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Policy News

Fish and Wildlife Conservationists Praise Congress for Passing the America’s Conservation Enhancement Act (S.3051)

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE October 1, 2020 MEDIA CONTACTS: Parker Williams, Governmental Communications Manager, Ducks Unlimited, [email protected] Leslie Garrett, Marketing & Communications Director, Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation, 202-543-6850 ex. 17, [email protected] Mary Jane Williamson, Communications Director, American Sportfishing Association, 703-519-9691, x227 Dave Kinney, Associate Vice President, Trout Media, (856) 857-9669, [email protected] Matt Smelser, Policy Communications Director, 512.739.9635,... Read More

Changes to ESA Critical Habitat Designations Will Leave At-Risk Species Vulnerable

September 4, 2020 Gary Frazer U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Department of the Interior Washington, DC 20240 Samuel D. Rauch III National Marine Fisheries Service Office of Protected Resources 1315 East-West Highway Silver Spring, MD 20910 Via regulations.gov Re: Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Regulations for Listing Endangered and Threatened Species and Designating Critical... Read More

Water Resources Development Act Support and Recommendations

The Honorable John Barrasso Chairman Committee on Environment & Public Works United States Senate 410 Dirksen Senate Office Building Washington, D.C. 20510 The Honorable Thomas Carper Ranking Member Committee on Environment & Public Works United States Senate 410 Dirksen Senate Office Building Washington, D.C. 20510 The Honorable Peter DeFazio Chairman Committee on Transportation & Infrastructure... Read More

AFS Applauds Sport Fish Restoration Reauthorization Advancing in Senate

July 22, 2020 Chairman Roger Wicker U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation 512 Dirksen Senate Building Washington DC, 20510 Ranking Member Maria Cantwell U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation 420 A Hart Senate Office Building Washington, DC 20510 Dear Chairman Wicker and Ranking Member Cantwell: Thank you for your leadership in... Read More

American Fisheries Society Position on Aquaculture

The American Fisheries Society (AFS) supports sustainable growth of aquaculture. The demand for fish is expected to grow significantly in the next decade, but it is unlikely that capture fisheries can sustainably accommodate increased harvest pressure to meet this demand. Domestic freshwater and marine aquaculture present existing and emerging opportunities to sustainably address America’s ongoing... Read More

Recovering America’s Wildlife Act Would Also Help Economic Recovery

June 11, 2020 The Honorable Nancy Pelosi Speaker of the House U.S. House of Representatives U.S. Capitol, H-232 Washington, D.C. 20510 The Honorable Mitch McConnell Majority Leader U.S. Senate Washington, D.C. 20510 The Honorable Kevin McCarthy Minority Leader U.S. House of Representatives U.S. Capitol, H-204 Washington, D.C. 20515 The Honorable Charles Schumer Minority Leader U.S.... Read More

Draft Statement of World Aquatic Societies on Human-Caused Climate Change

The American Fisheries Society is teaming with other aquatic scientific societies worldwide to author a “Statement of World Aquatic Societies on Human-Caused Climate Change.”  This statement, which will be circulated to the media, highlights major scientific findings related to effects of climate change on aquatic ecosystems.  It also provides recommended actions, based on scientific findings,... Read More

Aquatic Societies Oppose EPA’s Proposed Open Science Rule

The Consortium of Aquatic Science Societies (CASS) opposed EPA’s proposed supplemental rule, “Strengthening Transparency in Regulatory Science,” on the grounds that it would undermine the agency’s ability to use the best available science in its policy-making process and thus impede EPA’s mission to protect human health and the environment. The proposed rule would diminish the... Read More

AFS Supports States in Clean Water Act Lawsuit

Seventeen states filed suit challenging the Navigable Waters Protection Rule (NWPR) in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California asserting that the NWPR is contrary to the Clean Water Act (CWA) and arbitrary and capricious, in part, because of the EPA’s and the Army Corps’ disregard of scientific evidence. The plaintiff’s asked... Read More

Clean Water Act Win in Supreme Court Maui Case

The Clean Water Act survived a significant challenge with a 6-3 decision U.S. Supreme Court in County of Maui v. Hawai‘i Wildlife Fund. At issue was whether the Clean Water Act (CWA) applies to a pollutant that reaches navigable waters only after it leaves a point source and then travels through groundwater before reaching navigable... Read More