Fish and Aquatic Conservation Program: Difference between revisions

{{Program

|ProgramName=Fish and Aquatic Conservation Program

{{Official URL (simple)|url=https://www.fws.gov/program/fish-and-aquatic-conservation}}

* Conserve and restore aquatic species and habitats using advanced science.<ref>"Fish and Aquatic Conservation Program Overview," U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, https://www.fws.gov/program/fish-and-aquatic-conservation, accessed February 19, 2025.</ref>

The Fish and Aquatic Conservation Program was sponsored by its own program office within the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, under the Department of the Interior, headquartered at 5275 Leesburg Pike, Falls Church, Virginia.<ref>"Fish and Aquatic Conservation About Us," U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, https://www.fws.gov/program/fish-and-aquatic-conservation/about-us, accessed February 19, 2025.</ref> Funding came from Congressional appropriations, with FY 2023 at over $200 million (including BIL), supporting 1,000+ staff across hatcheries, health centers, technology centers, and FWCOs, managing sub-programs like the National Fish Hatchery System (NFHS) and National Fish Passage Program (NFPP), collaborating with states, 57 tribes, and over 2,000 partners.

The Fish and Aquatic Conservation Program was established by the [[An Act to Create a U.S. Fish Commission of 1871]], signed into law on February 9, 1871, by President Ulysses S. Grant, initially to address fishery declines.<ref>"FAC History," U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, https://www.fws.gov/program/fish-and-aquatic-conservation/about-us, accessed February 19, 2025.</ref> Evolving from the Fish Commission, it expanded with the NFHS (1872), NFPP (1999), and BIL funding in 2022 ($200 million over five years), stocking over 1 billion fish by 2025, with milestones like 2023’s 126 million fish release and 2024’s Enloe Dam removal, adapting to climate and invasive species challenges.

Initial funding in 1871 was $15,000 from Congressional appropriations for the Fish Commission.<ref>"National Fish Hatchery System," Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Fish_Hatchery_System, accessed February 19, 2025.</ref> Funding began in 1871 and continues, with FY 2023 exceeding $200 million (including $46.5 million NFHS and $38 million BIL), supporting over 126 million fish stocked and 2,200+ miles of habitat reopened, with no end date as appropriations and excise taxes sustain efforts like 2025’s $70.4 million BIL projects.

The program was implemented through hatcheries raising fish, health centers monitoring diseases, technology centers advancing research (e.g., eDNA), and FWCOs providing technical assistance, reconnecting habitats via NFPP.<ref>"FAC By the Numbers 2023," U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, https://www.fws.gov/story/2024-01/national-fish-hatchery-system-numbers-2023, accessed February 19, 2025.</ref> It operates continuously with no end date, partnering with over 2,000 entities, with 2025 efforts enhancing post-Helene recovery and bison conservation agreements with Canada and Mexico.