Policy News
The House Natural Resources Committee has scheduled a hearing on H.R. 3668, the Sportsmen’s Heritage and Recreational Enhancement Act, SHARE Act, for September 12, at 10:00 am EDT in Room 1334 Longworth House Office Building. Congressmen Jeff Duncan, R-S.C., and Gene Green, D-Texas, introduced the bill in the House of Representatives on September 1. H.R.... Read More
On August 1, the Senate Commerce Committee Subcommittee on Oceans, Atmosphere, Fisheries and Coast Guard held the first of a series of hearings on the successes and challenges of the Magnuson-Stevens Fisheries Conservation Act (MSA). Chris Oliver, the Assistant Administrator for NOAA’s National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) testified before the subcommittee in support of greater... Read More
Drue Winters, AFS Policy Director. E-mail: [email protected] Throughout its nearly 150-year history, the American Fisheries Society (AFS) has had an interest and a role in shaping state and federal natural resource policy. However, the Society’s level of engagement and the willingness of its membership to take positions on important policy issues has varied over time.... Read More
CASS WOTUS Comment Period Extension Request Read More
Recently, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency proposed to rescind the Clean Water Rule. (Details available on the Federal Register). The Clean Water Rule, which was developed using the best available, peer-reviewed science, clarifies which waters are and are not categorically protected under the Clean Water Act. Specifically, the Clean... Read More
The Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works (EPW) advanced S. 1514, The Hunting Heritage and Environmental Legacy Preservation for Wildlife Act (HELP for Wildlife Act), on July 26. The bill contains several provisions important to conservationists, sportsmen, and fisheries managers including re-authorizations of the North American Wetlands Conservation Act (NAWCA), the National Fish and... Read More
The House of Representatives recently passed the Fiscal Year 2018 Department of the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations bill. The committee report that accompanied the bill recognized the importance of professional societies and specifically mentions AFS. The report highlights the valuable role professional societies hold in assuring sound scientific management principles are applied to... Read More
On July 19, the House Natural Resources Committee’s Water, Power and Oceans Subcommittee held an oversight hearing to explore regional successes and challenges associated with federal fisheries management under the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (MSA). Stakeholders from various regions testified on specific management challenges they have faced, and highlighted reforms that could be... Read More
UPDATE: EPA and the Army Corps of Engineers have extended the comment period by 30 days for the proposed repeal of the Waters of the U.S. Rule (WOTUS) to provide additional time for stakeholders to weigh in. The comment period, as now extended, will close on September 27, 2017. https://www.epa.gov/wotus-rule/extension-comment-period-definition-waters-united-states-recodification-pre-existing The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is moving... Read More
The Trump administration is moving forward to repeal the 2015 Clean Water Rule (WOTUS). Last month, EPA and the Army Corps issued a proposed rule that was filed in the Federal Register today. The public comment period is open until August 28, 2017. AFS joined with the members of the Consortium of Aquatic Science Societies... Read More
