**Conserving America\'s Fisheries**

**U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Fisheries Program**

**Strategic Vision**

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**A Message from the Director**

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has a proud record of over 130 years
in fisheries and aquatic resource conservation. As Director, I am keenly
aware of the need for a renewed commitment from the Service in
conserving these valuable resources. Despite our proud heritage, we have
become increasingly convinced of the need for greater support and
resources if we are to be successful in meeting the challenges of our
critical role in fisheries and aquatic resource management and
conservation.

The Service is currently undertaking the task of describing the future
role of its Fisheries Program in conserving this Nation=s aquatic
resources. I realize that the Service has undertaken planning exercises
in the past. What is fundamentally different about this current effort
is the development of a collaborative strategy with the Sportfishing and
Boating Partnership Council and its Fisheries Steering Committee. This
Steering Committee represents all aspect of fisheries and aquatic
conservation interests. This is an effective and powerful partnership
that has worked well over a number of years, and I look forward to
building on it as the Service strengthens and revitalizes its Fisheries
Program.

The pride and passion of our Fisheries Program employees are clearly
evident. They have carried us to where we are, in spite of a history of
significant numbers of unfilled positions, flat and eroding budgets, and
an ever increasing maintenance backlog. The Service has much to be proud
of in our leadership in fisheries and aquatic resource conservation.
Resolving real and perceived issues and revitalizing the Service=s
Fisheries Program are among my highest priorities.

**Executive Summary**

The Fisheries Program of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service)
has played a vital role in conserving and managing fish and other
aquatic resources since 1871. Today, the Fisheries Program is a critical
partner with States, Tribes, other governments, other Service programs,
private organizations, public institutions, and interested citizens in a
larger effort to conserve these important resources. The Nation=s fish
and other aquatic resources are among the richest and most diverse in
the world. These resources have helped support the Nation=s growth by
providing enormous ecological, social and economic benefits. However, a
growing number of our aquatic resources are declining at alarming rates.
One-third of the Nation=s freshwater fish species are at risk of
extinction, 72 percent of freshwater mussels are imperiled, and the
number of threatened and endangered species has tripled in the last 20
years. Clearly, there is increasing urgency to identify and implement
actions that will reverse these alarming trends before it is too late.

In July, 2001, the Sport Fishing and Boating Partnership Council (SFBPC)
was charged by the Service to convene a steering committee representing
a broad array of stakeholders in fisheries and aquatic resource
conservation to work with the Fisheries Program during the development
of a new blueprint for the future. The first product from the SFBPC
Fisheries Steering Committee was a consensus report on the role that the
Service=s Fisheries Program should play in the partnership effort to
conserve the Nation=s fish and other aquatic resources. This vision for
the future, along with the earlier hatchery report from the SFBPC,
ASaving a System in Peril@, were keystone elements in the development of
this AStrategic Vision@, which is the first part of the Fisheries
Program plan. This vision document discusses where the Fisheries Program
is today, where it needs to go in the future, and why it is important to
get there. Working collaboratively with its partners, the Service has
better defined its niche and leadership role in stemming the tide of
threats to fish and other aquatic resources across the country. To move
forward and be successful in this role, the Fisheries Program must be
solidly funded, backed by sound science, and grounded in dynamic
partnerships.

The Fisheries Program consists of almost 800 employees nationwide,
located in 64 Fishery Resource Offices, including a Conservation
Genetics Laboratory, 70 National Fish Hatcheries, 9 Fish Health Centers,
and 7 Fish Technology Centers. Together, these employees and facilities
provide a network that is unique among Federal agencies, State and
Tribal governments, and private organizations in its broad on-the-ground
geographic coverage, its array of technical and managerial capabilities,
and its ability to work across political boundaries and take a national
perspective. It also brings to the aquatic conservation table the only
Federal hatchery system, with extensive experience culturing more than
one hundred different aquatic species.

The vision of the Service=s Fisheries Program is a dream for a future of
healthy aquatic systems that are populated with an abundance of fish and
other aquatic organisms. To achieve that dream, the Fisheries Program
will work with its partners to:

\* *Protect* the health of our aquatic habitats

\* *Restore* fish and other aquatic resources

\* Provide opportunities to *enjoy* the benefits of healthy aquatic
resources

The Fisheries Program and its partners recognize that management and
conservation of fish and other aquatic resources are shared
responsibilities, and success is usually contingent on partnerships that
cut across jurisdictions and link all stakeholders and partners.
Resource objectives and Federal and State roles have also shifted over
time. Where once the Service focused primarily on restoring and managing
game species, its conservation mission has expanded, and today includes
non-game and endangered species. Just as importantly, the Service and
its partners know that the opportunities, challenges, and needs facing
fish and other aquatic resources exceed budgetary resources, as well as
Federal authorities and responsibilities. Consequently, the Fisheries
Program will use five criteria in deciding what activities,
opportunities, and issues to address. Current and potential actions will
be evaluated against the following criteria, and stakeholders and
partners will be consulted as key decisions are made that affect the
direction of the Fisheries Program:

\* The strength of Federal authority and responsibility directly tied to
the actions being

considered;

\* The extent to which the actions being considered complement efforts
of others in the

fisheries and aquatic resource conservation community;

\* The likelihood that the actions being considered will be highly
successful in producing

measurable resource results;

\* The likelihood that the actions being considered will be highly
successful in producing

significant economic or social benefits; and

\* The likelihood that the current Administration, Congress and
fisheries community will

be highly supportive of the proposed actions.

The Service is re-committing to its role as a partner in conserving
America=s fish and other aquatic resources. In some cases, the Fisheries
Program will lead; in others, it will facilitate or follow. In all
cases, the Fisheries Program will focus its efforts and activities on
what it is best positioned to contribute based on its unique resources
and capabilities, recognizing that sound science and solid partnerships
will continue to be the key to aquatic resource stewardship. Working
with its partners, the Fisheries Program has identified six areas of
emphasis with associated goals and objectives to focus on in the future.
In some cases, these objectives reflect a reaffirmation of current
activities; in other cases, they reflect some change in those
activities. In a few cases, the objectives reflect a new activity for
the Fisheries Program. Many of its current activities support these
objectives, and there will be some opportunities to refocus and change
within existing resources. However, the scope and speed with which this
blueprint for the future becomes reality will depend on the level of
support and resources that are available to the Fisheries Program. The
six focus areas and their associated goals are:

**Aquatic Species Conservation and Management.**

[Native Species Goal]{.underline}: Self-sustaining populations of native
fish and other aquatic resources that provide opportunities for the
American public and fill the biological role needed to maintain the
health of the Nation=s waters.

[Aquatic Nuisance Species Goal]{.underline}: Aquatic nuisance species no
longer threaten the diversity or abundance of fish and other aquatic
resources or interfere with recreational and commercial activities.

[Interjurisdictional Fisheries Goal]{.underline}: Populations of
interjurisdictional fisheries are managed at self-sustaining levels.

**Public Use**

[Recreational Fishing Goal]{.underline}: Quality opportunities for
recreational fishing and other enjoyment of aquatic resources exist on
Service and military lands and on other waters where the Service has a
role.

[Mitigation Fisheries Goal]{.underline}: The Federal government meets
its responsibilities for providing mitigation for the impacts of Federal
water projects, including restoring habitat and/or providing fish and
associated technical support to compensate for lost fishing
opportunities.

**Cooperation with Native Americans**

[Native American Assistance Goal]{.underline}: Assistance is provided to
Tribes that results in the management, protection, and conservation of
fish and wildlife resources held in trust for Native American Tribes,
while an increasing number of Tribes the Service assists in developing
their own capabilities.

**Leadership in Science and Technology**

[Science and Technology Goal]{.underline}: Science developed and used by
Service employees for aquatic resource restoration and management is
state-of-the-art, sound and legally defensible, and technological
advances in fisheries science developed by Service employees are
available to partners.

**Aquatic Habitat Conservation and Management**

[Aquatic Habitat Goal]{.underline}: America=s streams, lakes, estuaries,
and wetlands are intact ecosystems that support healthy natural
communities of fish and other aquatic resources, or - where impaired -
are improving in their functional capacity due to focused, cooperative
efforts to restore the health of watersheds and aquatic habitats.

**Workforce Management**

[Workforce Management Goal]{.underline}: An adequately sized workforce,
with state-of-the-art training, equipment, and technologies in their
career fields, is maintained and supported.

The development of this strategic vision for the Service=s Fisheries
Program is part of an ongoing partnership. The next steps in the process
are to develop communication and implementation strategies, complete
with specific actions and time frames the Service will take to make this
vision a reality. These three pieces, together, will form the strategic
plan for moving the Fisheries Program forward.

**Introduction**

Since 1871, the Fisheries Program of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
(Service) has played a vital role in conserving and managing this
Nation=s aquatic resources. Over the years, the Service has been a
leader in almost every aspect of fisheries management and fish culture.
Today, the Fisheries Program is a critical partner with other Service
programs, States, Tribes, other governments, private organizations,
public institutions, and interested citizens in a larger effort to
conserve fish and other aquatic resources.

**[Status of the Nation=s Fish And Other Aquatic
Resources]{.underline}**

The Nation=s fish and other aquatic resources are among the richest and
most diverse in the world. These resources have helped support the
Nation=s growth by providing enormous ecological, social and economic
benefits. Surveys conducted by the Service show that recreational
fishing contributed \$37.8 billion annually to the American economy in
1996 alone. Economic analysis conducted independently by the American
Sportfishing Association in 1996 show that recreational fishing=s
overall economic impact to the economy was \$108.4 billion, including
1.2 million jobs and \$28.3 billion in personal income.

Despite this public support for recreational fishing, a growing number
of aquatic species are declining at an alarming rate. The number of
species protected under the *Endangered Species Act* has increased to
116 fish, including many recreational fish, 70 mussels, 21 crustaceans,
and 19 amphibians. To date, *not a single fish species has been removed
from the list through recovery actions*. One-third of the Nation=s
freshwater fish species are at risk of extinction, 72 percent of
freshwater mussels are imperiled, and the number of threatened and
endangered aquatic species has tripled in the last 20 years. Almost 400
aquatic species either have, or need, special protection in some part of
their natural or historic range.

The reasons for these declines are linked largely to habitat loss or
alteration (including flow changes, watershed modifications, and
pollution) and the impacts of invasive species. Healthy stream and
riparian habitats are critical to the sustainability of all aquatic
resources. Approximately 53 percent of the Nation=s wetlands have
disappeared and more than 80 percent of riparian habitats now have
invasive vegetation. More than 200 invasive species are wreaking havoc
in the Nation=s major aquatic systems. Native fish and other aquatic
resources are especially threatened by these invaders because of their
rapid spread through connected waterways. Since the unintentional
introduction of zebra mussels into the Great Lakes, the number of native
mussel species in the east channel of the Mississippi River near Prairie
du Chien, Wisconsin, decreased from more than 30 to only 7 species
during a 4-year period. Clearly, the Nation is at risk of losing its
diverse aquatic resources and the critically important benefits they
provide.

Biological and social scientists, government agencies, conservation
groups, and the American public are becoming increasingly concerned
about the decline of fish and other aquatic resources and the economic
impact of those declines. They point with increasing urgency to actions
that must be taken to reverse these alarming trends. Management and
conservation actions for virtually all fish and other aquatic resources
are a shared responsibility. Success in reversing the trend is usually
contingent on establishing partnerships that cut across jurisdictions
and link all stakeholders and partners.

Over time, resource objectives and Federal and State roles have shifted.
Where the Service once focused primarily on restoring and managing game
species, the conservation mission has expanded and today, includes
non-game and endangered species. These new realities led the Service to
re-examine the Fisheries Program=s existing obligations and to explore
the appropriate balance between State and Federal responsibilities.
Working collaboratively with its partners, the Service has better
defined its niche and leadership role in stemming the tide of threats to
fish and other aquatic resources across the country. To move forward,
the Service=s Fisheries Program must be solidly funded, backed by sound
science, and grounded in dynamic partnerships.

**[How This Effort Is Different]{.underline}**

In July 2001, the Sport Fishing and Boating Partnership Council (SFBPC)
was charged by the Service to convene a steering committee representing
a broad array of stakeholders in fish and aquatic resource conservation
to work with the Service during the development of a new Fisheries
Program blueprint for the future. The first product from the steering
committee was a consensus report on the recommended role that the
Fisheries Program should play in the partnership effort to conserve the
Nation=s fish and other aquatic resources. This vision for the future,
along with the earlier hatchery report from the SFBPC, ASaving a System
in Peril@, were keystone elements in the development of this Strategic
Vision, which is the first part of the Fisheries Program plan. This
document discusses where the Fisheries Program is today, where it needs
to go in the future, and why it is important to get there.

The Service is re-committing to its role as a partner in conserving
America=s fish and other aquatic resources. In some cases the Service
will lead; in others, it will facilitate or follow. In all cases, the
Service will focus its efforts and activities on what it is best
positioned to contribute based on its unique resources and capabilities,
recognizing that sound science and solid partnerships will continue to
be the key to aquatic resource stewardship.

**[The Service=s Fisheries Program]{.underline}**

The Service=s Fisheries Program consists of almost 800 employees
nationwide, located in 64 Fishery Resources Offices, including a
Conservation Genetics Laboratory, 70 National Fish Hatcheries, 9 Fish
Health Centers, and 7 Fish Technology Centers. Together, these employees
and these facilities provide a network that is unique among Federal
agencies, State and Tribal governments, and private organizations in its
broad on-the-ground geographic coverage, its array of technical and
managerial capabilities, and its ability to work across political
boundaries and take a National perspective.

This network stands out, but it does not stand alone. Its main strength
is its ability to work collaboratively with partners on almost any
issue, problem or opportunity facing the Nation's fish and other aquatic
resources. Another strength is its ability to bring unique capabilities
that individual States and Tribes often lack because of their narrower
authorities and jurisdictions. For example, the Fisheries Program's
National Fish Hatchery System, the only Federal fish hatchery system
that exists, has extensive experience culturing more than one hundred
aquatic species, including fish, mussels, plants, amphibians and
invertebrates. By sharing capabilities at National Fish Hatcheries, Fish
Technology Centers, and Fish Health Centers, Service fisheries
biologists can lead or participate in cooperative programs related to
fish health, nutrition, and water use technology. Similarly, field
biologists in Fishery Resources Offices serve a vital role in restoring,
managing, and conserving the health of nationally significant fish and
other aquatic resources and the habitats they depend on. Biologists
develop scientifically sound data and information to improve the health
of populations and their habitats, diagnose problems, prescribe
solutions, and coordinate diverse efforts. The broad geographic
responsibilities of these biologists often enable them to reach across
State and Tribal boundaries, as well as agency jurisdictions, to craft
coalitions, partnerships and solutions.

**[Our Commitment]{.underline}**

The Fisheries Program is committed to working with our partners and
stakeholders to:

-   *Protect* the health of our aquatic habitats

-   *Restore* fish and other aquatic resources

-   Provide opportunities to *enjoy* the many benefits of healthy
    aquatic resources.

**[Making Decisions and Setting Priorities]{.underline}**

The Fisheries Program must embrace a balanced approach toward fish and
aquatic resource stewardship that recognizes the need to protect,
restore and recover natural aquatic systems, and at the same time
ensures that those systems provide opportunities for fishing and other
outdoor activities.

The Fisheries Program will use five criteria to decide what fishery
activities, opportunities, and issues to address. The criteria are based
on the identification of a Federal role and a determination of whether
or not the Service is the appropriate Federal agency. The Fisheries
Program will evaluate proposed and potential actions against these
criteria, and involve partners and stakeholders in these evaluations.
The Service will weigh:

-   The strength of Federal authority and responsibility directly tied
    to the actions being considered;

-   The extent to which the actions being considered complement efforts
    of others in the fisheries and aquatic resource conservation
    community;

-   The likelihood that the actions being considered will be highly
    successful in producing measurable resource results;

-   The likelihood that the actions being considered will be highly
    successful in producing significant economic or social benefits; and

-   The likelihood that the current Administration, Congress and
    fisheries community will be highly supportive of the proposed
    actions.

The crisis facing the Nation=s fish and aquatic resources demands the
attention of Federal, State, and Tribal resource management agencies,
conservation and environmental organizations, and the American public.
With the help of partners and stakeholders, the Service=s Fisheries
Program has identified six priority areas where it can and should make a
difference. The goals and objectives in this strategic vision include
reaffirming some current activities, refocusing others, and starting new
ones. The scope and speed with which this strategic vision can be fully
implemented will depend on the support and resources available to the
Fisheries Program.

**Goals and Objectives**

The Service will strengthen and revitalize its Fisheries Program and
re-commit itself to partnership efforts to conserve the Nation=s fish
and other aquatic resources, focusing on six areas: Aquatic Species
Conservation and Management, Public Use, Cooperation with Native
Americans, Leadership in Science and Technology, Aquatic Habitat
Conservation and Management, and Workforce Management. For each of the
six areas, goals and objectives have been identified to address high
priority areas.

**[1. Aquatic Species Conservation and Management]{.underline}**

The Fisheries Program maintains and implements a comprehensive set of
tools and activities to reverse or eliminate threats to native fish and
other aquatic resources. These tools and activities are linked to
management and recovery plans that help achieve restoration and recovery
goals, provide recreational benefits, and address Federal trust
responsibilities. Sound science, effective partnerships, and careful
planning and evaluation are integral to conservation and management
efforts. Goals and objectives were developed to direct Fisheries Program
efforts for Native Species, Aquatic Nuisance Species, and
Interjurisdictional Fisheries.

**Native Species**

Native species, with respect to a particular ecosystem, include species
that, other than as a result of an intentional introduction, have always
been there or arrived via Anon-man caused@ introduction (natural
migration). Habitat degradation and the spread of aquatic nuisance
species are causing many native species populations to decline. One
hundred sixteen species of fish, 19 species of amphibians, 70 species of
mussels, and 21 species of crustaceans are listed as threatened or
endangered under the *Endangered Species Act*. Many other unlisted
species are also in decline.

**[Native Species Goal]{.underline}: Self-sustaining populations of
native fish and other aquatic resources that provide opportunities for
the American public and fill the biological role needed to maintain the
health of the Nation=s waters.** The Fisheries Program will conserve
native fish and other aquatic resources, focusing on the following
areas:

*[Objective 1.1]{.underline}*: Recover fish and other aquatic resource
populations protected under the *Endangered Species Act*.

> The Fisheries Program will take a more active role in planning and
> implementing actions to help recover threatened and endangered aquatic
> species, such as developing rearing technologies and providing
> refugia, while restoring aquatic habitats.

*[Objective 1.2]{.underline}*: Restore declining fish and other aquatic
resource populations before they require listing under the *Endangered
Species Act*.

> The Fisheries Program will increase its support and assistance in
> stopping and reversing declines of native fish and other aquatic
> resources, including restoring fish passage and rebuilding
> populations.

*[Objective 1.3]{.underline}*: Maintain healthy, diverse fish and other
aquatic populations.

> The Fisheries Program will increase its participation in efforts to
> ensure that habitats and native biological communities remain intact
> and functional.

**Aquatic Nuisance Species**

Aquatic nuisance species, also known as invasive species, cause
environmental and economic harm or harm to human health. These species
threaten the diversity of native fish and other aquatic resources and
opportunities to use or enjoy those resources. More than 20 Federal
agencies are involved with preventing and controlling invasive species,
in cooperation with States, Tribes, private industry, and others.

**[Aquatic Nuisance Species Goal]{.underline}: Aquatic nuisance species
no longer threaten the diversity or abundance of fish and other aquatic
resources or interfere with recreational and commercial activities.**
The Fisheries Program will prevent and reduce the establishment and
spread of aquatic nuisance species, focusing on the following areas:

*[Objective 1.4]{.underline}*: Prevent new introductions of aquatic
nuisance species.

> The Fisheries Program will increase its leadership role in
> collaborative efforts to implement activities and programs that
> prevent the establishment of aquatic nuisance species.

*[Objective 1.5]{.underline}*: Minimize range expansion and population
growth of established aquatic nuisance species.

> The Fisheries Program will expand its facilitation role in partnership
> efforts to develop methods and conduct programs designed to prevent
> the spread of aquatic nuisance species to new locations and limit
> growth of established populations.

*[Objective 1.6]{.underline}*: Eradicate existing aquatic nuisance
species.

> The Fisheries Program will increase its partnership efforts to
> eradicate aquatic nuisance species.

**Interjurisdictional Fisheries**

Interjurisdictional fisheries are freshwater, coastal, or marine fish
populations managed by two or more states, nations, or tribal
governments because of their geographic distribution or migratory
patterns. Responsibility for managing interjurisdictional fisheries in
the United States is assigned by many laws, treaties, and court orders,
but follows no single model. By definition, interjurisdictional
fisheries management is a collaborative processes involving State,
Tribal and Federal governments. Generally, States allocate harvest
between recreational and commercial fishing interests.

**[Interjurisdictional Fisheries Goal]{.underline}: Populations of
interjurisdictional fisheries are managed at self-sustaining levels.**
The Fisheries Program will support, facilitate and/or lead collaborative
approaches to conserve, and where necessary restore, sustainable
interjurisdictional fisheries, focusing on the following areas:

*[Objective 1.7]{.underline}*: Co-manage interjurisdictional fisheries.

> The Fisheries Program will increase its participation and assistance
> with other Federal, State, and Tribal interjurisdictional fishery
> management efforts, including commercial and subsistence fisheries
> management, in riverine, coastal, and marine ecosystems.

*[Objective 1.8]{.underline}*: Support, facilitate, and/or lead
collaborative approaches.

> The Fisheries Program will increase its responsiveness to stakeholder
> requests to develop collaborative fishery and watershed management
> plans; collect and share scientific information and data, and provide
> analyses for management and planning activities; monitor and assess
> the status of fish populations and their response to management
> activities, and provide fish required under fishery management plans.

**[2. Public Use]{.underline}**

As the population in the United States continues to grow, so will
impacts on fish and other aquatic resources, including habitat. At the
same time, demands for quality recreational fishing experiences will
increase. The Service has a long tradition of providing opportunities
for public enjoyment of aquatic resources through recreational fishing,
habitat restoration, and education programs and through mitigating
impacts of Federal water projects. Goals and objectives for Fisheries
Program activities related to Recreational Fishing and Mitigation
Fisheries were developed.

**Recreational Fishing**

Nation-wide, more than 35 million recreational anglers spent \$37
billion and created \$108 billion in economic output in 1996. In 2001,
at least 268 out of 538 National Wildlife Refuges offered recreational
fishing and hosted almost 6.4 million fishing visits in 2000. The
economic value of recreational fishing at many Refuges is significant.
For example, recreational fishing at Crab Orchard National Wildlife
Refuge in Illinois generated \$4.4 million, Chincoteague National
Wildlife Refuge \$2.3 million and Eufaula National Wildlife Refuge \$4.0
million.

**[Recreational Fishing Goal]{.underline}: Quality opportunities for
recreational fishing and other enjoyment of aquatic resources exist on
Service and military lands and on other waters where the Service has a
role.** The Fisheries Program will focus its efforts to achieve this
goal on the following areas:

*[Objective 2.1]{.underline}*: Enhance recreational fishing
opportunities on Service lands.

> The Fisheries Program will increase its work with National Wildlife
> Refuges and National Fish Hatcheries to enhance fishing opportunities
> for the public on Service lands. Activities will focus on restoring
> aquatic habitats, developing and implementing fishery management
> plans, and increasing access for recreational fishing opportunities.

*[Objective 2.2]{.underline}*: Provide fish to support recreational
fishing and aquatic educational outreach programs.

> The Fisheries Program will continue to provide fish and technical
> assistance in support of recreational fishing and aquatic outreach
> activities.

*[Objective 2.3]{.underline}*: Balance the needs of recreational anglers
with other Service responsibilities.

> The Fisheries Program will continue its efforts to balance the
> conservation of fish and other aquatic resources with increased
> fishing opportunities.

**Mitigation Fisheries**

When Federal locks and dams were constructed, Congress and the Federal
government committed to mitigate impacts on recreational, commercial,
and tribal fisheries. Mitigation activities include habitat improvement,
native species recovery, and stocking native and non-native fish. Over
the years, Congress provided funds and directed the Service to construct
and operate hatcheries to provide fish to help mitigate fishery losses.
These mitigation hatchery programs are a legitimate use of the National
Fish Hatchery System; the current challenge is to delineate agency
mitigation responsibilities and related funding mechanisms.

**[Mitigation Goal]{.underline}: The Federal government meets its
responsibilities for providing mitigation for the impacts of Federal
water projects, including restoring habitat and/or providing fish and
associated technical support to compensate for lost fishing
opportunities.** The Service will work with other Federal agencies,
States, and Tribes to meet mitigation responsibilities, with a focus on
the following areas:

*[Objective 2.4]{.underline}*: Identify the mitigation responsibilities
of Federal agencies for Federal water projects.

> The Fisheries Program will work vigorously with the Administration and
> Congress to identify and clarify Federal agency mitigation
> responsibilities for Federally-funded water projects.

*[Objective 2.5]{.underline}*: Recover 100 percent of cost for
mitigation activities associated with hatchery production and stocking
from the water project sponsor.

> The Fisheries Program will identify the full cost of its mitigation
> activities and increase efforts to pursue cost recovery from the
> appropriate Federal agencies, involving the Administration and
> Congress in these efforts. Where full cost recovery in unobtainable,
> the Service will work with States and other partners, as well as the
> Administration and Congress, to identify other means of maintaining
> the mitigation activities.

*[Objective 2.6]{.underline}*: Meet the Service=s responsibilities for
mitigating fisheries at Federally-funded water projects.

> The Fisheries Program will continue to provide both technical
> assistance to plan and implement habitat restoration and fish passage
> and fish to help offset lost fishing opportunities and effects on
> aquatic habitat when directed by Congress or reimbursed by project
> beneficiaries or sponsors.

**[3. Cooperation with Native Americans]{.underline}**

Conservation of this Nation=s fish and other aquatic resources cannot be
successful without the partnership of Tribes; they manage or influence
some of the most important aquatic habitats both on and off
reservations. In addition, the Federal government and the Service have
distinct and unique obligations toward Tribes based on trust
responsibility, treaty provisions, and statutory mandates. The Fisheries
Program plays an important role in providing help and support to Tribes
as they exercise their sovereignty in the management of their fish and
wildlife resources on more than 55 million acres of Federal Indian trust
land.

**[Native American Assistance Goal]{.underline}: Assistance is provided
to Tribes that results in the management, protection, and conservation
of fish and wildlife resources held in trust for Native American Tribes,
while an increasing number of Tribes the Service assists in developing
their own capabilities.** The Fisheries Program will focus its efforts
on the following areas:

*[Objective 3.1]{.underline}*: Provide technical assistance to Tribes.

> The Fisheries Program will continue to provide technical assistance to
> Tribes, as requested, and work with the Tribes and other entities to
> identify ways to off-set the costs to Tribes for enhancing those
> activities. Emphasis will be increased on assistance in training,
> developing management plans, ensuring fish health, hatchery operation
> procedures, and the development of Tribal technical expertise in fish
> and wildlife conservation and management.

*[Objective 3.2]{.underline}*: Identify sources of funds to enhance
Tribal resource management**.**

> The Fisheries Program will increase its efforts to work with Tribes
> and other stakeholders to identify sources of funds that can be used
> to enhance Tribal resource management infrastructures or for
> particular partnerships or initiatives involving Tribes.

**[4. Leadership in Science and Technology]{.underline}**

Science and technology form the foundation of successful fish and
aquatic resource conservation and are used to structure and implement
monitoring and evaluation programs that are critical to determine the
success of management actions. Over the last decade, the Service has
experienced a reduction in its ability to develop, apply, and
disseminate new science and technology, which has negatively affected
both the Fisheries Program and its partners.

**[Science and Technology Goal]{.underline}: Science developed and used
by Service employees for aquatic resource restoration and management is
state-of-the-art, sound and legally defensible, and technological
advances in fisheries science developed by Service employees are
available to partners.** The Fisheries Program will develop, apply, and
disseminate state-of-the-art science and technology to conserve and
manage fish and other aquatic resources, focusing on the following
areas:

*[Objective 4.1]{.underline}*: Utilize appropriate scientific and
technologic tools in formulating and executing fishery management plans
and policies.

> The Fisheries Program will increase its efforts to identify, revise,
> and update tools as necessary to support the management and
> conservation of sustainable fisheries.

*[Objective 4.2]{.underline}*: Develop and share scientific and
technologic tools with partners and stakeholders.

> The Fisheries Program will continue to develop science and technology
> at its Fish Technology Centers, Fish Health Centers, and Fishery
> Resources Offices, including its Conservation Genetics Laboratory, and
> share those capabilities in order to provide a platform for
> cooperative programs that are beyond the scope of individual States
> and Tribes.

*[Objective 4.3]{.underline}*: Ensure a scientifically-trained and
effective workforce.

> The Fisheries Program will increase training and resources available
> to its workforce to ensure access to state-of-the-art scientific
> methodologies.

**[5. Aquatic Habitat Conservation and Management]{.underline}**

Loss and alteration of aquatic habitats are principal factors in the
decline of native fish and other aquatic resources and the loss of
biodiversity. Seventy percent of the Nation=s rivers have altered flows,
and 50 percent of waterways fail to meet minimum biological criteria.

**[Aquatic Habitat Goal]{.underline}: America=s streams, lakes,
estuaries, and wetlands are intact ecosystems that support healthy
natural communities of fish and other aquatic resources, or - where
impaired - are improving in their functional capacity due to focused,
cooperative efforts to restore the health of watersheds and aquatic
habitats.** The Fisheries Program will collaborate with partners to
conserve and restore habitats for fish and other aquatic resources,
focusing on the following areas:

*[Objective 5.1]{.underline}*: Facilitate management of aquatic habitats
on a landscape scale.

> The Fisheries Program will start work with Federal, State, Tribal, and
> other partners to explore the benefits of a National Aquatic Habitat
> Plan and the appropriate Service role in its development and
> implementation.

*[Objective 5.2]{.underline}*: Expand the use of fisheries expertise to
avoid, minimize or mitigate impacts of development on fish and other
aquatic species.

> The Fisheries Program will increase the involvement of its employees
> in Service activities to address issues and threats related to
> hydropower re-licensing and wetlands development.

*[Objective 5.3]{.underline}*: Species management plans include habitat
conservation components.

> The Fisheries Program will increase its work with partners to ensure
> that all plans to manage, restore, or recover aquatic species include
> habitat conservation as an integral component.

*[Objective 5.4]{.underline}*: Increase the quantity and improve the
quality of aquatic and riparian habitat on Service lands.

> The Fisheries Program will expand the involvement of its employees in
> identifying and implementing opportunities to increase the quantity
> and improve the quality of aquatic and riparian habitats on Service
> lands.

*[Objective 5.5]{.underline}*: Increase the quantity and improve the
quality of aquatic and riparian habitat on private, Tribal, State, and
other Federal lands.

> The Fisheries Program will increase its efforts to facilitate or lead
> collaborative efforts to identify and help protect and restore
> priority aquatic habitats.

**[6. Workforce Management]{.underline}**

The Fisheries Program relies on a broad range of professionals to
accomplish its mission: biologists, managers, administrators, clerks,
animal caretakers, and maintenance workers. Without their skills and
dedication, the Fisheries Program cannot succeed. Employees must be
trained, equipped and supported in order to perform their jobs safely,
often under demanding environmental conditions, and to keep current with
the constantly expanding science of fish and aquatic resource management
and conservation.

**[Workforce Management Goal]{.underline}: An adequately-sized and
strategically positioned workforce with state-of-the-art training,
equipment, and technologies in their career fields is maintained and
supported.** The Fisheries Program will recruit, support, and position
an effective and motivated workforce and infrastructure capable of
meeting the expectations of employees and partners in fish and other
aquatic resource conservation, focusing on the following areas:

*[Objective 6.1]{.underline}*: Ensure that Fisheries Program field
stations are staffed at levels adequate to effectively meet the
expectations of managers and partners in fish and other aquatic resource
conservation.

> The Fisheries Program will analyze positions and organizational
> structures at all Fisheries Field Stations, identify the critical
> staff and functions needed to support various types and sizes of
> hatcheries and Fishery Resources Offices, and fill critical vacancies
> or gaps in the workforce with well qualified individuals.

*[Objective 6.2]{.underline}*: Ensure that employees are provided with
opportunities to maintain competencies in the expanding knowledge and
technologies needed to improve opportunities for professional
achievement, advancement and recognition.

> The Fisheries Program will identify training and developmental
> learning opportunities both inside and outside the Service for all
> skills utilized, as well as preparing staff for future leadership
> positions.

*[Objective 6.3]{.underline}*: Ensure that employees have access to
facilities and equipment needed to effectively and efficiently perform
their jobs.

> The Fisheries Program will provide its employees with state-of-the-art
> biotechnology, computers, and maintenance and safety equipment and
> with uniforms that are comfortable, appealing, and suitable for the
> various work environments.

**Next Steps**

The development of this strategic vision for the Service=s Fisheries
Program is part of an ongoing collaborative partnership. The next steps
in the process are to develop communication and implementation
strategies, complete with specific actions and time frames the Service
will take to make this vision a reality. These three pieces, together,
will form the strategic plan for moving the Fisheries Program forward.

The Service recognizes that its employees and the resources available to
them to do their job are the fundamentals required to implement this
Strategic Vision. Unfilled positions, flat and eroding budgets and
increasing maintenance backlogs are only some of the challenges that the
Fisheries Program is currently facing. Meeting these challenges is
fundamental to implementing this strategic vision.