National Fish Habitat

Partnership

Federal Agency Leadership

Meeting

April 3, 2014Hall of State

BuildingRoom 235

Since our Last Meeting

• 2nd Edition of the National Fish Habitat Action Plan

• National Fish Habitat Conservation Act• Federal MOU (DOI, DOC, DOA)• 501 c3 Organization

National Fish Habitat Action Plan (2nd Edition)

Action Plan Objectives• Achieve measurable habitat conservation results

through strategic actions of Fish Habitat Partnerships that improve ecological condition, restore natural processes, or prevent the decline of intact and healthy systems leading to better fish habitat conditions and increased fishing opportunities.

• Establish a consensus set of national conservation strategies as a framework to guide future actions and investment by the Fish Habitat Partnerships by 2013.

Action Plan Objectives• Broaden the community of support for fish habitat

conservation by increasing fishing opportunities

• Fill gaps in the National Fish Habitat Assessment and its associated database to empower strategic conservation action supported by broadly available scientific information, and integrate socio-economic data in the analysis to improve people’s lives in a manner consistent with fish habitat conservation goals.

• Communicate the conservation outcomes.

NFHP 501 C3• Articles of Incorporation filed in DC• FHPs are automatically Chapters of the 501c3• President-CEO model

– Board selection lies with Fish Habitat Board

• Next steps• Incorporation papers will be done ASAP• Over summer, Board looks for candidates• DC filing will go quickly and can be up and running rapidly• Can help FHPs immediately

– Will be able to manage money for FHPs– Restricted funds dedicated to each FHP will be

developed

NFHP Corporate Engagement

• Board Presentation in March• Core Values introduced• Relationship with Fishpond, Patagonia• Web Application for conservation

funding through NFHP• Marketing proposal

• U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service• NOAA• U.S. Forest Service• Alaska Department of Fish

and Game • Alaska Department of

Environmental Conservation• Central Council Tlingit Haida

Indian Tribes of Alaska• City and Borough of Yakutat• Southeast Alaska Watershed

Coalition• Trout Unlimited• The Nature Conservancy• Sitka Conservation Society• University of Alaska

Southeast

SE Alaska Fish Habitat Partnership

FHP Funding Allocation

• Starting in FY 2014, the Service will implement a competitive, performance-based process to allocate project funds. Each year the Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) will distribute project funds to FHPs in two categories:

- 1) stable operational support and;

- 2) competitive, performance-based funds to encourage strategic conservation delivery.

Science and Data Assessment

INLAND UPDATE (2015 Deliverables)

1. Updated scores and maps of fish habitat condition for the conterminous US, Alaska, and Hawaii

2. Game fish Data Incorporated

3. Comparison to 2010 results to see areas of alteration

Marine Assessment Update (2015 Deliverables)

1.Catalog all FHP assessments completed or underway 2.Improve analytical basis of marine assessment to inland standards by incorporating all available fish and shellfish data and stressor relationships and addressing additional gaps 3.Incorporate additional spatial framework information for estuaries in Alaska 4.Incorporate additional spatial framework information for estuaries and nearshore-marine habitats in Hawaii 5.Develop an initial assessment of nearshore-marine habitats 6.Develop an initial assessment of offshore-marine habitats

Marine Update (Continued)

7.Determine how to incorporate process data using FHP demonstration projects

8.Add socioeconomic data to spatial framework

9.Incorporate available fisheries management and FHP objectives into the spatial framework

10.Develop inland-marine system scoring linkages

11.Incorporate the final Great Lakes assessment into overall Assessment

12.Attribute additional water quality data

13.Attribute additional mining and energy development data

National Fish Habitat Conservation Act

• Bipartisan bill introduced in March

• Fact Sheet Created and call for support through Angling Groups

• EPW Markup

Meeting Objective

• The NFHP would like to set national conservation objectives – how do we get there?

• Establish an inventory of conservation programs across the federal landscape

NFHP Return on Investment: Dollars that make sense

• 417 projects in 46 states• Restored nearly 27,000 acres and 1,560 miles

of river • Direct economic impacts (wages and

materials) totals $145 million and 1,100 jobs • The long-term value estimated at $851

million, generating 19,259 jobs • Return on investment totals nearly 18:1

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Small Investment – Big Return