The goal of this project is to augment state and regional programs that conserve, manage, and develop marine recreational fisheries on the pacific coast

This $200,000 Formula Grant award from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service under the Sport Fish Restoration (CFDA 15.605) program will support the Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission's (PSMFC) efforts to augment state and regional programs that conserve, manage, and develop marine recreational fisheries on the Pacific Coast in 2025.

The key activities to be funded include: 1) Supporting the Fish Habitat Program to protect and restore freshwater, estuarine, and marine habitats important for the region's sport fish species, as well as promote habitat conservation through partnerships and policy improvements; 2) Undertaking a regionally coordinated Aquatic Nuisance Species (ANS) prevention program, including attending outdoor shows, producing an AIS newsletter, administering the European Green Crab database, and coordinating ANS activities with state/federal agencies; and 3) Supporting the Regional Coastal Cutthroat Trout Data Project and planning for the 2026 CCT Symposium. The grant will be active from January 1, 2025 through June 30, 2026.

Psmfc will accomplish this in 2025 by supporting: 1) the fish habitat program will work in 2025 to support protecting and restoring freshwater, estuarine, and marine habitats important for the regions sport fish species. IT will alsosupport habitat conservation through partnerships and promote improvements in habitat policy. The project will support the goals and missions of the national fish habitat partnership and its mission to restore and enhance the nations fish and aquatic communitiesthrough partnerships that foster fish habitat conservation and improve the quality of life for the american people. This includes supporting and collaborating with the fish habitat partnerships (fhps) within psmfcs region, including the pacific marine estuarine fishhabitat partnership (pmep), california fish passage forum (cfpf), pacific lamprey conservation initiative (plci), southeast alaska fish habitat partnership (seakfhp), southwest alaska salmon partnership (swak), matsu salmon habitat partnership (matsu), kenai peninsula fish habitat partnership (kpfhp), and hawaii fish habitat partnership (hfhp), and western native trout initiative (wnti). 2) undertaking a regionally coordinated aquatic nuisance species (ANS) prevention program for the west coast including attending fishing and outdoor shows with our ANS display, production of our BI-monthly AIS newsletter, administering the european green crab database, and coordinating ANS activities with state and federal natural resource agencies through the CRB AIS team, pbwg and EGC technical committee. 3) support the regional coastal cutthroat trout data project and the planning for the 2026 CCT symposium.