National Officials Launch Landmark Fish Habitat Conservation Plan

National Fish Habitat Action Plan Will Help Reverse Persistent Decline in Aquatic Populations

Washington (April 24, 2006) – Leading national conservation officials today gathered on the banks of the Potomac River to announce a bold new initiative designed to stop the downward spiral in the populations of many fish and other aquatic species. The National Fish Habitat Action Plan, supported by hundreds of diverse partners and stakeholders across the country, provides strategies to protect, restore and enhance fish habitats in watersheds and waterways across the country.

“This is a historic day for the organizations dedicated to making sure we have healthy fish and other aquatic creatures for years to come,” said Lynn Scarlett, Acting Secretary of the Department of the Interior. “Clean water and healthy habitat are essential for people and wildlife. With today’s announcement, we’ve re-dedicated our national commitment to achieving both.”

“We’re putting together American ingenuity, existing and emerging science, and the determination of the American people to pass along a precious legacy to the next generation: viable fish habitats,” said Carlos Gutierrez, Secretary of the Department of Commerce.

The National Fish Habitat Action Plan supports many existing Fish Habitat Partnerships, and it will foster new national and local grassroots-driven efforts to address, measure and communicate the status and needs of aquatic habitats. It is targeted toward fisheries protection, restoration and enhancement in key watersheds and is based on a consolidation of the best scientific expertise on fisheries and habitat management. The action plan encourages sustainable actions and accountability, recognizing the need for long-term investments and real results. To date, the action plan has more than 450 organizational supporters, from small local watershed groups and fishing clubs to international conservation organizations, federal agencies, angling industries and academia.

“NOAA Fisheries Service is proud to join our partners in support of this important plan,” said Bill Hogarth, Assistant Administrator of NOAA Fisheries Service. “I think we will see more partnerships toward this effort, and in the long run, there will be better habitat and more fish for future generations.”

“We know that if we want more fish, we need better habitat,” said Dale Hall, Director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. “The National Fish Habitat Action Plan is the first-ever blueprint that addresses this reality on such a grand scale.”

“The Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies is proud to represent all of the state fish and wildlife agencies as part of this growing coalition of organizations dedicated to providing the support these vital aquatic habitats need to survive,” said John Cooper, President of the association and Secretary of the South Dakota Department of Game, Fish and Parks. “This action plan describes unique and specific actions needed to take care of our nation’s fish and the hundreds of other species living in, around, and below the surface.”

The National Fish Habitat Action Plan was released to the public this morning during Congressional Casting Call 2006, an annual event on the banks of the Potomac River in Washington, D.C., where a diverse array of individuals attended to hear about the National Fish Habitat Action Plan, to try their hand at catching American and hickory shad, view educational interactive displays and speak with biologists, conservationists and others who help manage fisheries and aquatic resources.

“To borrow a quote from A River Runs Through It, ‘In Montana there are three things we’re never late for: church, work and fishing.’,” said U.S. Sen. Conrad Burns (R-MT). “The National Fish Habitat Action Plan is proof that although habitat loss is the number-one cause of declining native fish populations, we are not too late in restoring and protecting aquatic habitat for the benefit of fish and people. I am proud to support this non-regulatory initiative that is locally driven and grounded in science.”

The plan is supported by the More Fish campaign administered by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, which recently launched the effort to take the lead in attracting millions of dollars to fund projects that complement and support the action plan. Public agency funds will be leveraged by philanthropic and private sectors funds to implement the plan. The foundation, a nonprofit organization authorized by Congress in 1984, is dedicated to the conservation of fish, wildlife and plants and the habitat on which they depend. Information about the campaign can be found at www.morefish.org.

At the launch of the campaign, foundation Executive Director Jeff Trandahl declared, “The More Fish campaign is a top priority for the foundation, which is reaching out to expand our local and national partnerships, both public and private, to commit millions of dollars to provide healthy environments for fresh and salt water fish and aquatic life.”

For more information about the National Fish Habitat Action Plan, visit www.fishhabitat.org. To learn more about the “Casting Call,” visit http://congressionalcastingcall.com/default.aspx.

Note: B-roll and digital photographic images of the Congressional Casting Call event for the National Fish Habitat Action Plan are available by contacting Laury Parramore at la*************@fw*.gov or calling 703/258 2541.

National Officials Launch Landmark Fish Habitat Conservation Plan

National Fish Habitat Action Plan Will Help Reverse Persistent Decline in Aquatic Populations

Washington (April 24, 2006) – Leading national conservation officials today gathered on the banks of the Potomac River to announce a bold new initiative designed to stop the downward spiral in the populations of many fish and other aquatic species. The National Fish Habitat Action Plan, supported by hundreds of diverse partners and stakeholders across the country, provides strategies to protect, restore and enhance fish habitats in watersheds and waterways across the country.

“This is a historic day for the organizations dedicated to making sure we have healthy fish and other aquatic creatures for years to come,” said Lynn Scarlett, Acting Secretary of the Department of the Interior. “Clean water and healthy habitat are essential for people and wildlife. With today’s announcement, we’ve re-dedicated our national commitment to achieving both.”

“We’re putting together American ingenuity, existing and emerging science, and the determination of the American people to pass along a precious legacy to the next generation: viable fish habitats,” said Carlos Gutierrez, Secretary of the Department of Commerce.

The National Fish Habitat Action Plan supports many existing Fish Habitat Partnerships, and it will foster new national and local grassroots-driven efforts to address, measure and communicate the status and needs of aquatic habitats. It is targeted toward fisheries protection, restoration and enhancement in key watersheds and is based on a consolidation of the best scientific expertise on fisheries and habitat management. The action plan encourages sustainable actions and accountability, recognizing the need for long-term investments and real results. To date, the action plan has more than 450 organizational supporters, from small local watershed groups and fishing clubs to international conservation organizations, federal agencies, angling industries and academia.

“NOAA Fisheries Service is proud to join our partners in support of this important plan,” said Bill Hogarth, Assistant Administrator of NOAA Fisheries Service. “I think we will see more partnerships toward this effort, and in the long run, there will be better habitat and more fish for future generations.”

“We know that if we want more fish, we need better habitat,” said Dale Hall, Director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. “The National Fish Habitat Action Plan is the first-ever blueprint that addresses this reality on such a grand scale.”

“The Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies is proud to represent all of the state fish and wildlife agencies as part of this growing coalition of organizations dedicated to providing the support these vital aquatic habitats need to survive,” said John Cooper, President of the association and Secretary of the South Dakota Department of Game, Fish and Parks. “This action plan describes unique and specific actions needed to take care of our nation’s fish and the hundreds of other species living in, around, and below the surface.”

The National Fish Habitat Action Plan was released to the public this morning during Congressional Casting Call 2006, an annual event on the banks of the Potomac River in Washington, D.C., where a diverse array of individuals attended to hear about the National Fish Habitat Action Plan, to try their hand at catching American and hickory shad, view educational interactive displays and speak with biologists, conservationists and others who help manage fisheries and aquatic resources.

“To borrow a quote from A River Runs Through It, ‘In Montana there are three things we’re never late for: church, work and fishing.’,” said U.S. Sen. Conrad Burns (R-MT). “The National Fish Habitat Action Plan is proof that although habitat loss is the number-one cause of declining native fish populations, we are not too late in restoring and protecting aquatic habitat for the benefit of fish and people. I am proud to support this non-regulatory initiative that is locally driven and grounded in science.”

The plan is supported by the More Fish campaign administered by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, which recently launched the effort to take the lead in attracting millions of dollars to fund projects that complement and support the action plan. Public agency funds will be leveraged by philanthropic and private sectors funds to implement the plan. The foundation, a nonprofit organization authorized by Congress in 1984, is dedicated to the conservation of fish, wildlife and plants and the habitat on which they depend. Information about the campaign can be found at www.morefish.org.

At the launch of the campaign, foundation Executive Director Jeff Trandahl declared, “The More Fish campaign is a top priority for the foundation, which is reaching out to expand our local and national partnerships, both public and private, to commit millions of dollars to provide healthy environments for fresh and salt water fish and aquatic life.”

For more information about the National Fish Habitat Action Plan, visit www.fishhabitat.org. To learn more about the “Casting Call,” visit http://congressionalcastingcall.com/default.aspx.

Note: B-roll and digital photographic images of the Congressional Casting Call event for the National Fish Habitat Action Plan are available by contacting Laury Parramore at la*************@fw*.gov or calling 703/258 2541.