April 2008 page 11 National Programs

NEW! Updated Sportfishing in America report is now available.
This report, based on the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service�s 2006 National Survey of Fishing, Hunting and Wildlife-Associated Recreation, provides information about angler numbers, annual days of fishing, sportfishing expenditures and their associated economic impacts. Breakouts are provided for freshwater, saltwater and Great Lakes fishing. The report is available for downloading in PDF format.

April 2008 American Sportfishing Association Policy Watch

Policy Watch is a monthly update for the sportfishing community about the American Sportfishing Association�s Government Affairs activities.

http://www.asafishing.org/asa/government/policy_watch.html

Clean Boating Act of 2008
Unless Congress acts soon, the country�s 18 million recreational boat owners will be required to obtain a federal or state permit in order to operate their boats. These permits would apply to any water-based, non-polluting operational discharge from a recreational boat. Senators Barbara Boxer (D-CA) and Bill Nelson (D-FL) have introduced S. 2766, the Clean Boating Act of 2008, which would fully and permanently restore a permit exemption for recreational boat�s incidental discharges. Send a letter to your Members of Congress urging their support of the Clean Boating Act. For more information, read ASA�s position on S. 2766.

Lieberman Supports National Fish Habitat Action Plan
Senator Joe Lieberman (D-CT) has agreed to introduce the National Fish Habitat Action Plan (NFHAP), but suggests supporters assist his office in seeking a bipartisan co-sponsor. The NFHAP legislative team attended a number of meetings with Senate and House staff in April to seek additional sponsors and refine language, and is close to securing a champion in the House. Although the timeline is short, the NFHAP legislative team will continue to advocate for introduction this year. ASA has a leadership role in the legislative effort for the NFHAP.

Farm Bill Update
With both the House and Senate versions of the 2007 Farm Bill passed, ASA is working with its partners in the Agriculture and Wildlife Working Group (AWWG) to ensure that robust funding for conservation is included in the final bill. The 2002 Farm Bill extension has been reinstated until May 2 which includes $4 billion in funding for the conservation title. There is still the possibility of a presidential veto, which could reinstate the 2002 Farm Bill until 2009. This action would eliminate funding for recreational fishing and other conservation programs.

ASA Attains Fish Passage Provisions in HR 1195
On April 17, a technical corrections amendment was passed by the House of Representatives after extensive attempts by ASA to secure Transportation Bill funding for fish passage construction on National Forest system roads. The amendment (HR 1195) sponsored by Congressman James Oberstar (D�MN), allocates $10,000,000 annually for fish passage throughout the entire National Forest system. Fish passage was identified in a General Accounting Office report as a critical need in the National Forests.

2008 National Casting Call
ASA and the Future Fisherman Foundation were active participants in this year�s National Casting Call, held April 27-28 in Washington, D.C. Sponsored by the American Fly Fishing Trade Association, ASA and foundation staff along with other representatives from various fishery organizations volunteered during Sunday�s Family and Youth Casting Call, where local children and their families learned about fisheries and tried their hand at fishing. During Monday�s National Casting Call, a status report on the National Fish Habitat Action Plan was given, and America�s Ten Waters to Watch were highlighted.

Aquatic Nuisance Species Task Force

In simple terms, Aquatic Nuisance Species (ANS) are aquatic and terrestrial organisms, introduced into new habitats throughout the United States and other areas of the world, that produce harmful impacts on aquatic natural resources in these ecosystems and on the human use of these resources.

The Aquatic Nuisance Species (ANS) Task Force is an intergovernmental organization dedicated to preventing and controlling aquatic nuisance species, and implementing the Nonindigenous Aquatic Nuisance Prevention and Control Act (NANPCA) of 1990. The various NANPCA mandates were expanded later with the passage of the National Invasive Species Act (NISA) in 1996. The Task Force consists of 10 Federal agency representatives and 12 Ex-officio members, and is co-chaired by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The Task force coordinates governmental efforts dealing with ANS in the U.S. with those of the private sector and other North American interests via regional panels and issue specific committees and work groups.

Aquatic Nuisance Species Task Force Home Page

Appeal for help with Ballast Regulation on the Great Lakes

Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies - http://www.fishwildlife.org/

Meeting of the Fisheries and Water Resources Policy Committee, 98^th Annual Meeting of the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies, Louisville, KY � September 18, 2007 - Minutes

The Coalition on the Public Understanding of Science (COPUS) is a grassroots effort whose goal is to engage sectors of the public in science to increase their understanding of the nature of science and its value to society. A key objective of COPUS is to create new forums for communication and to develop new opportunities for engaging the public with science. http://copusproject.org/

Congressional Sportsman's Foundation - http://www.sportsmenslink.org/

Hunting and Fishing: Bright Stars of the American Economy - http://www.nssf.org/07report/CompleteReport.pdf (2.3MB)

Summary article about the report

Instream Flow Council - http://www.instreamflowcouncil.org/

IFC President�s Update � May 2008

Izaak Walton League, Clean Boat Challenge - http://www.iwla.org/index.php?id=461

Survey Reveals Conflict Between Off‑Road Vehicles and Hunting,Fishing

Izaak Walton League Sees Wins and Losses in New Farm Bill

Midwest Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies - http://mafwa.iafwa.org/

74th Annual Directors Meeting, Proceedings, July 15-18, 2007, Minocqua, WI - http://mafwa.iafwa.org/documents/meeting_07/proceedings.pdf (1.9MB)

Letter to sent to legislators March 2008 asking for passage of a new Farm Bill

House passes bill to treat ballast water on ships

Measure that aims to protect Great Lakes goes to Senate

By DAN EGAN
degan@journalsentinel.com

Posted: April 24, 2008

The free ride might be coming to an end for oceangoing vessels blamed for flooding the Great Lakes with invasive species that have ravaged native fish populations, fouled untold miles of shoreline and spawned botulism outbreaks that have recently killed thousands of Lake Michigan birds.

The U.S. House of Representatives overwhelmingly passed a bill Thursday that would for the first time require all ships entering U.S. waters to treat their ballast water to kill unwanted hitchhikers.

Click here for full story House passes bill to treat ballast water on ships

Study: Onshore treatment systems could cleanse ballast water

Ballast water from Great Lakes freighters, a bothersome source of invasive species over the years, can be cleansed of invasive species and contaminants by onshore treatment systems before being returned to the lakes, a study funded by the state Department of Natural Resources has shown.

In the study, a barge was used to collect ballast water. The water was treated onshore using filtering screens and ultraviolet light disinfection to kill organisms. The Milwaukee office of Brown and Caldwell, a national environmental engineering consulting company, did the research.

"This is good news in the fight against invasive species," said DNR Secretary Matthew Frank. "Further study and a pilot project will need to be done, but these study results take us one step closer to finding a way to turn off the spigot of invasive species arriving in the Great Lakes via ballast water discharge."

Researchers believe that more than 180 invasive species, including zebra mussels and round gobies, have found their way into the Great Lakes in the last century, primarily hitchhiking in via ballast water.

The researchers concluded that the onshore treatment would remove a wide range of invasive species, from large, visible fish down to microscopic viruses and pathogens. Among the viruses that could be detected and removed is viral hemorrhagic septicemia, or VHS, the fish disease that has caused large fish kills in the lower Great Lakes.

While the study focused on the Port of Milwaukee, researchers concluded the approach would work in other Great Lakes ports, too. Brown and Caldwell estimated the cost of installing such a system at a Great Lakes port between $1 and $2 million.

� Ron Seely

Mississippi Interstate Cooperative Resource Association (MICRA) - http://wwwaux.cerc.cr.usgs.gov/micra/

Greg Conover chosen as new MICRA Coordinator

An organization of 28 state natural resource departments organized in 1991 as a partnership to improve interjurisdictional river resource management in the Mississippi River Basin.

Mississippi River Basin Panel on Aquatic Nuisance Species

National Aquaculture Association - http://www.nationalaquaculture.org/

Current Issues Page - http://www.nationalaquaculture.org/pages/issues.html

National Fish and Wildlife Foundation - http://www.morefish.org

The More Fish Campaign is a five-year initiative launched by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation to raise awareness and funding to protect, conserve and enhance the nation's fish populations and their habitat. From cutthroat trout and red snapper to small mouth bass and Eastern brook trout to Pacific salmon, the More Fish Campaign aims to improve aquatic habitat in rivers, lakes, reservoirs, estuaries, coastal and marine zones.

Bass Pro-NFWF Conservation Grants Program
Table Rock Lake Projects

The More Fish Campaign program leverages Bass Pro funds raised through Evenings of Conservation and other donations with the Foundation�s federal funds and grantee matching funds. The partnership expanded in 2006 when Bass Pro Shops made a five-year commitment to contribute $300,000 a year towards Table Rock projects, and an additional $200,000 a year for to support management of the Foundation�s fish habitat conservation programs, with the Foundation and grantees matching an additional $1 million per year to leverage Bass Pro funds 2:1.

In fall 2006 and spring 2007, the Foundation Board approved the first three grants for Table Rock Lake and its watershed. The first two grants were awarded to the Missouri Department of Conservation for �Fish Habitat Improvement in Table Rock Lake (MO) I and II�, which granted $550,000 of the Bass Pro and NFWF funds, with $217,000 in matching funds. The Foundation also approved a $50,000 NFWF- Bass Pro grant to the Arkansas Fish and Game Commission with an $83,000 match for Table Rock Lake and Tributary Habitat Improvement (AR) I . Each year, Bass Pro, the Foundation and grantees expect to contribute $900,000 for Table Rock projects for fish habitat improvement.

National Fish and Wildlife Association, Keystone Initiative Grants available

National Fish Habitat Action Plan - http://www.fishhabitat.org/

Actions of the National Fish Habitat Board, Oct 2‑3

Fish Habitat Partnership folks‑

The National Fish Habitat Board had an eventful meeting last week. I won't try to re‑cap all their actions here, but I wanted to provide a brief update on Board actions that are relevant to Fish Habitat Partnerships. First, the Board approved the applications of 4 "pilot" FHPs. Now we will drop the word "pilot" from their designation. A letter of congratulations, with specific feedback, will be sent to the four Fish Habitat Partnerships. They are the Southeast Aquatic Resources Partnership, Eastern Brook Trout Joint Venture, Driftless Area Restoration Effort, and Matanuska‑Susitna Basin Salmon Conservation Partnership. The Communications Committee has drafted a national news release on the newly recognized FHPs. This could also be adapted for local use. You will receive a copy when it's done.

The Board approved a staff recommendation to review the FHP application process and report back to the Board at its February meeting. The process is not "broke" but we think there is a need for more clarity and consistency, so applicants and the Board have the same expectations. Meanwhile, the second round of FHP applications will go forward as planned, using the existing application form. An invitation will be sent to all Pilot and Candidate FHPs, announcing that applications are due on December 17. The invitation will stress that applications should be prepared only if the Partnership can truly demonstrate that it meets all the criteria. There are four additional rounds of application scheduled before 2010.

The Board also authorized its Chairman to give substantive feedback to Candidate FHPs, in response to their letters of intent. The feedback will help ensure that the Candidate FHPs will work expeditiously to meet the criteria in the FHP Guidance.

Finally, representatives of 5 of the Candidate FHPs gave presentations to the Board. Each of the presentations was impressive in its own right, but collectively, they showed the enormous energy and diversity that is represented in the Candidate FHPs. The Board and observers were suitably impressed.

Call or write if you have questions.

Tom Busiahn

U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service

703‑358‑2056

tom_busiahn@fws.gov

Hepler Appointed New Chair of National Fish Habitat Board - http://fishhabitat.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1...

Southwest Alaska Salmon Partnership Adopted as sixth Regional FHP - http://fishhabitat.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1...

National Governor's Association - http://www.nga.org/portal/site/nga

Position Statement, Natural Resource Committee: Improved Cooperative Management of Invasive Species

Protect Your Waters, Stop Aquatic Hitchhickers - http://www.protectyourwaters.net/

Latest News - http://www.protectyourwaters.net/news/

Protect Your Waters, Stop Aquatic Hitchhickers - Missouri page

Recreational Boating and Fishing Foundation - http://www.rbff.org

Take Me Fishing Program http://www.rbff.org/page.cfm?pageID=66

1) GIVE BACK WHAT YOU�VE BEEN GIVEN � the gift of fishing
2) TAKE SOMEONE YOU KNOW OUT ON THE WATER � friend, colleague, neighbor, your kid�s friends, anyone
3) GET CONNECTED TO THE CAUSE AT � www.AnglersLegacy.org

Southwick and Associaties Winter 2008 Newsletter - http://www.southwickassociates.com/newsletters/2008_Winter_NewsLetter.doc

Teaming with Wildlife - http://www.teaming.com/index.html

USGS Biology � Fisheries: Aquatic and Endangered Program - http://biology.usgs.gov/faer/

USGS Water Resources - http://water.usgs.gov/

New from the USGS water program

World Aquaculture Society - https://www.was.org/Main/Default.asp

Bass Pro-NFWF Conservation Grants Program Table Rock Lake Projects

Bass Pro-NFWF Conservation Grants Program
Table Rock Lake Projects