This grant supports the coordination and operations of the ebtjv

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, through the National Fish Habitat Partnership (NFHP) program (CFDA 15.686), awarded $110,310.54 to the Wildlife Management Institute, Incorporated for coordination and operational support of the Eastern Brook Trout Joint Venture (EBTJV). The award, effective September 1, 2025, through March 31, 2027, funds the coordination infrastructure necessary to identify high-impact conservation projects, align them with available funding opportunities, and facilitate successful implementation across the EBTJV's 17-state footprint. This coordination work leverages National Fish Habitat Partnership resources alongside federal, state, and private funding to generate on-the-ground conservation results.

The grant supports critical coordination activities focused on addressing the root causes of brook trout population decline while improving public access, expanding stream miles occupied by brook trout, and enhancing recreational fishing opportunities. By prioritizing habitat restoration projects that restore clean, cold, and connected water conditions for brook trout, the EBTJV coordination efforts generate cascading benefits including improved water quality and infrastructure for downstream communities. The funded coordination also facilitates local economic activity through habitat restoration work that supports regional contractors, equipment rental, and labor across eligible applicant organizations within the EBTJV footprint.

This coordination ensures high-impact conservation projects are identified, aligned with funding opportunities, and successfully implementedleveraging nfhp and other federal, state, and private resources to generate meaningful on-the-ground results. Coordination is critical to ensure the generation and prioritization of projects that will address the root cause of decline of brook trout, improve public access, expand stream miles occupied by brook trout, and boost recreational fishing opportunities. Because brook trout require clean, cold, and connected water, projects to restore conditions for brook trout also benefit the water quality and infrastructure of downstream communities. Furthermore, habitat restoration funds typically support local contractors, equipment rental, and labor. Applicants in all 17 states in the ebtjv footprint are eligible for nfhp-ebtjv funding.