1 Day, 4 Trotlines, 800 lbs. of Invasive Blue Catfish

June 4, 2026

TRCP got to help firsthand with hauling in trotlines set to remove this aquatic invasive species from the Chesapeake Bay, as part of larger management efforts that require collaboration and partnerships

It’s one thing to read about the abundance of invasive blue catfish in the Chesapeake Bay. But it’s another thing to experience it for yourself. These voracious predators have now spread throughout most of the Upper Bay and are established in every major tidal river in Maryland.

I recently had the opportunity to spend a day on the water with photographer and waterman Jay Fleming, running a trotline in Maryland to witness first-hand the extent of blue catfish abundance in the Upper Bay. It was enlightening, to say the least. In a few short hours of retrieving lines, our small boat and crew hauled over 800 pounds of invasive blue cats onto the boat – using just four trotlines set in one relatively small area along a single shoreline.

The author with a large blue cat removed from the upper Chesapeake Bay. Credit: Jay Fleming.

The trotlines were already set before we arrived. Each weighted line ran nearly 1,000 feet in length, with circle hooks on mono line attached every 10 feet. Baiting with chunks of gizzard shad, the lines were deployed in relatively shallow waters, rarely exceeding 10 or 12 feet in depth. Retrieval was a fairly straightforward affair – lines are pulled in by hand, removing hooks and fish as they come to the boat. A tug on the line indicates the presence of a protesting blue cat close by in the set. Captured fish are quickly gaffed and brought aboard and the process continues. At the end of the day, we had a boat full of fish and a very long night of fileting ahead of us. But that was one of the best parts, and just one reason why all the work was worth it. Despite their appearance, blue cats make excellent table fare.

Blue Cats Take a Heavy Toll

Introduced to the Bay region in Virginia waters in the 1970s, blue catfish have rapidly expanded their geographic range and numbers throughout the Upper Bay and into Maryland. This aquatic invasive species (AIS) has colonized many of the Bay’s margins, pretty much anywhere salinity levels are tolerable. They are voracious feeders and can attain a size upwards of 100 pounds. As you can imagine, that means they can have a significant impact on native prey species. And these prey species include important species like rockfish (or striped bass), blue crabs, and menhaden – staples of the Bay ecosystem and the center of its cultural and environmental heritage. But the prey items don’t stop there. These catfish also eat shad, herring, mussels, white perch, white clams, razor clams – the list is extensive.

Partially digested menhaden removed from the stomach of a blue catfish. Credit: Jim Kauffman

Blue catfish are now recognized as an existential threat to Bay health. Their prey base is commercially and ecologically vital to the Bay. A culture and economy that is driven by recreational fisheries, commercial fisheries, and blue crabs has a lot to lose from the impacts of blue catfish. And the effects of a non-native, voracious, large predator have created ripple effects throughout the native ecological community, with potentially disastrous consequences. But thankfully efforts are underway to mitigate their impacts.

Solutions Through Federal Policies, Programs, and Legislation

Efforts to encourage increased blue catfish harvest have resulted in federal and state-level initatives that provide resources to incentivize large-scale removals. In March 2026, the House of Representatives passed the Mitigation Action and Watermen Support (MAWS) Act (HR 4294) with bipartisan support. The act, initially sponsored by Reps. Sarah Elfreth (D-MD) and Rob Wittman (R-VA) and now in the hands of the Senate, would help to address barriers that inhibit facilities from effectively processing catfish, due to USDA inspection requirements that are unique to catfish. It would create a two-year pilot program allowing the Chesapeake Bay Office of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to enter agreements with manufacturers or processors of such products as pet food, animal feed, and aquaculture feed – industries that could potentially utilize these invasive catfish as a raw material – to facilitate the purchase of blue catfish harvested from the Bay’s watershed by watermen, or acquired through seafood processors.

Related grants would incentivize increased harvest of this AIS by supporting the necessary transportation, processing, and manufacturing infrastructure to secure a long-term market. With so many blue cats in the Bay, there is little concern of the resource running out anytime soon. The USDA also recently announced investments in seafood processing facilities that will expand their processing capacity and drive production markets for Bay-area blue catfish. Fish at commercial processing facilities that are intended for consumption are typically inspected by the Food and Drug Administration – with the exception of catfish. This means that these facilities need adequate infrastructure for storing and/or processing invasive catfish separately. Funding these upgrades will allow processors to upgrade their facilities, ultimately leading to the removal of more catfish out of the Bay and into markets.

Blue catfish filets are firm and flaky, with a taste similar striped bass (rockfish). Credit: Jim Kauffman

State-Level Solutions

Maryland lawmakers recently passed legislation that extends the Invasive Blue Catfish Pilot Program. This extends the program through 2030 and gives Maryland DNR more tools to continue working toward reduction efforts. Expanding commercial markets, destigmatizing catfish as table fare, and incentivizing new methods for removal will combine to promote increased harvest.

Multiple pilot programs in the state have been developed to encourage additional reductions in catfish biomass. The For-Hire/Commercial Blue Catfish Pilot Program, the Mid- and Lower-Bay Blue Catfish Trotline Pilot Program, and the Commercial Electrofishing Chase Boat Pilot Program are all designed to incentivize the sale of catfish and expand eligible equipment that can be used to harvest blue cats. And the Chase Boat Pilot Program allows charter boats to net blue catfish that surface during DNR electrofishing surveys. The boats follow behind DNR electrofishing crews, netting and harvesting stunned blue cats – a great example of an innovative solution to a complicated issue.

Just four trotlines set in one small area yielded 800 lbs. of this invasive. Credit: Jim Kauffman

Blue Catfish Working Groups

The Chesapeake Bay Program has convened an Invasive Catfish Work Group, which brings together scientists, local stakeholders, commercial fishery groups, and processors to develop methods and evaluate impacts of blue cats in the Bay. The workgroup also works toward developing actions that implement the five policy objectives outlined in the 2012 Invasive Catfish Policy Adoption Statement.

The Invasive Catfish Advisory Committee brings together stakeholders like fish dealers, processors, commercial harvesters, recreational anglers, and academics through Maryland DNR, the Sport Fisheries Advisory Commission, and the Tidal Fisheries Advisory Commission. This group discusses relevant issues and develops management recommendations for blue catfish management. Working groups like this stress the importance of collaboration and partnerships between various agencies and stakeholders, working toward a common goal.

Legislators, biologists, and stakeholders are together developing many new and innovative solutions to promote harvest. Blue catfish and byproducts are being promoted as fertilizer, pet food, and even food for zoo animals. Blue catfish are even being used for school lunches, and markets are being developed outside of the Bay region through additional USDA Regional Agricultural Promotion Program grants.

It’s hard to comprehend the sheer magnitude of the Bay’s blue catfish problem. How many are out there? And what will it take to mitigate their impacts on native species? Fortunately, local stakeholders, Bay communities, state and federal agencies, and fisheries managers continue to collaborate in an effort to develop solutions. Even as land managers and legislators work on watershed-wide efforts to improve upstream water quality in my home state of Pennsylvania and throughout the watershed, which would improve Bay fisheries, it could all be for naught if these fish are gobbling up the last blue crabs and juvenile stripers in the Bay. Though total harvest continues to climb annually, it has not yet reached a number high enough to turn the tide. Developing a Bay-wide blue catfish management plan that outlines annual goals for harvest will be invaluable for future management.

Total pounds and economic value of blue catfish harvested in Maryland since 2015. Credit: Maryland Department of Natural Resources

What Can You Do?

Well, if you can’t beat ‘em, eat ‘em! Blue catfish filets are thick and white in color. They broil, grill, and fry really well. Annual events in the region showcase local chefs and dishes featuring blue cats as table fare, such as a sold-out Chesapeake Catfish Cook-Off in Annapolis last month, highlighting just how good these fish taste. Many resources have been developed to promote blue cats for the dinner table, and not just to promote harvest, but because they really are delicious (which I can personally attest to). And there are a ton of ways to prepare them. Whether you purchase catfish from a market or prefer to fish for them traditionally along Maryland’s Catfish Trail, take the opportunity to try them. You won’t be disappointed.

But also remember that the next aquatic invasive species might not be as delicious, so AIS prevention remains key.

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by: Jaclyn Lunaas

posted in: Habitat and Clean Water

3 New Louisiana Laws to Improve Menhaden Management

Thanks to support from state legislative champions and recreational fishing, boating, and conservation groups, separate bills addressing Gulf menhaden management have now been signed into laws

Three bills to improve menhaden management and limit the damage caused by the two foreign-owned industrial menhaden companies operating in the Gulf were just signed into law, thanks in part to overwhelming support from recreational fishing and conservation advocacy organizations.

While these new laws will not significantly change the menhaden fleet’s allowable operations on the water, they will add accountability by increasing fines for nearshore fishing violations, enhancing vessel tracking capabilities, and improving fishery oversight by publicizing menhaden harvest reports. These updates are another step toward modernizing Louisiana’s menhaden fishery into a more sustainable, ecosystem-based fishery through clear legislative action.

A pogy boat headed out for menhaden off Louisiana’s coat. Credit: Louisiana Sea Grant

Here’s a brief description of each new law:

Act 316 by Rep. Vinny Cox (R-Gretna) increases fines for menhaden vessels that fish inside nearshore buffer zones.

This law responds to longstanding concerns from recreational anglers, charter captains, and coastal communities about industrial menhaden vessels operating too close to shore and impacting fisheries, wildlife, anglers, and fragile beaches. While our hard-won ½-mile coastwide buffer zone was rolled back thanks to industry lobbying last year, at least harsher penalties for violating the remaining ¼-mile zones should now make vessels think twice.

Act 443 by Rep. Joe Orgeron (R-Cut Off) requires disclosure of menhaden harvest data to the public.

This law strengthens oversight of the menhaden fishery by publicizing monthly harvest reports and biological data collection requirements, removing the confidentiality that currently shields catch data – including harvest locations, catch volumes, and fish size – from the public. This change reflects the need for transparency in the state’s menhaden fishery to more responsibly manage this critical public resource that supports Gulf predators and our coastal communities.

Act 444 by Rep. Jerome Zeringue (R-Houma) requires all menhaden vessels to use vessel tracking devices – this includes all motherships AND purse seine boats.

This law institutes a critical enforcement measure that requires each vessel in the menhaden fleet to use an AIS tracking system – essentially an onboard GPS that automatically broadcasts a vessel’s position, speed, and course – to help state officials and the public ensure complete compliance with fishing outside of the nearshore buffer zones. The industry has faced repeated claims from anglers over illegal fishing activity, through allowing its smaller purse seine boats to fish within buffer zones, since only the larger “motherships” used tracking devices previously.

TRCP thanks its legislative conservation champions in Louisiana, and all of you who have supported our efforts toward better Gulf menhaden management, and will continue to push for further improvements to the menhaden fishery – including moving toward an ecosystem-based management framework in the state to help protect gamefish populations.

Stay tuned for information about how you can weigh in on upcoming menhaden management decisions that will shape where the fishery is headed. Learn more about these small fish with a mighty purpose by visiting TRCP’s Forage Fish Recovery Page.

Banner image courtesy David Mangum

by: Dan Morgan

posted in: Habitat and Clean Water

June 3, 2026

Hunters, Anglers, and Conservation Groups Call on Senate to Strengthen the Conservation Reserve Program in 2026 Farm Bill

Sportsmen’s and conservation groups send letter to Senate Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Committee urging long-overdue funding and updates for CRP as Farm Bill negotiations advance

Today, 51 conservation and sportsmen’s organizations sent a letter to the Senate Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Committee expressing strong support for the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) as the Committee prepares to consider a 2026 Farm Bill. Now in its 40th year, CRP is one of USDA’s flagship voluntary conservation programs and one of the most powerful tools available for creating and restoring the wildlife habitat that hunters and anglers depend on – while also delivering significant benefits for farmers, ranchers, wildlife, soil health, and water quality across the country.

The letter urges the Committee to increase resources in the Farm Bill’s conservation title to deliver meaningful investment and improvements to CRP. Despite the program’s proven success and widespread popularity among producers and landowners, CRP has been operating under short-term extensions since 2023 and has not received substantive policy updates or new resources since the 2018 Farm Bill – even as Congress made historic investments in all other major Farm Bill conservation programs.

“Habitat makes opportunity, and no USDA program creates more habitat that benefits both producers and hunters and anglers than the Conservation Reserve Program,” said Aaron Field, director of private lands conservation at the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership. “CRP has a long track record of supporting wildlife, improving water quality, and expanding access to quality hunting and fishing opportunities, while keeping working lands working. With a 2026 Farm Bill on the horizon, Congress has a clear opportunity to build on that record and ensure CRP has the resources it needs for its next 40 years.”

Since its inception in 1985, CRP has served as a critical part of the farm safety net, helping producers and landowners manage risk, generate on-farm income, provide forage during extreme drought, and conserve environmentally sensitive lands. For hunters and anglers, the program is equally indispensable: CRP has restored millions of acres of wildlife habitat for pheasants, quail, waterfowl, whitetail deer, and dozens of other species, improved water quality in streams and rivers that support fisheries and helped support the $1.3 trillion outdoor recreation economy.

The organizations expressed appreciation for the Committee’s bipartisan leadership on agricultural conservation and called on members to ensure CRP is not left behind as a Farm Bill moves forward. Representing tens of millions of hunters, anglers, and outdoor enthusiasts, the organizations stated their commitment to working with the Committee to strengthen CRP, so it remains a valuable and effective option for producers, landowners, and sportsmen and women for the next 40 years and beyond.

Read the letter HERE

Learn more about the Conservation Reserve Program here, and if you are a landowner interested in enrolling, find your nearest USDA Service Center here.

Learn more about Farm Bill Conservation Programs here

by: Ian Nakayama

posted in: Habitat and Clean Water

May 22, 2026

TRCP Applauds Inclusion of Hunting and Fishing Priorities in Bipartisan House Surface Transportation Reauthorization Bill

Wildlife crossings, fish passage and habitat resilience among key hunting and fishing priorities advanced by House Committee.

Today, the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee advanced the BUILD America 250 Act, a surface transportation reauthorization package that includes several provisions of significant importance to hunters and anglers.

The BUILD America 250 Act reauthorizes the highway trust fund, which governs federal funding for highways, bridges, transit, and safety programs. This package also contains a multitude of hunter and angler priorities that the nation’s leading hunting, fishing, and conservation organizations outlined in our united platform:  “Hunt and Fish Priorities for the Surface Transportation Reauthorization Bill.”

“Surface transportation reauthorization may not be the first place hunters and anglers look for conservation results, but the programs advanced in the BUILD America 250 Act deliver tangible, on-the-ground benefits – from wildlife crossings that keep big-game herds connected, to culvert replacements that open miles of streams to fish, to improving the resilience of our nation’s surface transportation infrastructure through fish and wildlife habitat restoration and nature-based solutions,” said Joel Webster, TRCP’s chief conservation officer. “We are grateful to the committee for advancing this legislation and look forward to continuing to work with Congress to ensure hunters’ and anglers’ priorities remain at the forefront as the process moves forward.”

Some of the provisions in this bill that would be most beneficial to hunters and anglers are:

The Wildlife Crossings Pilot Program, which was created in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) and is reauthorized in this piece of legislation. This program helped provide funds to state departments of transportation to reduce wildlife-vehicle collisions and improve habitat connectivity by constructing and studying wildlife crossings. These crossings improve driver safety, sustain big-game populations, and improve wildlife connectivity. For hunters and anglers, these crossings mean healthier big-game herds, more accessible hunting grounds and fish populations that can move more freely across the landscape.

The Wildlife Crossings Pilot Program was funded at $80 million annually over fiscal year 2027-2031. This is a $10 million annual increase over the funding level in IIJA. The BUILD America 250 Act also required 75 percent of funds to be obligated on rural projects and placed a limitation of no more than 5 percent of funds to be used on non-construction activities. It also requires the Secretary of Transportation to submit to Congress an annual report on the program.

The National Culvert Removal, Replacement, and Restoration Program was created in the IIJA and is reauthorized in this piece of legislation. This program reduces flooding-related damage to public transportation infrastructure and improves habitat connectivity by removing or replacing old or poorly designed culverts that impede fish passage and are likely to fail during severe weather events. For anglers, restoring fish passage means more fish in more streams – and better access to the fishing opportunities that define the sporting traditions of communities across the country.

The National Culvert Removal, Replacement, and Restoration Program was funded at $200 million annually over fiscal year 2027-2031. This is the same funding level it received in IIJA. The BUILD America 250 Act also expanded the eligibility of projects that restore fish passage in weirs, and ensured that consortiums of state, local, and tribal government were eligible for these funds.

The Promoting Resilient Operations for Transformative, Efficient, and Cost-Saving Transportation (PROTECT) program was created in the IIJA and is reauthorized in this piece of legislation. This program plans for and strengthens surface transportation to be more resilient to current and future weather events, natural disasters, and extreme weather. This improves fish and wildlife habitat by utilizing nature-based solutions and habitat restoration to improve resilience. For hunters and anglers, investments in infrastructure resilience translate directly to healthier watersheds, fish and wildlife habitat, and the long-term viability of the places they depend on.

The PROTECT program had significant structural and funding changes in this legislation. The program was composed of a formula and discretionary based funding distribution model. The formula funds were distributed to all 50 states from the highway trust fund based on parameters that are determined by Congress. The discretionary funding was distributed through a competitive grant process. The BUILD America 250 Act eliminates the formula portion of PROTECT and increases the discretionary funding by $1.1 billion. While we appreciate the inclusion of the program, the $6.2 billion reduction in overall funding will limit state and local governments ability to improve the resilience of their infrastructure.

The Sport Fish Restoration and Boating Trust Fund is reauthorized in this piece of legislation. The Sport Fish Restoration and Boating Trust Fund was established in the Dingell-Johnson Act of 1950. It forms a foundational pillar of funding for state fish and wildlife agencies by redistributing excise taxes on fishing equipment and motorboat and small engine fuels to state agencies for fish habitat improvements, fish and boating access and boating safety.

While the reduction in overall PROTECT funding is a concern TRCP will continue to raise with lawmakers, we remain encouraged by the inclusion of the Wildlife Crossings Pilot Program, the National Culvert Removal, Replacement, and Restoration Program, the Sport Fish Restoration and Boating Trust Fund and PROTECT.

TRCP is committed to working with Congress to strengthen these programs and advance hunter and angler priorities as the surface transportation reauthorization process moves forward.

Read the Hunt and Fish Priorities for the Surface Transportation Reauthorization Bill HERE

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.

by: Aaron Field

posted in: Habitat and Clean Water

April 30, 2026

New Farm Bill Passes the House: Key Impacts for Hunters and Anglers

Today, the House of Representatives passed the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026, a meaningful step forward for hunters, anglers, farmers, ranchers, and the working lands we all depend on.

We are now closer to a comprehensive ag policy update than we have been since 2018. Today, the House of Representatives passed the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026 on a 224-200 vote, with bipartisan support. A lot has happened in agricultural conservation policy since the 2018 Farm Bill. Key programs have been extended and received major funding boosts, first through the Inflation Reduction Act and then made permanent in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. But without a Farm Bill, there has been no opportunity to improve the underlying structure that makes these programs work.

“We’re grateful to Chairman Thompson, Ranking Member Angie Craig, and members on both sides of the aisle who worked to advance conservation priorities that benefit hunters, anglers, wildlife habitat and the farmers, ranchers, and landowners who steward these lands every day. This bill recognizes that healthy, productive working lands are good for everyone,” said Aaron Field, TRCP’s director of private lands conservation. “This is one step in a longer journey – negotiations will continue and a Senate process awaits – but we’re encouraged by the bipartisan commitment to building a Farm Bill that works for sportsmen, sportswomen, and working lands alike.”

Before we summarize the key provisions of this bill, there are a few important dynamics to keep in mind.

Compared to House votes on recent Farm Bills, this bill received stronger than average support from both Republicans and Democrats, with 14 Democrats voting in support. With tight margins in the Senate, bipartisanship will be essential. Major sticking points remain, including earlier changes within the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, state authority to regulate swine production, and year-round use of higher blends of ethanol in gasoline. These issues fall outside of TRCP’s primary focus, but they will influence whether conservation priorities ultimately advance.

Work on this Farm Bill began as soon as, or even before, the 2018 bill was signed. Although six or seven years seems like ample time to resolve differences, significant negotiations remain. This passage is a major step forward, but further debate will occur as the bill moves to the Senate. Currently, Senate Agriculture Committee Chairman John Boozman (R-Ark.) and Ranking Member Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) are working on their own proposal. Although the bills will likely be very similar, there will be changes before this bill becomes law.

Extended Farm Bill negotiations are not new, but after more than seven years without a comprehensive bill—and with bipartisan legislation increasingly difficult to move—Congress is fast approaching uncharted waters. At the same time, the Conservation Title is in better shape than usual. Investments in Title II programs through budget reconciliation packages in 2022 and 2025 extended most USDA conservation programs through 2031 and strengthened their long-term funding, providing some stability as Congress debates program changes. However, reconciliation rules allow funding adjustments but not policy reforms, meaning updates to conservation programs are still needed. Additionally, because the Conservation Reserve Program is limited by acreage rather than funding, CRP did not receive a funding increase or long-term reauthorization through reconciliation.

Policy and funding changes in this Farm Bill will impact fish and wildlife habitat and hunting and fishing access for the next five years and beyond. You can find explanations about how Farm Bill programs support hunters and anglers here.

Keeping these dynamics in mind, what exactly is in this bill? Farm Bills cover a wide range of issues—from nutrition assistance and agricultural research to trade, risk management, and livestock disease—so a comprehensive analysis of the entire 800-page bill is beyond the scope of this blog. Instead, we focus on several provisions most likely to affect habitat and access for hunters and anglers. Let’s dig in.

Key Conservation Provisions in The Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026 would:

Shift Funding Among Title II Programs

This bill has been informally called “Farm Bill 2.0”, in recognition that many priorities were accomplished through the budget reconciliation process last summer. As part of that package, Congress made the remaining conservation funding from the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act permanent. This represented a major investment in Title II programs and shifted the balance among several programs, particularly the Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) and the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP). However, Chairman Thompson’s team has consistently stated their intention to reallocate those resources to support policy improvements and new programs in this Farm Bill. Priority programs differ among members of the hunting and fishing community—and even more among the broader ag conservation community— but TRCP’s priority throughout this process has been ensuring that conservation funding remains conservation funding, and this bill meets that criterion.

Reauthorize the Conservation Reserve Program

Chairman Thompson’s 2024 bill included major changes to the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP), some of which were clearly beneficial to habitat and others potentially problematic. This time CRP is simply reauthorized for five years. This puts the program back on the same reauthorization schedule as the rest of Title II and avoids complications associated with repeated expirations and extensions. However, it is also a missed opportunity to make needed improvements to the program. Ideally, the bill would increase payment limitations, restore cost share for mid-contract management, and remove rental rate limitations, among other improvements. Still, leaving CRP largely unchanged gives the Senate significant latitude to pursue these updates, many of which have already been proposed in the bipartisan CRP Improvement and Flexibility Act. Congressman Jim Costa (D-Calif.) offered an amendment reflecting this legislation with support from Representatives Dusty Johnson (R-S.D.), Sharice Davids (D-Kan.), and Randy Feenstra (R-Iowa), but it was withdrawn after the Chairman committed to continuing work toward solutions.

Support Voluntary Conservation Easement Programs

This bill would have substantial impacts on conservation easement programs. One of the most significant is the creation of a new Forest Conservation Easement Program with mandatory funding filling a gap in current easement opportunities and supporting working forest conservation. The bill also makes several adjustments that expand management opportunities on new and existing wetland easements, helping ensure these wetlands continue to provide quality habitat for generations.

Simplify the Regional Conservation Partnership Program

The Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) has tremendous potential to deliver conservation in innovative, partnership-driven ways, but the program has long been hampered by barriers that frustrated partners and limited its impact. Chairman Thompson’s bill returns the RCPP to an earlier structure, that more closely connects projects to “covered programs” like EQIP. It also aims to shorten approval timelines and reimburse partner administrative expenses. While the covered program model has both advantages and drawbacks, efforts to streamline the RCPP are welcome, as is the addition of wildlife corridors and habitat connectivity to the program’s purposes.

Encourage Habitat Connectivity Across Programs

In addition to the language within RCPP, the bill encourages the Secretary of Agriculture to “encourage the use of conservation practices that support the development, restoration, and maintenance of habitat connectivity and wildlife corridors” in all conservation programs. The impact of this provision will vary depending on the priorities of any given Secretary but given the importance of corridors for species like Western big game, the direction is encouraging.

During the committee markup, Congressman Gabe Vasquez (D-NM), offered an amendment based on the Habitat Connectivity on Working Lands Act he is leading with Congressman Ryan Zinke (R-Mont.) The amendment includes several provisions supporting migration corridors and habitat connectivity. One of the most significant aims to codify the USDA’s ability to use EQIP or the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) on the same acres, but for different purposes, as Grassland CRP. This approach – often referred to as a “program stack,” where multiple conservation programs can be used together on the same acreage – is a key component of the Migratory Big Game Initiative, which has proven successful in Wyoming and elsewhere. The amendment was adopted by voice vote and generated positive comments from members of both parties including Chairman Thompson and Congressman Frank Lucas (R-OK). It was also great to hear Ranking Member Craig comment on the importance of “developing conservation programs with an eye toward restoring wildlife habitat and habitat connectivity.”

Leave Access Funding Unchanged

Chairman Thompson has long been an advocate for the Voluntary Public Access and Habitat Incentive Program (VPA-HIP). In 2024, the committee tried to include $150 million for the program, a funding level called for by the Voluntary Public Access Improvement Act and dozens of conservation organizations. However, this current bill does not include funding for VPA-HIP. Fortunately, thanks in large part to Chairman Thompson’s efforts, VPA-HIP received $70 million over seven years in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act last summer. While important, that funding level is unlikely to expand the program’s impact.

Strengthen Tools for Enhancing Forest and Watershed Health

The bill provides several new tools aimed at improving forest health and watershed function, with benefits for water quality, fish and wildlife, and resilience to wildfire and drought. Notable provisions include reauthorization of the U.S. Forest Service’s Water Source Protection Program, expanded use of good neighbor agreements, and additional improvements to watershed health and drinking water sources within the Collaborative Forest Landscape Restoration Program.

Contain Potentially Problematic Fire Management Restrictions

While proactively addressing wildfire risk is important, the bill also includes provisions that could limit the U.S. Forest Service’s ability to manage wildfire effectively. These include requirements to suppress certain fires within 24 hours of detection and additional limitations on prescribed fire. Although these provisions apply only in certain areas and conditions, relying primarily on suppression has not historically been an effective wildfire strategy, and experienced land management professionals are better equipped than Congress to make these decisions.

There are many other provisions in this bill that we will continue to follow, and there is still a long road before its impacts are felt on the ground. The TRCP thanks both House and Senate Agriculture Committee leadership for their work toward a bipartisan Farm Bill that supports habitat and access.

You can help. Conservation is, and should be, a shared priority regardless of party affiliation or ideology. Congress needs to hear that this is important to you. Take action here.

Top photo: @NickMKE on Flickr.

The Hunter & Angler’s Guide to the Farm Bill

We know it can be challenging to break through the alphabet soup of program acronyms to understand why the reauthorization and improvement of Farm Bill conservation programs is a top priority. In The Hunter & Anglers Guide to the Farm Bill, we demystify the Farm Bill and the crucial conservations programs that sportsmen and women should care about.

Hunting & Fishing Access

MAPping Public Access

Unlocking Public Lands

Public Land Access

Brian Flynn, Two Wolf Foundation's Story

Key Issues for America’s Hunters

Chronic Wasting Disease