The National Fish Habitat Board is seeking nominations from organizational leaders whose work and/or interests include fisheries and aquatic habitat conservation. Board members are expected to participate in annual meetings, which include at minimum two in-person and two virtual meetings, along with additional work on Board committees and workgroups that facilitate the success of the National Fish Habitat Partnership (NFHP). Board members do not receive compensation, but travel support by NFHP may be available for those who do not receive support from their organization. Board members serve a three-year term with an option to be reelected for a second three-year term without competition.
Individuals interested in applying for vacant Board seats should submit a letter of interest and vitae to info@fishhabitat.org by close of business December 10, 2026. All applicants will receive a confirmation of receipt. The current Board will review applications and vote on new Board members in January 2027, with new Board terms beginning in February 2027.
The Board is currently soliciting nominations for four seats representing the following:
- National Private Landowner Association
- A leadership position in the private sector or landowner representative of an active partnership
- Agricultural production organization
- Science-based fisheries organization
Letters of interest should include the following:
- Target Seat(s): List the Board seat(s) for which you are applying.
- Organizational Representation: State whether you are applying as a candidate representing an organization or as an individual. If the former, include a letter of support from supporting organization(s).
- Relevant Experience and Qualifications: Describe how your current work and past experience directly qualify you for the target seat(s) for which you are applying. Highlight your professional or volunteer work in fisheries, aquatic habitat conservation, or related fields.
- Leadership and Partnership Roles: Detail your leadership roles, program oversight, or experience working with or coordinating multi-stakeholder partnerships.
- Alignment with NFHP Mission and Operational Commitment: Explain how your background and perspective will help advance the mission and goals of the National Fish Habitat Partnership.
- Describe how your service on the Board would benefit the conservation work of the Fish Habitat Partnerships and the constituency(s) that you would represent.
Background Information
What is the National Fish Habitat Board?
Federal legislation (16 USC 101) formally established the National Fish Habitat Partnership and its Board, which is made up of 28 members representing state and federal agencies, tribes, recreational and commercial fishing interests, conservation NGOs, marine fisheries commissions and councils, private landowners, local governments, corporate industry, and agriculture.
The mission of the National Fish Habitat Partnership is to protect, restore, and enhance the nation’s fish and aquatic communities through partnerships that foster fish habitat conservation and improve the quality of life for the American people.
The purpose of the National Fish Habitat Partnership as outlined in the legislation is to encourage partnerships among public agencies and other interested persons to promote fish conservation by:
- Achieving measurable habitat conservation results through strategic actions of Fish Habitat Partnerships that lead to better fish habitat conditions and increased fishing opportunities by improving ecological conditions, restoring natural processes, or preventing the decline of intact and healthy systems;
- Establishing a consensus set of national conservation strategies as a framework to guide future actions and investment by Fish Habitat Partnerships;
- Broadening the community of support for fish habitat conservation by increasing fishing opportunities, fostering the participation of local communities (especially young people) in conservation activities, and raising public awareness of the role healthy fish habitat play in the quality of life and economic well-being of local communities;
- Filling gaps in the National Fish Habitat Assessment and the associated database to empower strategic conservation actions supported by broadly available scientific information and to integrate socioeconomic data in the analysis; and
- Communicating to the public and conservation partners the conservation outcomes produced collectively by Fish Habitat Partnerships and new opportunities and voluntary approaches for conserving fish habitat.
The legislation prescribed the following duties of the Board:
- To promote, oversee, and coordinate the implementation of 16 USC 101;
- To establish national goals and priorities for fish habitat conservation;
- To recommend to Congress entities for designation as Partnerships; and
- To review and make recommendations regarding fish habitat conservation projects.
The Board meets at least four times per year to conduct business and maintains six standing committees who meet regularly and provide updates and recommendations to the Board.
All representative Board seat categories can be found in section 8203 of 16 USC 101. Nominations for other seats will be solicited at the end of current Board member terms.
About the National Fish Habitat Partnership
Since 2006, the National Fish Habitat Partnership has supported over 1,800 projects benefiting fish habitat in all 50 states. The National Fish Habitat Partnership works to conserve fish habitat nationwide, leveraging federal, state, tribal, and private funding resources to achieve the greatest impact on fish populations through priority conservation projects of 20 regionally based Fish Habitat Partnerships.
