The gila river basin native fishes conservation program (grbnfcp) was established for the purpose of conserving native fishes and diminishing threats from nonnative fishes in the gila river basin

The Bureau of Reclamation awarded a Cooperative Agreement valued at $109,418.76 to the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish (NMDGF) under the Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act (CFDA 15.517) program, effective June 30, 2025, through June 30, 2030. This award supports the Gila River Basin Native Fishes Conservation Program (GRBNFCP), a collaborative initiative led by NMDGF in partnership with the Gila National Forest and the Fish and Wildlife Service. The program is designed to conserve native fish species and mitigate threats posed by nonnative fishes within the Gila River Basin in New Mexico.

Under this agreement, NMDGF will implement two principal conservation strategies: native fish repatriation and nonnative fish control and eradication. These activities align with the Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act program's mandate to improve fish and wildlife habitat associated with water systems affected by Bureau of Reclamation projects. The cooperative structure allows NMDGF to leverage state expertise and resources alongside federal partners to achieve ecosystem restoration and species conservation objectives within the basin.

The new mexico department of game and fish (nmdgf), in cooperation with the gila national forest and the fish and wildlife service, leads the implementation of many grbnfcp tasks within the gila river basin in new mexico. In general, the nmdgfs native fish conservation efforts can be divided into two main tasks: 1) native fish repatriation and, 2) nonnative fish control and eradication.