Working Toward Better Fish Habitat and Fishing: A Management Perspective - Day 1

Monday, September 13, 2010: 1:20 PM-5:00 PM
405 (Convention Center)
Fisheries managers have always placed a high priority on conserving and enhancing aquatic habitats.  More recently, the emphasis on a watershed approach to protecting and improving habitats has many managers retooling to address habitat issues.  Fisheries managers are faced with a multitude of challenges, opportunities and tools to enhance recreational fisheries. Not only are the traditional constituents asking managers to view things differently, aquatic habitats are at the forefront of many citizen organizations today.  For example, local organizations may want flood reduction projects that may marry well with fish habitat needs.  Recognizing that these needs are not disparate, but may enhance and strengthen fish habitat programs, fisheries managers have the opportunity to affect habitat enhancements at a more local level.  The last few years have shown that there is a need to address habitat issues; that considerable effort to create partnerships at local, regional and national levels is underway; and that these needs and efforts are beginning to take shape before local fisheries managers. The proposed symposium for the 2010 AFS Annual Meeting in Pittsburgh is intended to provide information to fisheries managers, especially at the state level, regarding implementation of habitat projects based on: 1) need for habitat restoration and the science behind it; 2) the potential of partnerships to support habitat projects; and 3) the importance of local stakeholder support that may be different from traditional local constituent support.  Primary objectives of symposium presentations will focus on: how do we get from concepts to implementation; how do we prioritize projects; how do we integrate these projects into existing programs; how do we best utilize partners; and what is required for successful partnerships.
Moderator:
Chris O'Bara
Organizers:
Chris O'Bara , Danny Bennett , Ron Preston and Bret Preston
1:20 PM
9-1
Introductory remarks
Bret Preston, West Virginia Division of Natural Resources
1:40 PM
9-2
Recent history of stream restoration and research needs
George Athanasakes, Stantec Consulting
2:40 PM
9-5
Acid stream restoration and brook trout
Steve Brown, West Virginia Division of Natural Resources; Mike Shingleton, West Virginia Division of Natural Resources
3:00 PM
Break
3:20 PM
9-6
Benefits of the Little Coal River compensatory mitigation project
Dennis Stottlemyer, West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection
3:40 PM
9-7
Overview of the Pennsylvania Fish & Boat Commission's Fish Habitat Division
Scott Carney, Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission
4:00 PM
9-8
Pennsylvania's habitat improvement programs: Stream habitat management
Dave Keller, Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission
4:20 PM
9-9
Lake habitat management for Pennsylvania impoundments
Ben Page, Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission
4:40 PM
Discussion
See more of: Symposium Submissions