June 11, 2025
Senator Lisa Murkowski
Chair
Subcommittee on Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies
Committee on Appropriations
United States Senate
Washington, DC 20510
Senator Jeff Merkley
Ranking Member
Subcommittee on Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies
Committee on Appropriations
United States Senate
Washington, DC 20510
Dear Chair Murkowski and Ranking Member Merkley:
Thank you for the opportunity to provide recommendations on federal appropriations for Fiscal Year 2026 for the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act. Founded in 1870, The American Fisheries Society is the oldest and largest professional society of fisheries biologists, managers, and researchers in the world. The mission of AFS is to improve the conservation and sustainability of fishery resources and aquatic ecosystems by advancing fisheries and aquatic science and promoting the development of fisheries professionals.
AFS respectfully submits the following funding recommendations for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Geological Survey, and the U.S. Forest Service to secure critical funds for conservation and restoration of our country’s important fisheries and aquatic ecosystems.
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Fish and Aquatic Conservation (FAC) works with States, landowners, and other partners and stakeholders to achieve the goals of healthy, self-sustaining populations of fish and other aquatic species. Within this program, the National Fish Hatchery System serves an important role in recovering and restoring aquatic species through conservation aquaculture. Any funding cuts to this program will result in additional deferred maintenance at federal hatcheries and puts them at risk of catastrophic failure. Likewise, the Aquatic Animal Drug Approval Partnership conducts essential research on new fish medications that are seeking FDA approval. This program allows fisheries professionals to more effectively and efficiently rear and manage a variety of fish species to meet production goals, stock healthy fish, and maintain a healthy environment. FAC also conducts important work to control and prevent the spread of aquatic invasive species. Through on-the-ground control projects, early detection surveillance and monitoring, and technical support, FAC works to effectively address a primary threat to freshwater fish. Finally, the Fish Passage Program works to address the millions of aging, obsolete, or poorly designed dams, roads, and levees that block fish from accessing food, shelter, and habitat to spawn. These projects address one of the primary drivers of declining fish populations while improving water quality and reducing flood risk for communities. FAC has played an essential coordination role in ensuring effective implementation of the historic Bipartisan Infrastructure Funding for fish passage across the federal family. AFS requests $259.8 million for FAC for FY26.
The State and Tribal Wildlife Grants Program (STWG) is the nation’s only program that encourages development and implementation of State Wildlife Action Plans and provides funding for state-led science-based, on-the-ground conservation of imperiled species. Today, at least 12,000 species of fish, wildlife and plants have been identified as at-risk of needing protections of the Endangered Species Act. STWG funds support strong partnerships among federal, state, tribal, private, and nonprofit entities that enable fish and wildlife professionals to work together to keep common species healthy and prevent imperiled species from sliding towards extinction. The program was funded at $90 million in FY2010, the highest level to date. This figure is far below the identified need of $1.2 billion needed annually to address the full scope of the problem. AFS recommends the highest funding possible for the STWG Program in FY26, and no less than (NLT) the FY24 enacted level of $72.4 million.
The National Fish Habitat Partnership is a science-based, state-led initiative to protect, restore, and enhance aquatic ecosystems across the United States. It was founded in 2006 and promotes and unites a network of 20 Fish Habitat Partnerships across federal and state agencies and conservation groups. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service provides both funding and technical assistance to the 20 Fish Habitat Partnerships across the country to aid in implementing aquatic conservation projects nationwide. These partnerships leverage federal, state, tribal, and private resources to achieve the greatest impacts for conservation. AFS supports $7.6 million for the National Fish Habitat Partnership (NFHP) program in FY26, which includes funding for 20 fish habitat partnerships.
U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) – Ecosystems Mission Area
The USGS Climate Adaptation Science Centers program addresses evolving challenges posed by climate change to regional fish and wildlife, ecosystems, and community-based stakeholders. Modest budget increases in recent fiscal periods have bolstered the program’s ability to swiftly respond to demands and expand its capacity, facilitating proactive engagement of tribal communities in project design and resource allocation. Nevertheless, funding levels have failed to match identified needs, especially in equipping USGS with adequate resources to effectively convey scientific insights to stakeholders for actionable decision-making based on project outcomes. For FY26, AFS recommends no less than $69.3 million.
The Cooperative Fish & Wildlife Research Unit (CRU) Program plays a significant role in advancing applied scientific understanding and conservation efforts for addressing current real-world fish and wildlife management challenges across the United States. CRUs are dynamic hubs for collaborative research that prioritize the needs of state fish and wildlife agencies and play a central role in training the next generation of conservation professionals. State fish and wildlife agencies rely on the CRU program to conduct critical research that is used to support state fish and wildlife agency decision making and is relevant across jurisdictions (e.g. research on chronic wasting disease, monarchs, and wildlife corridors). The program’s value is clear, as evidenced by its continuous growth from its inception in 1935 to its statutory recognition by Congress in 1960, to the present day where 43 units are located across 41 states. Further budgetary or staffing impacts to the CRU program will directly diminish the research capacity of state fish and wildlife agency and university partners while reducing educational opportunities for students across the nation. AFS recommends a minimum of $28.206M for FY 2026. This level of funding would allow the CRU program to maintain its current function, but would not allow for additional staff or research capacity.
U.S. Forest Service (USFS)
The Forest Service administers a large transportation and trails infrastructure system including roads, trails, bridges, and other types of stream crossing features. The Legacy Roads and Trails program is specifically designed to identify, target, and fix or decommission road and trail problems before they get exponentially worse. By replacing and right-sizing culverts and reclaiming unneeded roads, the USFS reconnects habitat for fish, prevents sediment from entering waterways through erosion, and reduces the risk of flooding for communities. This work helps fish survive and thrive, improves water quality for fish and communities, and allows greater access to USFS lands. AFS requests $10 million for FY26 in annual appropriations for this program.
Thank you for your commitment to conserving our country’s natural resources. We appreciate your consideration of this request.
Sincerely,
Jeff Kopaska
Executive Director
