Eastern Fish Habitat Partnerships: Overview and Evaluation

The National Fish Habitat Action Plan (NFHAP) created a framework that emphasizes the importance of partnerships in protecting and restoring the country’s fish habitats. Over the last several years, the number of regionally organized, locally delivered Fish Habitat Partnerships (FHP) has grown dramatically. The partnerships in the eastern U.S. present a unique cross-section of this phenomenon, possessing some of the oldest – and newest – large-scale FHPs in the nation. While the Southeast Aquatic Resources Partnership (SARP), Eastern Brook Trout Joint Venture (EBTJV), and Atlantic Coastal Fish Habitat Partnership (ACFHP) all exist under the NFHAP framework, they have pursued unique approaches to planning, engaging partners, assessing the condition of fish habitats and supporting on-the-ground conservation. Similarly, while each partnership focuses on a distinctly different aspect of fish habitat conservation, they are connected because they overlap geographically and connect hydrologically. Each project in a headwater brook trout stream that protects fish habitat contributes to better fish habitat downstream in the larger rivers and estuaries within SARP and ACFHP. Together, all of these areas contribute to improved fish habitat on a national level. This presentation will compare and contrast the approaches and progress of each FHP and assess how they integrate with the NFHAP framework. The authors will synthesize findings about innovations and gaps as well as highlight lessons critical for better understanding the future role of partnerships in creating a nationally integrated approach to conservation of fish habitat.