Policy News
On November 15, the USDA Forest Service released Rise to the Future: National Fish and Aquatic Strategy. In the 30 years since the inception of Rise to the Future, the Forest Service’s and the conservation community’s understanding of the threats and stressors that need to be addressed to achieve successful fish conservation outcomes have changed.... Read More
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President Trump’s push for a US$1 trillion infrastructure package offers an opportunity to pursue benefits for aquatic resources. Most infrastructure is inextricably connected to water. Read More
On October 27, the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council announced open commercial and recreational fisheries for Red Snapper. The recreational season opened in federal waters of the South Atlantic for two consecutive three-day weekends, November 3-5 and November 10-12. The commercial fishery opened November 2 with a 75-pound (gutted weight) trip limit and no minimum... Read More
AFS was heavily involved in planning the Coastal and Estuarine Research Federation’s (CERF) biennial conference in Providence on November 5-9 and several AFS members had important roles at the event. The society’s contributions include arranging a video welcome from U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse to Rhode Island, co-designing two science sessions on anadromous fish, co-organizing a... Read More
Chairman John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) and Ranking Member Tom Carper (D-Del.) of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee along with Reps. Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.), Rob Wittman (R-Va.), Frank LoBiondo (R-N.J.), Garret Graves (R-La.), Raul Grijalva (D-Ariz), Gregorio Kilili Camacho Sablan (D-NMI), and Mike Thompson (D-Calif.) have introduced a bipartisan bill to support the National Wildlife... Read More
By Tom Bigford, AFS Policy Co-Director Regional approaches make sense when managing aquatic resources. Critters have no respect for state borders, turf battles, or regulatory jurisdiction. Ditto for air, water, and sediments. For those reasons, I am heartened by the recent progress by regional planning bodies to develop ocean plans for significant sections of our... Read More
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) cancelled the speaking appearances of three scientists at an event launching the “State of the Narragansett Bay and Watershed” report in Providence, Rhode Island. The peer reviewed report summarizes work of more than 50 university, government, non-profit, and private sector scientists. It highlights the many successes resulting from sound, science-based... Read More
The Senate Commerce Committee Oceans, Atmosphere, Fisheries, and Coast Guard Subcommittee convened a Magnuson-Stevens Act re-authorization hearing focusing on fisheries science on Tuesday, October 24, 2017. The hearing, a fourth of the series, focused on the state of our nation’s fisheries and the science that supports sustainable management. The witnesses included two AFS members, Ray... Read More
In early 2017, the U.S. Supreme Court agreed to resolve jurisdictional wrangling over which federal court should hear challenges to the Environmental Protection Agency’s contentious 2015 Waters of the U.S. (WOTUS) rule. That rule sought to clarify the definition of “navigable waters” in the Clean Water Act (CWA). Earlier this month, the nation’s highest court... Read More
