Menhaden Management Board to Continue Exploring Chesapeake Bay Management Changes

May 13, 2025

Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission board agrees to continue with plans toward further precautionary management of Bay’s menhaden fishery

On May 7, after discussing a memo which detailed potential management approaches to improve the precautionary management of Chesapeake Bay’s menhaden fishery, the Menhaden Management Board (MMB) of the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission agreed to continue gathering information in order to take better-informed management action in the future.

Each board member was essentially tasked with coming up with questions and possible tasks to be investigated by a technical committee – state scientists appointed by the board to address scientific needs and provide a range of risk assessments, justifications, and likely outcomes of different management options – to be discussed at the next ASMFC meeting in August. What this means is that the detailed memo developed by a dedicated MMB work group is moving forward, and that the board will have more time this summer to delve into details of the data and the merits of each management approach, to ensure they provide the technical committee with a more thoughtful plan of action for analysis.

Foreign-owned Omega Protein removes millions of pounds of menhaden annually from Bay waters. Credit: CosmoVision Media

Last August, the MMB created a work group to “consider and evaluate options for further precautionary management of Chesapeake Bay menhaden fisheries, including time and area closures to be protective of piscivorous birds and fish during critical points of their life cycle.” The work group included MMB members representing eight states: Massachusetts, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, and Georgia. Since that time, the work group gathered as much data as possible, ranging from osprey and finfish predator diet data to monthly fishing effort data, to develop a memo that illustrates potential management approaches to address their charge. These potential approaches include seasonal closures, area closures, fishing effort distribution controls, and decreases to the current Chesapeake Bay Reduction Fishery Cap, all of which could be utilized individually or in combination to manage the Bay’s menhaden fishery more effectively.

Over three-quarters of the coastwide Atlantic menhaden quota is taken from Virginia’s waters and adjacent federal waters.

For many years, the public has been sounding the alarm about the outsized impacts of the menhaden reduction fishery on the Chesapeake Bay’s menhaden population during the commercial fishing season. While Atlantic menhaden are a migratory species that move up and down the coast throughout the year, the Bay contributes a majority of the Atlantic coastwide stock. So it’s no surprise that a myriad of Atlantic predators are reliant on menhaden as a food source in the Bay, from beloved striped bass (70 to 90 percent of which originate from Chesapeake Bay) to the iconic osprey, which has been suffering with remarkable breeding failures in the lower Bay over the last few years.

The osprey issue was the primary impetus for the MMB to create the work group last year, because data indicated that a lack of food availability during chick-rearing season – most importantly, nutrient-dense menhaden, as highlighted by researchers – was causing widespread osprey nest failure in various areas of the Chesapeake, most notably Mobjack Bay. While the reduction fleet doesn’t fish much inside Mobjack Bay itself, it’s widely known that menhaden schools move constantly throughout that bay, the Chesapeake Bay, and beyond, and the harvest of entire schools in one area could mean that an entire potential food source is taken away from predators in not only that same area, but also from predators in other areas where harvested menhaden could have migrated.

Chesapeake Bay menhaden are a critical food source for ospreys and striped bass. Credit: Chesapeake Bay Program

Naturally, dealing with ever-moving fish stocks and ever-changing environmental conditions is a huge undertaking for fisheries managers, as we see all the time at the ASMFC and the regional fishery management councils. Thanks to public advocacy and the commission’s dedication to the resource, we have a robust, ecosystem-based management framework in place for Atlantic menhaden, which allows regulators to more effectively manage menhaden for their comprehensive ecosystem role to create a more sustainable coastwide fishery.

Unfortunately, what we still don’t have are data specific to menhaden within the Chesapeake Bay. This essentially creates a gap between the ecosystem models and the reality on the water, because the management framework can’t “see” how the Chesapeake Bay menhaden harvest is impacting the Bay ecosystem. When nearly a quarter of the coastwide quota is taken from Virginia’s portion of Chesapeake Bay, and over three-quarters are taken from Virginia state waters and adjacent federal waters, those impacts could be massive to the region.

The largest fishery by volume in the Chesapeake Bay, in Virginia, and along the Atlantic coast operates with no data on the amount of menhaden present within the primary area of harvest.

For the last few years, TRCP, our partners, and the public have been trying to answer important questions about the Bay’s menhaden, primarily by supporting a study plan developed by the Virginia Institute of Marine Science, in partnership with the reduction industry itself, as well as the recreational angling and conservation communities. The Virginia General Assembly has failed to fund this work multiple times in the past few years, mainly due to industry opposition. If that research were to be funded, Virginia managers and the ASMFC would finally have much more information at their fingertips to make informed decisions about how to manage this fishery more effectively.

The only menhaden processing plant still operating on the East Coast is Omega Protein’s facility in Reedville, VA. Credit: CosmoVision Media

It frankly makes no sense that the largest fishery by volume in the Chesapeake Bay, in Virginia, and along the Atlantic coast operates with no data on the amount of menhaden present within the primary area of harvest. Especially when we know the outsized role that menhaden play in the diets of so many iconic Atlantic predators.

While the TRCP and partners continue to engage in advocacy to gather more Chesapeake Bay menhaden science, we are thankful to have the broad support of so many who also want to see improved menhaden science. Over the winter, we gathered more than 24,000 of your signatures in support of better menhaden science in the Bay, listened to your concerns, and are confident that with continued, strong advocacy, decision-makers at the state and regional levels will hear what we have to say and act. After this week’s MMB meeting, it’s clear that the ASMFC is already on board with improving the management of Chesapeake Bay’s menhaden fishery, and that to do so will take serious consideration of all the factors involved to solve this complex problem. We are encouraged by the board’s enthusiasm for the work group’s memo, and their clear desire to move forward with thoughtful action.

Stay tuned for the summer ASMFC meeting August 5-7 to see what the Menhaden Management Board determines it wants from its technical committee, and rest assured, the TRCP and partners will be collaborating during this time to be a part of the solution.

Banner image of menhaden purse boats courtesy CosmoVision Media; menhaden school image above courtesy Gaelin Rosenwaks

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by: Ryan Lockwood

posted in: Menhaden

May 1, 2025

In the Arena: Capt. John McMurray

TRCP’s “In the Arena” series highlights the individual voices of hunters and anglers who, as Theodore Roosevelt so famously said, strive valiantly in the worthy cause of conservation.

John McMurray

Hometown: Oceanside, New York
Occupation: Fishing guide/charter boat captain
Conservation credentials: McMurray has been the executive director of the Coastal Conservation Association New York and director of grant programs at the Norcross Wildlife Foundation. He was also a legislative proxy for the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission and served for a decade as New York’s recreational representative on the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council.

Capt. John McMurray hails as a renowned big tuna and striped bass charter captain based on Long Island, New York. The hard-charging captain has been the owner and primary operator of One More Cast Charters, Inc. for more than twenty years, where he charters trips far offshore on seaworthy Contenders and inshore on smaller skiffs. McMurray has been a leader with the New York arm of the Coastal Conservation Association and a long-time advocate for menhaden conservation. He’s also served in the U.S. Coast Guard as a coxswain and law enforcement officer, and for 16 years served as the director of grant programs at the Norcross Wildlife Foundation, which distributed over $20 million in grants that largely targeted the protection of marine fish and habitat. Driven to fish hard for his clients without respite during major runs, he’s out on the water almost every day of the season, rain or shine – including a running timeslot every other Sunday he sets aside to take his son and his friends fishing on what he refers to as “Bro-day.”

McMurray is an oft-published outdoor writer, who currently blogs for the Marine Fish Conservation Network and has had feature articles/photography published in On The Water, Saltwater Fly Fishing, and The New York Times. A decade ago he penned a weekly conservation blog for TRCP.

Here is his story.

No one ever really introduced me to the outdoors. I didn’t really come from an outdoorsy family. Just kinda got into it myself. There was a local pond we’d go to in northern Virginia. I started out with bluegills, graduated to catfish, then largemouths in the Potomac. I later enlisted in the Coast Guard, which brought me to New York, where I discovered striped bass and became a full-on addict. Eventually I got into tuna fishing. At that point fishing kinda became my life.

I guess my most memorable outdoor adventure was at that local pond, there was a “giant” catfish (I’m sure it was probably more than one) that would break people off, stole at least one “dead-sticked” rod. No one could ever land it. Eventually, one year (I think I was 9) I stuck it, did a lap around the pond while a small crowd gathered as I landed it. It was not “big” really, maybe 10 lbs., but back then? It was HUGE! I was an instant legend (in my own mind anyway).

If I could fish anywhere in the world, honestly, it would be Long Island, New York, man. Believe it or not, we’ve got one of THE best fisheries in the world. Incredibly abundant striped bass populations. The sight/flats fishing is GREAT in the spring and the fall blitz fishery is Nat Geo-type stuff. We’ve also got an extraordinary giant tuna fishery within sight of land. Mid-shore the recreational size bluefin fishery is awesome too. Fish in the 150, even 200 lb.-range can be caught on spin gear! Offshore? We’ve got an insane yellowfin tuna fishery. We get 100 lb. fish on poppers regularly.

Conservation enhances what I do because it creates abundance, and abundance equals opportunity. The main conservation challenge off of Long Island is that A LOT of our fisheries revolve around menhaden aggregations. We get the menhaden schools, we get predators. Every year though, the large-scale processors in Virginia sail purse-seine boats and fly spotter planes up here. They sit right off the 3-mile line and rake up hundreds of thousands of pounds of menhaden, effectively shutting down bluefin and striped bass runs. It REALLY sucks.

“If we deplete forage fish stocks, those predator fish ain’t coming around.“

I’m involved in conservation efforts out of enlightened self-interest. I need there to be an abundance of both predators and forage fish around to be successful at the catching part. My business emphasizes the experience fishing brings rather than just filling coolers. So a fish in the water is WAY more beneficial than a dead one on the dock. It’s not really how many I can kill that’s important, but how many we can catch.

It’s obvious to me why conservation should matter to our next generation of anglers. We kill too many predator fish now, there won’t be any left for my kids. If we deplete forage fish stocks, those predator fish ain’t coming around. For me, or for future generations.

All images credit John McMurray

by: Ryan Lockwood

posted in: Menhaden

February 20, 2025

Critical Menhaden Science Funding Falls Short Again in Virginia

Recreational angling, boating, and conservation community disappointed that state legislative efforts to fund menhaden science in the Chesapeake Bay failed in session

(RICHMOND, Va.)— During the 2025 legislative session, Virginia lawmakers again failed to approve multiple efforts from both sides of the aisle to provide funding for the Virginia Institute of Marine Science to complete a three-year study of the ecology, fishery impacts, and economic importance of the menhaden population in the waters of the Commonwealth. Three separate efforts to fund the research through the state budget, for which the conference report was released by legislators this week, were squashed in this year’s session. The efforts were opposed by Omega Protein, the only reduction fishing company operating in Virginia.

Delegate Paul Milde (R-64) first introduced House Bill 2713, which would have directed the Virginia Marine Resources Commission, in collaboration with VIMS, to conduct the menhaden study. In addition, an amendment to the state’s biennial budget, falling under HB 1600 as Item 148 #4h, sought to earmark funding separately for the same study. Both efforts were stopped in the House without a hearing. A third effort, spearheaded by Delegate Betsy Carr (D-78), which would have provided the first year of funding for the study directly to VIMS as a “research collaboration,” was removed during final budget negotiations with the Senate.

Atlantic menhaden, the target of Virginia’s largest commercial fishery, are a small, schooling fish harvested to be turned into fishmeal and fish oil products through a process known as “reduction” fishing. Due to their high oil content, menhaden – also called bunker – serve as the base of the marine food chain in Virginia, feeding iconic predators like striped bass, bluefish, and ospreys, especially inside the Chesapeake Bay. Currently, there is little data available related to how many menhaden are within the Bay throughout the year, or how reduction fishing affects the Bay’s fragile ecosystem.

“Although Atlantic menhaden are managed on a coastwide basis, there remains a lack of specific data related to how many menhaden are present within the Chesapeake Bay itself and the effects of removing them through large-scale industrial harvest,” said Chris Macaluso, director of the Center for Marine Fisheries for the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership. “We greatly appreciate the efforts of Delegates Milde and Carr for trying to help fish and wildlife managers at the state and regional level. Unfortunately, other Virginia lawmakers weren’t willing to support those efforts again this year, but recreational fishing advocates and a wide range of fisheries conservationists remain strongly committed to pushing for the science needed to properly manage the fisheries in Chesapeake Bay.”

Representatives from Omega Protein, Virginia’s lone menhaden reduction harvester and a subsidiary of Canadian-owned Cooke Seafood, initially supported and participated in the development of the unfunded VIMS study in summer 2023. However, during the 2024 legislative session, they opposed a bill similar to the one introduced this session.

Omega representatives also stalled efforts by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission in 2021 to conduct research on the impacts of menhaden reduction fishing in Chesapeake Bay by not sharing their harvest data with fisheries managers.

“This is not just bad news for fishermen, but bad news for a Chesapeake Bay ecosystem that continues to scream warnings about menhaden,” said Chris Moore, Virginia executive director, Chesapeake Bay Foundation. “For years, we’ve lacked the baseline knowledge we need to establish robust and lasting sustainability for menhaden in the Chesapeake Bay. Unfortunately, only one foreign-owned entity continues to stand in the way of good science and that is Omega Protein, the largest harvester of menhaden on the Atlantic Coast.”

A coalition of 17 national and regional recreational angling, boating, and conservation groups signed a letter in support of this year’s legislative efforts. In addition, more than 24,000 Virginians and other conservationists concerned with Chesapeake fisheries have recently signed a petition by TRCP and CBF, asking Virginia decision-makers to support and protect the Chesapeake Bay and recreational fishing opportunities by funding the science necessary to manage this critical fish.

“It’s very concerning that our lawmakers are listening to lobbyists and prioritizing the profits of the Canadian menhaden industry over the health of the Chesapeake Bay,” said Steve Atkinson, chairman, Virginia Saltwater Sportfishing Association.

“Restoring authority to manage the Bay’s menhaden fishery to qualified fisheries managers was finally achieved after years of effort by Virginia’s conservation community. In order to execute the recovery of this keystone species, a robust study of the fishery’s populations is both critical and necessary,” said Pat Calvert, director, Water & Land Conservation Programs, Virginia Conservation Network. “This opportunity is not promised in the future.”

“I am not surprised that the few who benefit from the current management plans don’t want a study like this to be completed,” said Brett Fitzgerald, executive director, Angler Action Foundation. “Once the public sees how local economies would benefit from improved menhaden management, it will be much more difficult for the status quo to continue.”

More information about the importance of Atlantic menhaden is available on TRCP’s Forage Fish Recovery Page.

Images courtesy CosmoVision Media

by: Ryan Lockwood

posted in: Menhaden

January 13, 2025

Recreational Angling, Conservation Community Supports Menhaden Science Funding

Renewed Virginia legislative effort to fund a three-year study would provide insights critical for a healthy Chesapeake Bay

(RICHMOND, Va.)— During the 2025 legislative session, Virginia lawmakers will again consider providing funding for university research into the Commonwealth’s largest fishery: Atlantic menhaden. Delegate Paul Milde (R-64) is spearheading the effort to provide the $3 million necessary for the Virginia Institute of Marine Science to complete a three-year study of the ecology, fishery impacts, and economic importance of the menhaden population in the waters of the Commonwealth.

Last Friday, Delegate Milde introduced House Bill 2713, which directs the Virginia Marine Resources Commission, in collaboration with VIMS, to conduct the menhaden study. In addition, an amendment to the state’s biennial budget, falling under HB 1600, Item 148 #4h, seeks to earmark funding separately for the same study as another potential vehicle to help ensure success.

Atlantic menhaden are a small, schooling fish targeted by industry to be turned into fishmeal and fish oil products through a process known as “reduction” fishing. Due to their high oil content, menhaden – otherwise called bunker – serve as the base of the marine food chain in Virginia, feeding iconic predators like striped bass, bluefish, and ospreys during critical points in their life cycles, especially inside the Chesapeake Bay. Although menhaden are managed on a coastwide basis by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission, there is a lack of specific data related to how many menhaden are present within the Bay itself throughout the year and the impacts reduction fishing may have on the fragile estuarine ecosystem.

“Current menhaden management relies on incomplete information. This research will provide the scientific foundation needed to make sound decisions that balance the needs of the fishery with the ecological importance of this keystone species,” said Delegate Paul Milde (R-64), who is sponsoring the efforts. “Menhaden are essential to the health of the Chesapeake Bay, supporting a variety of commercial and recreational fisheries. By investing in this research, we can make informed decisions about menhaden management and protect this vital species for future generations.”

Concerns about the removal of menhaden from the Virginia portion of the Chesapeake are the primary reason ASMFC implemented a harvest cap on the state’s reduction fishery in 2006. However, this cap is based solely on historic landings and not actual scientific data on the current population of menhaden in the Bay.

“As questions continue to mount about the health of the Chesapeake Bay’s menhaden population, the need for this important effort grows every day. We appreciate all the work that the Virginia Institute of Marine Science and Virginia Marine Resources Commission have done in the development of the study,” said Chris Moore, Virginia executive director of the Chesapeake Bay Foundation. “CBF is very appreciative of Delegate Milde for his leadership to ensure this effort is not further delayed.”

This relatively low-cost education funding provision would allow VIMS to expand its knowledge about Virginia’s largest commercial fishery to improve sustainable fisheries management and give the Virginia Marine Resources Commission the information necessary to determine the role menhaden play in maintaining viable recreational fishing access and a healthy Chesapeake Bay ecosystem. A robust menhaden population directly supports Virginia’s $980 million recreational fishing economy, by serving as a critical food source for valuable sportfish like striped bass (or rockfish).

“Making up the gaps in science is the only way to effectively evaluate the menhaden population in the Bay,” said Chris Macaluso, director of the Center for Marine Fisheries for the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership. “The reduction industry removes millions of pounds of menhaden from the Chesapeake. Numerous economically, ecologically, and culturally important fish like striped bass, cobia, and red drum depend on this forage, yet little is known about the impacts of depleting menhaden inside the Bay. Establishing a baseline of knowledge for the Bay’s fishery is vital to support both sustainable commercial and recreational fisheries.”

Recent fish spills by the menhaden reduction industry initially highlighted the need to find ways to mitigate the impact of these spills to local economies. As a result, the General Assembly passed SB 1388 during the 2023 legislative session, which required VIMS to develop plans for studying menhaden populations in the waters of the Commonwealth. In early 2024, Virginia lawmakers failed to pass a bill that would have funded this necessary research.

“For years, we’ve lacked the baseline knowledge we need to help establish robust and lasting protections for menhaden in the Chesapeake Bay,” said Romaric Moncrieffe, marine conservation policy manager for the National Audubon Society. “This funding bill is a step in the right direction towards achieving a lasting and healthy fishery that is able to support and protect vital bird and fish species along the entire Atlantic coast. We must do everything we can to preserve the health of the Bay.”

“An investment by Virginia in science to better manage, use, and conserve public fishery resources in the Chesapeake Bay is a logical and long-awaited step towards establishing an important balance for stakeholders and the fishery resources we all share,” said David Sikorski, executive director for the Coastal Conservation Association – Maryland.

“It’s clear advancing science in the Chesapeake Bay is important to understanding the ecosystem dynamics in the primary producer area for striped bass,” said Mike Waine, Atlantic fisheries policy director for the American Sportfishing Association. “Menhaden, as a key forage species, play a vital economic role in supporting recreational fishing businesses that serve hundreds of thousands of anglers across the Chesapeake Bay watershed.”

“We need Bay-specific science to better understand the impacts of fishing on birds and other predators within Chesapeake Bay,” said Nikki Rovner, associate state director of The Nature Conservancy in Virginia. “Better science will help us make better decisions on how to manage those impacts and continue improving the health of the system.”

Learn more on our Forage Fish Recovery Page about the recreational fishing community’s push for better management of menhaden in the Chesapeake Bay.

Banner image courtesy Chesapeake Bay Program

by: Zach Bodhane

posted in: Menhaden

How the 119th Congress Can Deliver for Hunters and Anglers

How lawmakers can build on recent conservation successes and deliver big wins for the hunting and fishing community

The 118th Congress was productive for hunters, anglers, and the TRCP community. Alongside our partners, we celebrated the passage of the EXPLORE Act, America’s Conservation Enhancement Act, and the Water Resources Development Act which all contained important provisions for habitat conservation and access, but there is still work to be done.

The 119th Congress officially began on January 3, 2025. Amid the uncertainty of navigating a presidential transition, new leadership in the Senate, and fresh faces sitting atop numerous committees, Congress has the potential to deliver big wins for fish and wildlife, habitat conservation, and hunting, fishing, and recreational access.

Below are a few ways the 119th Congress can advance conservation and access:

Pass a Farm Bill

Yet another Farm Bill expiration deadline came and went in late 2024 without a new bill being signed. The U.S. Department of Agriculture is still operating on the 2018 Farm Bill, leaving big opportunities on the table to expand support for voluntary access and habitat conservation programs on private lands. As Agriculture Committees return to work with new leadership, the TRCP will be pushing for a Farm Bill that supports wildlife, habitat, and hunters and anglers across the country.

Among the most impactful things that this Congress can do to bolster conservation and access is to invest Inflation Reduction Act funds into the Farm Bill baseline, making them permanent. Failure to do so would wipe out billions of dollars that go directly to farmers and ranchers through these popular, voluntary programs. The good news is there was bipartisan support last Congress among leadership of Agriculture Committees to roll these funds into the Farm Bill baseline.

Any new Farm Bill should also include a reauthorization and expanded funding for the Voluntary Public Access and Habitat Incentive Program, the only federal tool aimed at increasing hunting and fishing access on private lands. Additionally, Congress should use Farm Bill proposals from the 118^th Congress to conserve big game migratory habitat on private lands and improve forest health and fish and wildlife habitat in headwater environments.   

Unlock More Access Opportunities for Hunters and Anglers

Hunters, anglers, and outdoor recreationists had plenty to cheer about in the 118^th Congress with the passage of the EXPLORE Act, a first of its kind recreation-focused legislative package. However, Congress still has work to do in the 119^th to unlock more access opportunities on federal waterways and oceans.

Here are a few ways Congress can do this:

Pass the MAPWaters Act. The MAPWaters Act would require federal land management agencies to digitize water and fishing access and recreational use information on federal waterways and make those resources available to the public. The bill passed both the House and Senate last Congress on sweeping bipartisan margins, but minor differences in the two bills meant that the bill ultimately failed to cross the finish line in the 118^th Congress.

Pass the MAPOceans Act. Like the MAPWaters Act, the MAPOceans Act would require NOAA to create a publicly accessible database that outlines fishing restrictions and closures, boating restrictions and closures, and allowable methods of take in federal waters.

Reauthorize the National Parks and Public Lands Legacy Restoration Fund. Established by the Great American Outdoors Act, the National Parks and Public Lands Legacy Restoration Fund is set to expire. This fund provides federal land management agencies with resources to address the backlog of deferred maintenance projects. Congress should act to reauthorize this important source of funding to restore and expand access opportunities on public lands.

Given the demonstrated, broad support, the 119^th Congress should move quickly to send these common-sense bills to the President’s desk.

Streamline Permitting for Restoration Projects

Despite a compromise deal emerging from the Senate, the 118^th Congress ultimately failed to pass a comprehensive permitting reform legislative package. Permitting reform talks have largely focused on expediting environmental review for energy and transmission projects, but Congress must also address the issue of overly cumbersome and excessive delays on approving ecosystem restoration and other environmentally beneficial projects. Currently, these projects go through the same approval process as other development and infrastructure projects, which creates unnecessary hurdles and complicates on-the-ground habitat restoration work. These projects help support recreational access and sustain the $1.1 trillion annual outdoor economy.

TRCP worked with our partners to develop common-sense recommendations to cut through the “green tape” that delays conservation and restoration projects. By developing a categorical exclusion specific to the Department of Interior for restoration actions and simplifying, and scaling, mitigation as a component of permitting, Congress can help get more conservation and restoration work on the ground and reduce the amount of money spent on environmental analysis without diminishing protections under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) or other bedrock environmental statutes.

Conserve Big Game Migration Corridors

The Wildlife Movement Through Partnerships Act, introduced in the 118^th Congress, would formally authorize existing federal programs initiated by the Department of the Interior during the Trump Administration through Secretarial Order 3362, signed by then-Secretary Ryan Zinke, to conserve big game migration corridors through voluntary financial and technical assistance to states, Tribes, and private landowners.

These programs have been supported and expanded by the Biden Administration but remain discretionary, meaning that they rely on federal agencies setting aside funding each year to continue implementing these programs. Congressional action to formalize these discretionary programs would guarantee that the work persists regardless of administration changes. This is important because the annual budgets of state and Tribal wildlife agencies are unable to meet the full demand for resource management. The financial and technical assistance from these federal programs would help to bridge that funding gap.

The Wildlife Movement Through Partnerships Act gained momentum in the 118^th Congress having hearings in both the House and Senate which presents a strong jumping off point for swift consideration in the 119th Congress. Passing this bill would represent the culmination of nearly a decade of work by the hunting and fishing community while building upon the success of existing big game habitat conservation efforts.

Support Wildlife Habitat Connectivity and Public Access in the Highway Bill

*Photo by Colorado Department of Transportation.*

Congress passed a comprehensive surface transportation and infrastructure bill, the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), in 2021. The IIJA included numerous conservation investments championed by TRCP and our partners including generational investments in wildlife crossing infrastructure, fish passage, public land access, and natural infrastructure solutions. Many of these programs funded under the IIJA are set to expire in fiscal year 2026, handing the 119th Congress an opportunity to build on the success of these programs that benefit fish and wildlife habitat, reduce costs, create jobs, and enhance public safety.

 For example, the IIJA allocated $350 million to the Wildlife Crossing Pilot Program, a first-of-its-kind grant program to construct wildlife-friendly roadway infrastructure to reduce wildlife vehicle collisions and improve habitat connectivity for big game and other wildlife. IIJA has also provided investments in aquatic connectivity, which have addressed barriers to fish passage and improved aquatic habitat and have similarly spurred innovation and collaboration across numerous federal and state agencies and other partners and should be prioritized in a surface transportation bill.

Simply put, the Wildlife Crossings Pilot is successful partnership-based program that leverages expertise and funds across numerous federal and state departments and Congress should seek to permanently authorize this program and allocate additional funds to better meet demand.

The 119^th Congress should also seek to enhance access opportunities for hunters, anglers, and recreationists through a surface transportation bill. Despite a surface transportation reauthorization bill being colloquially called a “Highway Bill,” there’s an opportunity to improve access to remote, rural public lands through partnerships with counties. Congress could establish a pilot program to make grants available to counties to digitize records and make information publicly available on the location and status of county-maintained roads. 

Develop Tax Policy Updates that Fund Conservation

Republican leadership in the House and Senate are widely expected to prioritize a broad tax reform package in 2025. This provides an opportunity for the 119th Congress to close tax loopholes that divert funds away from conservation.

The rise of online marketplaces that facilitate direct-to-consumer sales from overseas manufacturers has created a growing loophole that is undermining the North American Model of Wildlife Conservation. The federal excise tax on hunting and fishing equipment established under Pittman-Robertson and Dingell-Johnson is not being collected on foreign-made fishing tackle and archery equipment sold direct from overseas to U.S. consumers, and online marketplaces are not currently responsible for collecting the excise tax on archery and fishing tackle imports. Any comprehensive legislative package on tax policy must close this loophole that accounts for an estimated annual loss of $17 million dollars that would otherwise go to fund state fish and wildlife management agencies.

Conservation is, and should be, a shared priority regardless of party affiliation or ideology. Congress needs to hear that conservation is important to you. For more information, and to take action in support of critical conservation priorities in the year ahead, visit the TRCP Action Center.

The TRCP is your resource for all things conservation. In our weekly Roosevelt Report, you’ll receive the latest news on emerging habitat threats, legislation and proposals on the move, public land access solutions we’re spearheading, and opportunities for hunters and anglers to take action. Sign up now.