The National Fish Habitat Action Plan: Progress, Partnerships, and Next Steps in Protecting, Restoring and Enhancing Sustainable Fisheries in North America

The National Fish Habitat Action Plan (NFHAP) states that healthy waterways are vital to the well-being of our society and provide clean water, sustainable fisheries, and other benefits of incalculable value. Plan implementation has been very successful in meeting its 2010 objectives. Accomplishments include a condition analysis of fish habitats within the US, development of 17 Fish Habitat Partnerships (FHP), a report on the “Status of Fish Habitats in the United States”, and over 185 conservation projects nationwide from 2006-2009. Although much has been accomplished, forming a strong foundation for implementing the NFHAP, much work remains to ensure that the FHPs have a nationally integrated approach. This will require the best interdisciplinary science to identify, prioritize, implement, evaluate and report the results of projects across diverse landscapes and changing climates. This symposium will examine and synthesize progress in implementing the goals of the NFHAP through ongoing assessments, planning, project prioritization, accomplishment reporting, effective communication, and integration with other initiatives.  The symposium will also provide a forum for attendees to learn about, and provide feedback on, efforts to update objectives in the Action Plan in 2011.

This symposium will seek to answer the following:

1. What progress has been made in implementing the goals of the NFHAP?
2. How well do the 2010 national assessment and report frameworks incorporate current science and data in assessing habitat status and trends for fish and aquatic communities?
3. To what extent are FHP’s building on, and contributing to, the development and implementation of an integrated national approach for habitat assessment and conservation at all spatial and temporal scales?
4. What are the major factors limiting sustainable fisheries in North America and how should the NFHAP and partnerships address them?