Jeff Trandahl selected to BOD of bold new plan to conserve America's aquatic habitats

Washington, D.C. — Twenty of the nation's prominent conservation leaders—including the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation’s Executive Director, Jeff Trandahl—have been selected to guide a bold new initiative designed to reverse declines in the quality and quantity of our Nation's fish habitats. The National Fish Habitat Action Plan, developed during the past two years and supported by more than 450 diverse partner organizations across the country, sets forth actions to protect, restore, and enhance fish habitats in watersheds and waterways across the country.

Other influential conservation leaders from the public and private sectors selected to serve on the board include: Dale Hall, director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; Charles Gauvin, president of Trout Unlimited; John Cooper, president of the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies; and William Hogarth Assistant Administrator for Fisheries at NOAA. View a complete list of the leadership.

The National Fish Habitat Action Plan will support national and local grassroots-driven efforts to bring diverse groups together to identify root causes of local habitat declines, identify and implement strategic corrective actions, and measure and communicate progress. It is targeted toward fisheries protection, restoration and enhancement in key watersheds and is based on use of the best scientific expertise on fisheries and habitat management. The Action Plan calls for sustainable actions and accountability, recognizing the need for long-term investments and real results. To date, the hundreds of partners signed on in support of the Action Plan include a range of organizations interested in the health of the Nation's fisheries, including small local watershed groups and fishing clubs, and conservation organizations, federal agencies, angling industries and academia.

The National Fish Habitat Action Plan was released to the public this Spring alongside the Foundation’s “More Fish” campaign. The “More Fish” campaign is taking the lead in raising millions of dollars to fund projects that complement and support the Action Plan. Information about the campaign can be found at www.morefish.org.

”We are quickly losing a natural treasure, and the Action Plan offers an outstanding approach to addressing the problem,” said Trandahl. “Restoring habitat is expensive and we need to attract and invest resources wisely to have an impact. Through the Foundation's More Fish campaign we're letting businesses, industry, and individuals know they have a role to play in the success of this unique partnership and its mission.”

The National Fish Habitat Action Plan is an investment strategy to restore our waterways and make conservation dollars go farther. This science-based plan will leverage federal and privately raised funds to build regional partnerships aimed at fixing the nation's biggest fisheries problems. This is the most comprehensive effort ever attempted to treat the causes of fish habitat decline, not just the symptoms. For more information, visit www.fishhabitat.org. To donate, visit www.nfwf.org/give

The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation is a nonprofit organization established by Congress in 1984 and dedicated to the conservation of fish, wildlife and plants, and the habitat on which they depend. The Foundation creates partnerships between the public and private sectors to strategically invest in conservation and the sustainable use of natural resources. The Foundation awarded over 8,000 grants to more than 2,600 organizations in the United States and abroad and has leveraged – with its partners – more than $300 million in federal funds since its establishment, for a total of more than $1 billion in funding for conservation. The Foundation is recognized by Charity Navigator with a 3-star rating for efficiency and effectiveness. Ninety-two cents of every dollar contributed to the Foundation is directed to on-the-ground conservation projects, with five cents supporting management and administration of the Foundation’s multi-million dollar grants program and three cents funding partnership development and fundraising.