat Partnership (NFHP) to meet the provisions of the legislation. The most immediate obligation is seating a National Fish Habitat Board (Board).

The Board’s composition will differ from the previous National Fish Habitat Board seated after the inception of NFHP in 2006. As described in the ACE Act, the Board will consist of 26 members and will add new interest group representation, including national private landowner organizations, agricultural production organizations, local government interests involved in fish habitat restoration, corporate industries, and the private sector or landowner representative in an active Fish Habitat Partnership.

The first step in the process of seating the Board is to establish an initial Board composed of the following nine representatives:

Department of the Interior (1)
United States Geological Survey (1)
Department of Commerce (1)
Department of Agriculture (1)
Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies (1)
Regional Fish and Wildlife Agency Associations (4)

On November 3, 2020, Ed Schriever was appointed to represent the Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies (AFWA) on the Board. By virtue of the ACE Act, the AFWA appointment serves as Chairman of the Board for three years. Mr. Schriever is no stranger to serving on the Board and began representing the Western Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies in 2015, before being elected as Board Chairman in 2018. Schriever served as the Chairman through the last meeting of the National Fish Habitat Board held in October 2020 before the ACE Act was signed into law.

“I am grateful for the opportunity and humbled by the confidence of AFWA in allowing me to represent the Association on the Board,” said Schriever. “I accept this appointment fully understanding the challenges ahead with an appreciation for a bright future for the Partnership.”

“Ed Schriever’s experience with the National Fish Habitat Partnership and as Director of the Idaho Department of Fish and Game makes him the ideal person for this job,” said Sara Parker Pauley, Director of the Missouri Department of Conservation and President of the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies. “The Association is excited to work with Ed in this new capacity in the upcoming years.”

Upon establishment of the initial Board, those members will appoint the 17 remaining members of the Board, including representatives from the following:

Alaska and non-Alaska Tribal interests (2)
Regional Fishery Management Council or a Marine Fisheries Commission (1)
Sport Fishing and Boating Partnership Council (1)

(7) representatives with at least one from each of the following:
Recreational sportfishing industry
Commercial fishing industry
Marine recreational anglers
Freshwater recreational anglers
Habitat conservation organizations
Science-based fishery organizations

National private landowner organization (1)
Agricultural production organization (1)
Local government interest involved in fish habitat restoration (1)
Corporate industries (2)
Private sector or landowner representative in an active Fish Habitat Partnership (1)

Once established, the new Board will set the 2021 Board meeting schedule, meeting at least twice annually. The Board will meet in early 2021 to continue discussions of transition and implementation of the Partnership following provisions of the ACE Act. The Board will set the course to continue advancing progress of NFHP’s mission to protect, restore, and enhance the nation’s fish habitat and populations. 2021 will be a pivotal year for NFHP with this new recognition by Congress.

The National Fish Habitat Partnership is seeking interested representatives to serve on the Board. If you are interested, please send an email with your name and contact information to info@fishhabitat.org with the subject line of “Board representative,” and outline your relevant qualifications and interest in NFHP. Please submit your nomination by Tuesday, December 1, 2020.

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/.