FISHERIES DIRECTOR SELECTED TO LEAD NATIONAL AQUATIC HABITAT IMPROVEMENT PLAN

Bill Hogarth, director of NOAA Fisheries Service, was selected today as one of twenty individuals to guide a bold new initiative designed to reverse declines in the quality and quantity of our nation’s fish habitats. The National Fish Habitat Action Plan, developed during the past two years and supported by more than 450 diverse partner
organizations across the country, sets forth actions to protect, restore, and enhance fish habitats in watersheds and waterways across the country.

“I am proud to represent NOAA on this National Board and to be a part of the growing coalition of organizations involved in this initiative,” said Hogarth. “This is an important step in making sure we have healthy fish and aquatic habitat.”

The new board will include conservation leaders from the public and private sectors, including Dale Hall, director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; Steven McCormick, president of The Nature Conservancy; Charles Gauvin, president of Trout Unlimited, Jeff Trandahl, executive director of the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation; and John Cooper, president of the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies. A complete list can be viewed at http://www.fishhabitat.org/.

The National Fish Habitat Action Plan is targeted toward fisheries protection, restoration and enhancement in key watersheds and is based on use of the best scientific expertise on fisheries and habitat management. The Action Plan calls for sustainable actions and accountability, recognizing the need for long-term investments and real results. To date, the hundreds of partners signed on in support of the Action Plan include a range of organizations interested in the health of the Nation’s fisheries, including small local watershed groups and fishing clubs, and international conservation organizations, federal agencies, angling industries and academia.

The National Fish Habitat Action Plan was released to the public this Spring alongside the “More Fish” campaign, administered by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation. The “More Fish” campaign is taking the lead in raising millions of dollars to fund projects that complement and support the Action Plan. Information about the campaign can be found at www.morefish.org.

The National Fish Habitat Action Plan is an investment strategy to restore our waterways and make conservation dollars go farther. This science-based plan will leverage federal and privately raised funds to build regional partnerships aimed at fixing the nation’s biggest fisheries problems. This is the most comprehensive effort ever
attempted to treat the causes of fish habitat decline, not just the symptoms. For more information, visit http://www.fishhabitat.org/. To donate, visit www.morefish.org.

In 2007 the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, an agency of the U.S. Commerce Department, celebrates 200 years of science and service to the nation. From the establishment of the U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey in 1807 by Thomas Jefferson to the formation of the Weather Bureau and the Bureau of Commercial Fisheries in the 1870s, much of America's scientific heritage is rooted in NOAA. The agency is dedicated to enhancing economic security and national safety through the prediction and research of weather and climate-related events and information service delivery for transportation, and by providing environmental stewardship of our nation's coastal and marine resources. Through the emerging Global Earth Observation System of Systems (GEOSS), NOAA is working with its federal partners and more than 60 countries to develop a global monitoring network that is as integrated as the planet it observes.

On the Web:

NOAA: http://www.noaa.gov

National Fish Habitat Action Plan: http://www.fishhabitat.org/