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Rise to the Future - a Review of the US National Forest Fisheries Program

Glen Contreras, Mark Hudy and Mike Dombeck

USDA Forest Service WFWAR Staff, FAIRFAX, USA

Theme: TH3

The 191 million acre (77.3 million ha) National Forest System is comprised of 156 National Forests in 44 States. Fishery management authority and regulations are directed by a complex set of federal and state laws, legislation, court decisions, public involvement and agency management objectives. In the early 1900s management efforts to protect fish focussed on watershed restoration, fish stocking, enforcing new regulations, establishing game refuges and reserves. Research was directed at the most economically important commercial and recreational species. In the late 1930s management of fish and wildlife populations was delegated to the States. Habitat management was retained and a new era of state and federal management developed. Since the 1970s, new state and federal laws, an active and involved public and politics, provided a forum for demanding change and challenges to integrate fishery management and research to include other aquatic organisms with competing resource interests. This includes habitat for more than 145 federally-listed threatened or endangered aquatic species. Since 1986 our 'Rise to the Future' programme has been an effective management tool and recognized as a leader for fisheries excellence in North America.