Policy News
Please note that this event has been postponed and will be rescheduled soon. (Washington, D.C.) – NOAA Fisheries and the American Fisheries Society (AFS) will host a congressional issue briefing at 1:00 p.m. on October 15, 2016, in the Cannon House Office Building (Room 421) addressing the Agency policy and draft roadmap on ecosystem-based fisheries... Read More
Good news for fish and wildlife programs that have been underfunded for decades. The Recovering America’s Wildlife Act (HR5650) bill announced yesterday offers hope for bipartisan support that would vastly increase funding for state programs. —AFS Policy Director Tom Bigford Washington, DC (July 7, 2016) –Yesterday, Congressman Don Young (R-AK) and Congresswoman Debbie Dingell (D-MI) introduced the... Read More
This column has many inspirations, including a drought discussion this past February organized by the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies, the March 2016 White House Water Summit, my own worries about how new hydrologic patterns will affect fish, and a talk by Ellen Gilinsky, senior policy advisor in the US EPA Office of Water. Read More
Congressional Briefing Features USGS Climate Research AFS organized a special briefing on June 13, 2016, for congressional staff and others interested in research on “Climate Change and Inland Fish,” a priority of the U.S. Geological Survey’s National Climate Change and Wildlife Science Center. About 35 attendees heard presentations by four panelists, introduced by Doug Beard... Read More
AFS Briefing Discusses Data’s Impact on Conservation Efforts AFS held a briefing on June 10th, 2016 at one of the U.S. House of Representatives Appropriations Committee’s briefing rooms to discuss geospatial tools that enable natural resource managers and their partners to implement targeted projects that advance smart conservation of aquatic ecosystems. AFS brought in three agency representatives... Read More
By Thomas Bigford By definition, water is a vital factor in maintaining an aquatic ecosystem, especially one with abundant fish. But that simplistic statement obscures the complicated realities of a healthy water body. Each species needs its predetermined blend of water quantity, quality, and chemistry. When aquatic systems are compromised by human intervention or natural... Read More
Every four to eight years (more often eight), an opportunity arises for a change in the U.S. presidential administration. This “changing of the guard” is not only a fantastic display of American democracy in action but is also a great opportunity to either capitalize on the progress that has been made within the previous administration... Read More
If walls and fish could talk, I suspect they’d have a strained conversation. Unfortunately, neither fish nor walls were interviewed for this column, so the following is based on 40 years of my personal observations. There has been much talk in recent years about living shorelines, which trend toward using natural materials and native species... Read More
The 2015 United Nations Climate Change Conference recently concluded in Paris, and developed countries are now charged with implementing an environmental agreement to limit greenhouse gas emissions. That’s a perfect setting for us to ponder how well positioned “we” might be for change that might be reflected in U.S. fish programs. With a clearer vision... Read More
AFS Policy Letter 2014 on Pebble Mine and Failure of Mount Polley Dam – Comments to USEPA Region X AFS Policy Statement on Mining and Fossil Fuel Extraction Revised 2016 Read More
