Through the National Fish Habitat Partnership program (www.fishhabitat.org), the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) and its partners are providing more than $34.5 million to support 85 fish habitat conservation projects across 34 states. The USFWS is providing $4.3 million this year, with non-governmental organizations, state resource agencies, and other partners contributing an additional $30.2 million. These projects represent nearly an 8-to-1 match for federal funding with partnership project funding from other sources.

These projects will leverage and empower locally-led efforts to restore stream banks, remove barriers to fish passage, reduce erosion from farm and ranchlands, and conduct monitoring and assessments to identify conservation needs for fish and their habitats. Anticipated benefits include more robust fish populations, better fishing, and healthier waterways. For example, projects this year include a dam removal in Indiana to benefit smallmouth bass, expand the nursery habitat for native Razorback sucker in the Colorado River, and remove invasive species in Hawaii. A full list of funded projects can be found, HERE.

“These projects, which bring a variety of partners to the table, are the definition of true collaboration to protect, restore, and enhance fish habitat. These projects are extremely beneficial in moving conservation forward for the long-term in the U.S.,” said Ed Schriever, Director of the Idaho Department of Fish and Game and Chairman of the National Fish Habitat Board. “The leveraging of federal resources is extremely important for our projects in meeting the obligations of the America’s Conservation Enhancement Act, (S. 3051), which was signed in late 2020, which codified the National Fish Habitat Partnership.”

The National Fish Habitat Partnership program is a national investment strategy to maximize the impact of limited fish habitat conservation dollars. Under the program, federal, state, tribal, and privately raised funds are leveraged through regional Fish Habitat Partnerships to address the nation’s biggest fish habitat challenges. The USFWS is a key partner in implementing the partnership, providing leadership and technical expertise on the local, regional, and national levels, as well as financial assistance directly to partners for on-the-ground conservation projects. Since 2017, the USFWS has provided over $18 million to conservation projects while leveraging over $120 million in match funding support to improve fish habitat and recreational opportunities from Hawaii to Maine. The partnership brings the collective expertise of federal, state, and non-governmental organizations to identify and prioritize conservation work to get the most significant benefit for fish and other aquatic resources for the American people.

About the National Fish Habitat Partnership:
Since 2006, the National Fish Habitat Partnership has supported over 1,115 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/.