What Happened?
On Wednesday, Sept. 25, the House Natural Resources Committee advanced the National Fish Habitat Conservation Through Partnerships Act (H.R. 1747). The bipartisan and widely-supported bill, if enacted, will codify and formally recognize the existing National Fish Habitat Partnership (NFHP). NFHP was created in 2006 by state fisheries agencies and other stakeholders to improve fishing, water quality, and safety for downstream communities. Better yet, the program is fundamentally designed to engage local stakeholders, and to enhance local restoration and recreation economies—all from the ground-up.
Why does NFHP matter for TU?
For over a decade, Trout Unlimited has applied funding from the National Fish Habitat Partnership to improve trout and salmon habitat across the country. In the Upper Potomac River basin in West Virginia, TU project managers have leveraged funding from other sources at a ratio of 5:1—for every dollar contributed from the NFHP program, TU generates 5 dollars more from other sources for watershed conservation. That adds up.
And in Utah, TU managers have tapped into NFHP dollars to improve native trout habitat since 2007. Click to see a successful project in UT, East Fork Bear River Reconnection ($105K NFHP contribution).
What’s Next for H.R. 1747?
Now that the National Fish Habitat Conservation Through Partnerships Act (H.R. 1747) has passed successfully through the Natural Resources Committee, it will move on the House Floor.
In the Senate, a companion bill has been introduced, but has not yet been considered by a committee.
Read More about NFHP and H.R. 1747