Bipartisan Bill will help Conserve
Aquatic Resources and support the National Fish Habitat Partnership
Washington - Senator Ben Cardin (D-MD) and Senator Mike Crapo (R-ID) introduced
S. 2080 the National Fish Habitat Conservation Act (NFHCA) on March 5, 2014.
The bipartisan legislation authorizes the National Fish Habitat Action Plan
(NFHAP) - an unprecedented national partnership effort aimed squarely at
protecting, restoring and enhancing the nation's fish habitats.
Both Senators Cardin and Crapo sit on the Environment and Public Works
Committee - Senator Cardin is the Chair of the Water and Wildlife Subcommittee.
Previous versions of NFHCA have enjoyed broad bipartisan support in Congress,
including bipartisan approval by the Environment and Public Works Committee in
two different Congresses. The language in the bill introduced today includes
modifications to language in earlier versions of NFHCA that were made in
consultation with several Senators and their staffs from both sides of the
aisle.
"Choosing to protect our natural resources is good for our environment and
our economy. Right now we need deliberate and targeted action to stem the loss
of our precious aquatic habitats," said Senator Cardin. "Our bill
takes a comprehensive approach to stopping the single greatest cause of
declining fish populations, by stemming the decline of healthy aquatic
ecosystems that are critical to all fish species. We need to encourage healthier
habitats for waterfowl and other wildlife as well as safer recreational waters
for Americans to swim, boat and fish."
"The legislation we've introduced stems from Senator Cardin's and my
shared goals of protecting, maintaining and improving our fish habitats,"
said Senator Crapo. "Instead of creating new regulations and mandates, our
bill fosters partnerships between federal, regional and local stakeholders to
work together to promote healthy and sustainable fish populations for our
communities."
A wide range of sportsmen's and conservation groups has endorsed this
legislation over the years. It is the hope of these groups and others
supporting this historic piece of legislation that it be adopted as an
amendment to the Bipartisan Sportsmen's Act of 2014 (S. 1996) - a package of
legislation introduced by Senators Kay Hagan (D-NC) and Lisa Murkowski (R-AK).
"We truly appreciate the leadership of Senators Cardin and Crapo in the
introduction of this Act," said Gordon Robertson, Vice President of the
American Sportfishing Association. "The National
Fish Habitat Conservation Act would be a great addition to the Bipartisan
Sportsmen's Act of 2014 as it does not have a fishery habitat conservation
piece of any kind and we believe the Fish Habitat Act would not only round out
the package of bills but solidify the benefits for the sportsmen and women's
communities. The Fish Habitat Conservation Act will be a great compliment to
the existing and long standing Sport Fish Restoration Act."
"The National Fish Habitat Conservation Act is a critical piece of locally
driven, common-sense legislation that will benefit local communities, and fish
and fish habitat," said Jen Mock Schaeffer, Government Affairs Director
for the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies. "Designed to replicate
the continent's preeminent and successful plan for conserving waterfowl, the
North American Waterfowl Management Plan, the National Fish Habitat
Conservation Act can provide the same kind of conservation benefits for fish
and fish habitat across the country.
"The Nature Conservancy joins our partner organizations in supporting the
National Fish Habitat Conservation Act introduced by Senators Cardin and
Crapo," said Kameran Onley,
Director of U.S. Government Relations for The Nature Conservancy. "After
many months of negotiations, we are pleased with this version of the
legislation which reinforces the importance of the role of states and better
addresses concerns raised by ranching and agriculture communities. This
legislation is a model for the way conservation should occur - through
voluntary, community-based, and from the-ground-up efforts."
"The National Fish Habitat Action Plan is already working on the ground to
make sport fishing better, from helping farmers manage livestock to protecting
brook trout streams in West Virginia, to enhancing growth of native vegetation,
improving water quality on Lake Conroe, Texas, to improving stream flows for coho salmon through a partnership with vintners on the
Russian River, California" said Steve Moyer, Trout Unlimited. "The
new bill will ensure that farmers, ranchers and other landowners have a seat at
the decision-making table and will ensure the long term sustainability of the
program."
In 2013 alone, National Fish Habitat Partnership projects opened nearly 200
miles of waterways to fish passage. Efforts like this implemented by
grassroots-led habitat partnerships are one of only a few ways the National
Fish Habitat Partnership is making a difference in conserving fish habitats
across the country.
About the National Fish Habitat Partnership:
Since 2006, The National Fish Habitat Partnership has been a partner in 417
projects in 46 states benefiting fish habitat. The National Fish Habitat
Partnership works to conserve fish habitat nationwide, leveraging federal,
state, and private funding sources to achieve the greatest impact on fish
populations through priority conservation projects. The national partnership
implements the National Fish Habitat Action Plan and supports 18 regional
grassroots partner organizations. For more information visit:
http://fishhabitat.org/
http://www.facebook.com/NFHAP
https://twitter.com/FishHabitat
http://www.scoop.it/t/fish-habitat
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