The National Fish Habitat Partnership – A unique path to conserving fish habitat

Fisheries
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Abstract

The National Fish Habitat Partnership (NFHP) is a science based, non-regulatory, partnership-driven effort to conserve fish habitat across the USA. The NFHP was developed in the early to mid-2000s in response to the noted declines to fish populations and their associated habitats across the USA with the effort led by the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies and supported by a wide range of federal and state fisheries agencies along with conservation organizations. Since 2006, 20 Fish Habitat Partnerships have been organized around specific habitats, fish species, or geographic areas. These partnerships have implemented 1,613 projects resulting in 9,720 habitat enhancements or parcels of habitat protected, including 7,962 riverine or coastline miles and 98,255 acres of marine, lake, impoundment, and reservoir fish habitat along with 1,499 science and data products using US$60,613,842 of direct NFHP investment matched or leveraged by $332,841,072. The NFHP was codified by the U.S. Congress in 2020 and reauthorized in 2024, building on the strong initial foundation and ensuring success into the future. Follow-up publications to this overview paper are planned by each Fish Habitat Partnership to fully describe the depth and breadth of this key U.S. habitat program.

Publication type Article
Publication Subtype Journal Article
Title The National Fish Habitat Partnership – A unique path to conserving fish habitat
Series title Fisheries
DOI 10.1093/fshmag/vuaf053
Volume 50
Issue 11
Publication Date June 26, 2025
Year Published 2025
Language English
Publisher Oxford University Press
Contributing office(s) Science Analytics and Synthesis
Description 9 p.
First page 512
Last page 520
Additional publication details