Policy News
EPA’s Science Advisory Board (SAB) sharply criticized the agency’s recent decision to narrow the definition of the Waters of the US (WOTUS) under the Clean Water Act in a letter to EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler on February 27. “In summary, current scientific understanding of the connectivity of surface and ground water, which has been reviewed... Read More
By Patrick Shirey, AFS Resource Policy Committee Chair The impact of dams on aquatic ecosystems and fisheries is well established. For dams that have reached the end of their usable life, or that no longer provide societal benefits that exceed their costs, dam removal is often a desired management outcome for safety, cost efficiency, and... Read More
February 24, 2020 The Honorable Kevin McCarthy Minority Leader U.S. House of Representatives U.S. Capitol, H-204 Washington, D.C. 20515 Dear Speaker Pelosi and Leader McCarthy, As organizations collectively representing millions of Americans who enjoy the outdoors through hunting, fishing, birding, hiking, paddling, and gardening, as well as the state fish and wildlife agencies and other... Read More
The U.S. Council on Environmental Quality recently released plans to substantially revise the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), one of the most important U.S. environmental laws. AFS and other science societies requested an extension of the comment period for these revisions. Comments can be submitted by March 10, 2020 at https://www.regulations.gov/comment?D=CEQ-2019-0003-0001. American Fisheries Society ·... Read More
January 23, 2020 The Honorable John Barrasso Chairman Committee on Environment and Public Works U.S. Senate 410 Dirksen Senate Office Building Washington, D.C. 20510 The Honorable Thomas R. Carper Ranking Member Committee on Environment and Public Works U.S. Senate 410 Dirksen Senate Office Building Washington, D.C. 20510 Dear Chairman Barrasso and Ranking Member Carper: Thank... Read More
American Fisheries Society ● Association for the Sciences of Limnology and Oceanography Coastal and Estuarine Research Federation ● Freshwater Mollusk Conservation Society International Association for Great Lakes Research ● North American Lake Management Society Phycological Society of America ● Society for Freshwater Science ● Society of Wetland Scientists FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE January 23, 2020... Read More
AFS has long supported increased funding for the U.S Geological Survey’s National and Regional Climate Adaptation Science Centers (CASCs) and Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Units (CRUs). Both programs received a significant funding boost in the Fiscal Year 2020 budget, signed into law last Friday. The CASCs will receive roughly $38.4 million, a more than... Read More
The bipartisan Recovering America’s Wildlife Act passed out of the House Natural Resources Committee on December 5, positioning it for a vote on the House floor. The bill would fund proactive conservation efforts to prevent species from becoming endangered and would provide additional funding for species that are already listed. “Forty percent of aquatic species... Read More
By Chris Smith, Wildlife Management Institute The Fish and Wildlife Relevancy Roadmap is now available on the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies’ (AFWA) website. The Roadmap provides practical, non-prescriptive guidance agencies can use to adapt to ongoing changes in the social, ecological, and economic context for fish and wildlife conservation. These changes include accelerated... Read More
December 17, 2019 – The bipartisan National Fish Habitat Conservation Through Partnership Act (H.R. 1747), introduced by U.S. Reps. Rob Wittman (R-Va.) and Marc Veasey (D-Texas), passed in the U.S. House of Representatives as part of a broader package of natural resource legislation last week. The bill also advanced through the Senate in the Committee on Environment and Public... Read More
