(Washington, DC) – On Tuesday, February 9, 2021, the initial nine-member National Fish Habitat Board (Board) met and voted to elect the remaining Board members to fill nearly all of the Board seats as established and required by the America’s Conservation Enhancement Act (ACE Act; S. 3051).

The following members composed the initial nine-member Board that elected the new Board members:

Agency/Department Represented Name Title

Department of the Interior David Hoskins Assistant Director, Fish and Aquatic Conservation (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

U.S. Geological Survey Anne Kinsinger Associate Director, Ecosystems

Department of Commerce Sam Rauch Deputy Assistant Administrator, Regulatory Programs (NOAA Fisheries)

Department of Agriculture Barnie Gyant Associate Deputy Chief (U.S. Forest Service)

Assoc. of Fish and Wildlife Agencies Ed Schriever Director, Idaho Fish & Game (Board Chairman)

Western Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies Chris Cantrell Engineering and Construction Services Branch Chief, Arizona Game and Fish Department

Southeast Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies Bobby Wilson Director, Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency

Northeast Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies Tim Schaeffer Director, Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission

Midwest Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies Doug Nygren Fisheries Chief, Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks, & Tourism

Through a recorded vote, the initial Board selected the following members to seats on the National Fish Habitat Board based on the requirements of the ACE Act:

Newly Elected National Fish Habitat Board Members:

Group Represented Name Organization
Sportfishing and Boating Partnership Council Doug Boyd Sportfishing and Boating Partnership Council

Recreational Sportfishing Industry Mike Leonard American Sportfishing Association

Marine Fisheries Commissions/Councils Stan Allen Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission

Commercial Fishing Industry Chris Moore Mid-Atlantic Fisheries Management Council

Marine Recreational Anglers Christy Plumer Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership

Freshwater Recreational Anglers Gene Gilliland Bass Anglers Sportsman Society

Habitat Conservation Organizations Bryan Moore Trout Unlimited

Habitat Conservation Organizations Alison Bowden The Nature Conservancy

Science-based Fishery Organizations Doug Austen American Fisheries Society

National Private Landowners Carter Kruse Turner Enterprises

Agriculture Jesse Trushenski Riverence

Local Governments Ted Eischeid Mat-Su Borough (AK)

Corporate Industries John LeCoq Fishpond

Corporate Industries Joe Slaughter Southern Company

Fish Habitat Partnership Landowners Steve Perry Eastern Brook Trout Joint Venture

Two tribal Board seats are remaining to be filled, and the ACE Act outlines a process for nomination of Tribal representatives who will be selected as soon as possible.

Effective February 9, 2021, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will be represented by Deputy Director Stephen Guertin on the National Fish Habitat Board. Mr. Guertin will replace David Hoskins for the Department of the Interior Board seat.

Now established, the Board will set the course to continue advancing the National Fish Habitat Partnership’s (NFHP) mission to protect, restore, and enhance the nation’s fish and aquatic communities. The year 2021 will be a pivotal year for NFHP with the recognition by and implementation of the ACE Act.

About the National Fish Habitat Partnership:
Since 2006, the National Fish Habitat Partnership has supported over 1,030 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 effect on fish populations through priority conservation projects of 20 regionally-based Fish Habitat Partnerships. In 2020, the National Fish Habitat Partnership was recognized by Congress as part of the America’s Conservation Enhancement (ACE) Act. For more information, visit http://fishhabitat.org/.