WASHINGTON, D.C. — The National Fish Habitat Partnership (NFHP) brought leaders from the fisheries and conservation community to Capitol Hill on July 28 for a congressional briefing highlighting 20 years of collaborative fish habitat conservation and the importance of continued investment in healthy aquatic habitats across the United States.
Hosted by the National Fish Habitat Board in the Dirksen Senate Office Building, the briefing provided congressional staff, conservation partners, and other attendees with an overview of NFHP’s unique, non-regulatory approach to conserving and restoring fish habitat through locally driven partnerships.
Since its establishment in 2006, NFHP has brought together federal agencies, state fish and wildlife agencies, tribes, conservation organizations, the recreational fishing industry, businesses, and local partners to address some of the nation’s most pressing aquatic habitat challenges. Through its network of 20 Fish Habitat Partnerships, NFHP helps direct resources and expertise toward projects that protect, restore, and enhance aquatic habitat based on national and regional priorities.
“Twenty years of the National Fish Habitat Partnership have demonstrated what can be accomplished when we bring people together around a shared commitment to healthy fish, healthy habitats, and healthy communities,” said Timothy D. Schaeffer, Executive Director of the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission and Chair of the National Fish Habitat Board. “Our Fish Habitat Partnerships are delivering conservation where it matters most—on the ground and in the water—and doing so by leveraging the expertise and resources of partners at every level.”
From 20 Years of Progress to Conservation on the Ground
The briefing featured four presentations providing congressional staff with perspectives on NFHP’s economic and quality of life benefits to American communities, history of congressional support, regional conservation delivery, and the importance of restoring aquatic connectivity.
Schaeffer opened the program with “20 Years of Conservation through Partnership,” highlighting NFHP’s evolution over the past two decades and the collaborative model at the heart of its approach to fish habitat conservation. His presentation reflected on the Partnership’s growth since 2006 and the role that states, federal agencies, tribes, conservation organizations, industry, and other partners have played in advancing locally driven conservation across the country.
Ian Nakayama, Senior Government Affairs Manager with the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership, followed with “The Role of Congress in Establishing the National Fish Habitat Partnership.” Nakayama discussed the role of Congress in NFHP’s development and the importance of congressional engagement in supporting collaborative fish habitat conservation.
Moving from NFHP’s national history to conservation delivery on the ground, Todd Ewing, Coordinator of the Southeast Aquatic Resources Partnership (SARP), presented “Southeast Aquatic Resources Partnership: Restoring Fish Habitat from the Mountains to the Coast.” Ewing highlighted SARP’s work across the Southeast and provided an example of how Fish Habitat Partnerships bring agencies, organizations, and other partners together around shared aquatic habitat priorities.
From headwater streams in the mountains to rivers and coastal systems, Ewing’s presentation demonstrated how regional partnerships can translate national fish habitat goals into locally driven conservation.
Kat Hoenke, Coordinator of the National Aquatic Connectivity Collaborative (NACC), concluded the session with an overview of NACC’s initiatives. Hoenke defined aquatic connectivity as the unobstructed flow of rivers and streams, emphasizing the significance of removing barriers such as dilapidated low-head dams and undersized culverts to benefit both people and wildlife.
The featured panelists represented state fisheries management, conservation policy, regional Fish Habitat Partnerships, and aquatic connectivity—demonstrating the breadth of organizations and expertise that contribute to the NFHP model.
Together, the presentations connected NFHP’s 20-year history with the role of Congress and the conservation work occurring across the country. The briefing demonstrated how a national framework can support regional and locally driven solutions tailored to the fisheries, habitats, and communities they serve.
Celebrating 20 Years — and Looking Ahead
The Capitol Hill briefing was held as NFHP celebrates its 20th anniversary in 2026, providing an opportunity to reflect on two decades of progress while looking toward the future of fish habitat conservation.
Over the past 20 years, NFHP and its partners have supported more than 1,800 conservation projects across all 50 states, leveraged more than $380 million for fish habitat conservation, reconnected more than 9,800 miles of rivers and streams, and conserved or enhanced tens of thousands of acres of aquatic and riparian habitat.
Healthy aquatic habitats support recreational and commercial fisheries, outdoor recreation, local economies, and communities. By bringing public and private partners together, NFHP leverages federal investments with non-federal resources while directing conservation funding toward priority projects across the country.
The briefing was supported by partners from the recreational fishing and conservation community, including the American Sportfishing Association, Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation, Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership, and Bonefish & Tarpon Trust.
For more information on all of our NFHP projects, visit our Projects and Accomplishments Dashboard.
About the National Fish Habitat Partnership
The National Fish Habitat Partnership works 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. Through 20 regionally based Fish Habitat Partnerships, NFHP brings together federal, state, tribal, nonprofit, industry, and local partners to address priority fish habitat needs across the United States. For more information, visit: https://fishhabitat.org
