The Highlands Action Program: A triple bottom line approach to fishery management

The Highlands Action Program (HAP) is a new multi-state, local and federal effort to protect and improve the forested headwaters, heritage and economic vitality of the Appalachian Highlands in Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia. Historically underserved, the region is now an increasing point of focus for numerous groups, including the USFWS, USEPA, USFS, state and local agencies and groups such as Trout Unlimited, watershed groups, and conservation councils. Combining grassroots ideas, state-of-the-art science, strong partnerships and leveraged resources, HAP conducts and supports sustainable projects that are rooted in local action and have multiple economic as well as environmental benefits. The HAP region contains outstanding fishery resources as well as areas with good potential for recovery from historical insults such as Acid Mine Drainage. To date, over 20 projects have been completed or are underway, including physical habitat restoration, water quality improvement, development of conservation easements and fish passage. In developing projects, input from partners has been an important key to successful buy-in, as has use of tools such as GIS to prioritize green infrastructure gaps and opportunities. Application of the HAP approach is not only resulting in enhanced fisheries, it is improving socioeconomic and cultural conditions as well.