Through the National Fish Habitat Partnership (NFHP), the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) and partners are providing more than $14.8 million to support 58 on-the-ground fish habitat conservation projects in 26 states. The USFWS is providing $2.7 million this year, with state fish and wildlife agencies, non-governmental organizations, and other partners contributing an additional $12 million. This highlights one of the strengths of NFHP where every federally appropriated dollar was matched by over five additional dollars.
These projects support locally led conservation efforts that restore and reconnect habitats, ensuring more robust fish populations, improved fishing opportunities, increased public access, and healthier waterways. Twenty individual Fish Habitat Partnerships across the nation implement our national efforts. They work with a variety of partners, including private landowners, farmers and ranchers, Tribes, non-profit organizations, state, federal, and local government agencies, and many others to achieve shared fish habitat conservation goals that protect, restore, and enhance habitat conditions on a landscape scale.
In 2026, project types include removing barriers to fish passage, reducing erosion from farmlands and ranchlands, restoring stream banks, habitat improvements to lakes and reservoirs, combating the impacts of drought, and monitoring and assessments to identify conservation needs for fish and their habitats. This year's projects meet local priorities through partnerships that span from restoring urban and suburban streams to reconnecting tidal wetlands, in states across the country from Alaska to Maine.
"Annually, the National Fish Habitat Partnership delivers strategic on-the-ground projects through partnerships which benefit fish, anglers, communities, and economies across America," said Tim Schaeffer, Executive Director of the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission and Chair of the National Fish Habitat Board. "These locally-driven initiatives are designed to both address current conservation priorities and leave a legacy for the protection, restoration, and enhancement of fish habitat for future generations to enjoy in the outdoors."
"Healthy aquatic habitats are fundamental to sustaining our nation's fisheries, outdoor recreation, and watershed health," said Paul Johansen, Chief of the Wildlife Resources Section of the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources and President of the Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies. "The National Fish Habitat Partnership demonstrates what can be accomplished when states and partners collaborate toward shared conservation goals. These locally driven projects maximize limited investments and ensure future generations can continue to enjoy thriving aquatic ecosystems."
View the full list of 2026 funded projects.
NFHP uses a nationally focused aquatic conservation strategy to maximize the reach of limited fish habitat conservation dollars. Under NFHP, federal, state, tribal, and privately raised funds are leveraged through regional Fish Habitat Partnerships to address the nation's biggest fish habitat challenges. The USFWS is a key partner in NFHP, providing leadership and technical expertise on the local, regional, and national levels, as well as financial assistance directly to partners for on-the-ground conservation projects.
Since 2006, the USFWS has provided over $76.3 million to conservation projects, which were leveraged at a 5:1 ratio to provide over $369 million in funding support for fish habitat conservation projects that improve angling and recreational opportunities across the nation.
NFHP assembles the collective expertise of federal, state, and non-governmental organizations to identify and prioritize conservation work to achieve significant benefits for fish and other aquatic resources for the benefit of the American people.
For more information on all of our NFHP projects, visit our Projects and Accomplishments Dashboard.
About the National Fish Habitat Partnership: Since 2006, NFHP has supported over 1,800 projects benefitting fish habitat throughout all 50 states. This effort works to conserve fish habitat nationwide, leveraging federal, state, tribal, and private funding resources to achieve the greatest effect on fish populations through priority conservation projects of 20 Fish Habitat Partnerships organized around key fish species, geographic areas, or important fish habitats. In 2020, NFHP was recognized by Congress as part of the America's Conservation Enhancement (ACE) Act, and was reauthorized in 2024 through passage of the America's Conservation Enhancement Reauthorization Act. NFHP guidance and policies are developed in conjunction with our partnerships and the National Fish Habitat Board. For more information, visit: https://fishhabitat.org/