USDA to Provide $6 Million to Address Invasive Catfish in Chesapeake Bay

September 21, 2026

New grant funding to bolster the processing of this tasty but invasive species, to support a growing industry that harvests invasive blue catfish for human consumption as a means of mitigating impacts to sportfish and Bay health

Earlier this month, the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced a $6 million grant funding opportunity for seafood processors that focus on invasive, wild-caught catfish. The funding opportunity represents another means of federal, state, and local organizations working alongside nonprofits to support fishermen and watermen to create better markets to address invasive blue catfish, which are negatively impacting recreational fishing by preying on many native species in the Chesapeake Bay.

Blue catfish are considered an aquatic invasive species now recognized as a major threat to Bay health and fisheries. While native to major river basins in the central and southern U.S., blue catfish were introduced to the Bay region in the ‘70s and rapidly expanded in range and numbers. Blue cats have now colonized nearly all of the Bay’s waters where the salinity levels are low enough for the fish to tolerate. These voracious, non-native predators can grow to more than 100 pounds as they devour environmentally and economically important species like rockfish (aka striped bass), blue crabs, shad, and menhaden. But despite their unappealing appearance, blue catfish are delicious to eat and finding growing popularity in the region’s restaurants.

TRCP’s Jim Kauffman recently posted on how he did his own part to address the Bay’s blue catfish problem, when he helped run trotlines to remove an incredible 800 lbs. of the fish in a single day.

“Investments in commercial fishermen and seafood processors who target blue catfish in the Chesapeake Bay provide one of the best means to create markets to increase removals of this highly destructive aquatic invasive species from America’s largest estuary,” said Chris Macaluso, Center of Fisheries director for the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership. “They also provide a valuable means of supporting sportfishing and the watermen who are the backbone of the Bay’s rural communities.”

USDA Rural Development is making the new grant funding available to help small businesses build and modernize processing facilities, utilize new technologies, and train a growing workforce to increase capacity to remove and process invasive, wild-caught catfish. Reducing the population of blue catfish will also help protect the recreational and commercial fisheries in the Bay, and the many businesses supported by the fishing industry.

Both for‐profit and nonprofit entities, as well as other businesses, Tribal entities, and state or local governments are eligible for grants ranging from $50,000 to $2 million, with applicants required to cover 20% of total project cost. Applications must be submitted through Grants.gov by Dec. 7. More information can be found at Grants.gov.

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by: Dan Morgan

posted in: Conservation Funding

September 18, 2026

TRCP Welcomes Focus on Hunter and Angler Priorities in New Executive Orders

New executive orders touch on public land access, wildlife migration conservation, invasive species and disease management, and recreational fishing opportunities.

On Thursday, September 17, President Donald J. Trump signed two executive orders aimed at addressing priorities for hunters and anglers: Restoring American Saltwater Angling and Recreation and Reinvigorating America’s Hunting Heritage.

“Hunters and anglers have shaped this country’s conservation legacy for more than a century, and they remain some of the most dedicated stewards of our fish, wildlife, and wild places today,” said Joel Webster, chief conservation officer for the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership. “We appreciate the administration’s support for wildlife corridors, access to landlocked public land, and management of invasive species and wildlife disease, as well as the emphasis on stronger fisheries science and closer coordination between federal and state managers. We look forward to working with the departments and agencies to implement several elements of these orders.”

The fishing-focused order, Restoring American Saltwater Angling and Recreation, addresses several longstanding priorities for the recreational fishing community. It responds to key recommendations from the Commission on Saltwater Recreational Fisheries Management, which TRCP and sportfishing partners helped convene in 2013 and 2014 to improve cooperation between states and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to strengthen data collection for recreational fisheries. It directs agencies to modernize federal data collection for recreational fishing, better account for the industry’s economic impact in federal fisheries management decisions, and improve coordination between federal and state agencies, including incorporating state-level data where it improves accuracy. These provisions could help unlock greater opportunities for economically and culturally vital fisheries that support coastal communities and millions of anglers nationwide. Many of them reflect concerns recreational anglers have raised for decades.

The other order, Reinvigorating America’s Hunting Heritage, addresses several longstanding priorities for the hunting community. Among other things, it directs agencies to reduce barriers to wildlife movement and improve habitat connectivity for big game, and to address invasive species, habitat degradation, and disease affecting game populations. It also calls for prioritizing practical access solutions for landlocked and other difficult-to-reach federal lands, including voluntary easements, land exchanges, and cooperative agreements with states. These provisions could help unlock greater access and healthier habitat for hunters. Many of them reflect concerns hunters have raised for years.

The provisions in each executive order carry economic weight too. Whether it’s improving access to public lands or giving fisheries and wildlife managers the data and cross-agency coordination they need to make sound decisions, commitments to hunting and fishing issues like these underpin a $1.3 trillion outdoor recreation economy that hunters and anglers help drive. A recent report found that conservation spending alone generated $115.8 billion in economic activity and supported more than 575,000 jobs nationwide, underscoring just how much these efforts mean for local communities and economies.

In this, our nation’s 250th anniversary year, TRCP is encouraged to see public lands, healthy fisheries managed by sound science and data, and our hunting and fishing traditions are treated as among America’s greatest priorities. This continues to be reflected in the ongoing work of the Make America Beautiful Again Commission.

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.

Click here to sign up today.

by: Aaron Field

posted in: Conservation Funding

September 16, 2026

New Farm Bill Advances in Senate Committee: Key Impacts for Hunters & Anglers

The Senate Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Committee advanced the Agricultural Act of 2026, a major step toward updating conservation programs that will impact wildlife habitat and hunting and fishing access.

Today, the Senate Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Committee advanced the Agricultural Act of 2026 on a party line vote – bringing us closer to a comprehensive ag policy update than we have been since 2018. A lot has happened in agricultural conservation policy since then. Key programs have been extended and received major funding boosts, first through the Inflation Reduction Act and then made permanent in the Working Families Tax Cut Act, also known as 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.

“It has been far too long since the Farm Bill conservation programs that fish, wildlife, hunters, anglers, and farmers depend on were updated. We’re grateful to Chairman Boozman, Ranking Member Klobuchar, and members on both sides of the aisle who are working to advance positive updates to these critical programs.” said Aaron Field, TRCP’s director of private lands conservation. “This is a significant step, but there is still a lot of work to do and very little time to do it. Despite that challenge, we encourage bipartisan commitment to passing a Farm Bill that works for sportsmen, sportswomen, and working lands alike.”

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

Margins are very tight in both chambers of Congress. This bill advanced out of committee on a party-line vote. That makes it unlikely to pass on the Senate floor in its current form. Bipartisanship will be essential to get this bill across the finish line.

Work on this Farm Bill began as soon as, or even before, the 2018 bill was signed. Although seven or eight years seems like ample time to resolve differences, significant negotiations remain. This bill still needs to be passed on the Senate floor. At the same time, differences between this bill and the Farm, Food, and National Security Act, which passed the House last April, will need to be resolved.

Extended Farm Bill negotiations are not new, but after so long without a comprehensive bill—and with bipartisan legislation increasingly difficult to move—Congress is in 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.

With that in mind, what’s actually in this bill? Farm Bills cover a wide range of issues – from nutrition assistance and agricultural research to trade, risk management, and livestock disease. Here, we focus on the provisions most likely to affect habitat and access for hunters and anglers.

Conservation Provisions in The Agricultural 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 focus throughout this process has been ensuring that conservation funding remains conservation funding, and this bill meets that criterion.

Reauthorize and Improve the Conservation Reserve Program

The Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) is one of the most well-known and important conservation programs that USDA administers. The House-passed Farm Bill would simply reauthorize CRP in its current form. The Senate bill makes much more impactful changes, many of which come directly from the CRP Improvement and Flexibility Act. By increasing payment limitations, restoring cost share for mid-contract management, and reaching a compromise on emergency haying, this bill would make CRP more attractive to landowners and more valuable to wildlife.

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. Additionally, this bill would expand access to easement programs by exempting them from adjusted gross income (AGI) eligibility limits and eliminating their payment limitation.

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. This bill returns the RCPP to an earlier structure that 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.

This bill also reiterates Ag Committee support for big game migration by codifying USDA’s authority for the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) and Grassland CRP to work together on the same operation. This will improve the wildlife value of both programs, and builds upon the success of the Migratory Big Game Initiative.

Leave Access Funding Unchanged

For years, the TRCP has been advocating for increased Voluntary Public Access and Habitat Incentive Program (VPA-HIP) funding. The Voluntary Public Access Improvement Act, led by Senator Steve Daines (R-Mont.) and Senate Ag Committee members Senator Michael Bennet (D-Colo.) and Senator Marshall (R-Kan.) would have met that mark but is not currently included in the Senate Farm Bill. Fortunately, VPA-HIP received $70 million over seven years in the Working Families Tax Cut Act, also known as 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 or strengthens several 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 and improving the Watershed Condition Framework, expanded use of good neighbor agreements, and additional improvements to watershed health and drinking water sources within the Collaborative Forest Landscape Restoration Program.

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.

by: Sarah Smith

posted in: Conservation Funding

August 25, 2026

Restoring the Rio Grande with Federal Funding: Texas

The story of the Rio Grande is one of a single, shared resource under immense pressure. From its headwaters in Colorado, through the interconnected landscapes of New Mexico, and into the Lower Rio Grande Valley of South Texas where it flows along the Mexico border, communities, land managers, Tribes, agricultural producers, and conservation partners are working to sustain the river in the face of growing water challenges. In this final blog of our three-part series on how federal WaterSMART funding shapes watershed restoration and resilience, we focus on South Texas, where the river reaches its terminus and every remaining drop serves people, agriculture, fish, and wildlife – underscoring the importance of making the most of limited water supplies through innovative management and conservation. You can read part one, focused on New Mexico’s Rio Grande project work, HERE, and part two, focused on Colorado, HERE.

In the lower stretches of the Rio Grande along the Texas border, the landscape looks vastly different from upstream. Here, public access to the river is largely limited to a handful of wildlife refuges, management areas, and state and municipal parks rather than the wide-reaching federal public lands found farther north. While sportsmen and women have fewer opportunities to hunt and fish here than upstream, the river’s role as a critical corridor for migratory birds, native fish, and other wildlife remains just as important.

In the Lower Rio Grande, where water is scarce and demands on the river are high, protecting and restoring habitat depends on making every drop count. To better understand how federal funding is supporting these efforts, a group of conservation partners, irrigation districts, municipalities, university representatives, and others embarked on a field tour of U.S. Bureau of Reclamation WaterSMART-funded projects in the Lower Rio Grande Valley on a 100-degree day in late July. We were all jealous during a tour stop at an irrigation conveyance channel as we watched a dog jump into the canal to cool off from the relentless heat. Down here everyone understands the importance of water.

WaterSMART Program Helps Protects Western Waters

Throughout this three-part blog series, we’ve explored how collaboration, restoration, and strategic water management strengthen the resilience of the Rio Grande across the basin.And another common theme has been each state’s reliance on WaterSMART grants. The Bureau of Reclamation’s WaterSMART (Sustain and Manage America’s Resources for Tomorrow) program is one of the primary federal funding sources dedicated to addressing Western water management and drought-related challenges. This Texas field tour aimed to convey the diversity of projects this grant program supports and how it contributes to multiple stakeholder goals that all boil down to making sure the Rio Grande can serve the people and wildlife that depend on it.

“It’s not ‘fish versus farmers’ down here; everyone is taking actions to better manage a scarce resource.”

Staff from the offices of U.S. Senators and Representatives were present and eager to connect with tour participants. The day opened with a presentation from the Bureau of Reclamation on the breadth of WaterSMART-funded projects that stakeholders have implemented in the Lower Rio Grande to increase water security, improve habitat, advance science, and more. In addition to federal staff and attendees from local and state agencies like the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, grantees who supported the tour included:

City of McAllen
Rio Grande Joint Venture/American Bird Conservancy
Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension
Hidalgo Irrigation District No. 2
United Irrigation District

All grant recipients spoke to the value of the WaterSMART program and how it contributes to better water management and building resilience for the Lower Rio Grande. Projects showcased during the day included canal lining to improve water delivery efficiency by reducing seepage losses and limiting invasive vegetation; water reuse projects that deliver treated, non-potable water for municipal and other non-drinking uses; and stream restoration and sediment management projects that improve habitat while supporting more reliable water delivery downstream.

Sustainable Water Management Benefits Fish and Wildlife

Bobby Janecka, former commissioner of the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality and principal at Guadalupe Public Affairs, remarked that the tour “was a great reminder of how much real, on-the-ground benefit these federal programs deliver, from local water supply and storage projects to nature-based restoration at the watershed scale.” Entities in the Lower Rio Grande are doing what they can to make sure more water stays in the river for the benefit of all.

“The field visits to Hidalgo County ID No. 2 and United Irrigation District were especially valuable, showing how central irrigation districts are to water security and daily life in the Rio Grande Valley,” said Bobby Janecka, principal at Guadalupe Public Affairs.

It’s not “fish versus farmers” down here; everyone is taking actions to better manage a scarce resource. In fact, through the lens of fish and wildlife, a lined canal is actually a habitat protection tool. By lining canals to prevent seepage and removing water-thirsty invasive plants, irrigation districts ensure that more water stays in the Rio Grande. Every drop saved from leaking into the ground is a drop that remains available for the migratory birds and wildlife that depend on the river’s southernmost habitats.

By reducing pressure on the Rio Grande during the hottest months, both infrastructure efficiency and water reuse projects help maintain flows that fish and other aquatic species depend on. Besides canal-lining projects, other efforts showcased during the tour included:

The City of McAllen and its partners are expanding the use of treated, non-potable water for community needs, reducing municipal demand on the river, and creating a critical buffer when water supplies are at their lowest.
The instream restoration work that Rio Grande Joint Venture/American Bird Conservancy is doing to restore habitat upstream of the valley in West Texas ensures that higher quality and greater quantities of water reach downstream while recharging aquifers along the way.
Texas A&M University is developing a plan to remove accumulated sediment from a lake along the lower Rio Grande, restoring valuable aquatic habitat and improving water quality for the benefit of all.

While their missions and federally funded projects may differ, stakeholders in the Lower Rio Grande are all working to improve the river’s function and how far its resources can stretch. These efforts, whether tied to ecosystem improvements or infrastructure upgrades, help increase the river’s resiliency, providing critical benefits for fish and wildlife in the Rio Grande.

One Goal, Many Benefits

Across the three Rio Grande Basin states, the thread remains the same: a healthy river with healthy habitats benefits all. From the headwaters to the terminus, federal funding through programs like WaterSMART is the engine that allows these communities to innovate and implement coordinated, impactful approaches to conservation and restoration.

In Texas, where the river is at its most strained, sustainable and efficient water management is essential to the river’s future. By highlighting how federal investments are supporting water efficiency, restoration, and infrastructure improvements in the river’s final miles, we reinforce the central message of this series: the importance of ensuring there is enough water kept in the river to sustain the fish, wildlife, and outdoor traditions that define the Rio Grande for generations to come.

Our actions in managing the Rio Grande now will define how it serves us in the future. Will we continue to invest in modernizing water infrastructure, advancing science, restoring degraded river reaches, and improving the efficiency and resilience of our water systems? The answer will shape the future of one of the West’s most important rivers.

Take Action

To learn more about the TRCP’s efforts to ensure that WaterSMART receives continued federal funding to tackle Western water challenges, and to help support this effort, see a related Action Alert . To read parts one and two of this blog series, see Restoring the Rio Grande with Federal Funding: New Mexico and Restoring the Rio Grande with Federal Funding: Colorado.

Banner image credit: BFS Man

by: Jim Kauffman

posted in: Conservation Funding

August 24, 2026

Pennsylvania Awarded $2.8 Million USDA Grant to Expand Fishing Access on Private Lands

The Farm Bill-funded Voluntary Public Access and Habitat Incentive Program (VPA-HIP) provides critical funding for state and tribal governments to increase public access opportunities for hunting, fishing, and outdoor recreation on private lands

Pennsylvania is fortunate to have almost 86,000 miles of streams and rivers. A diverse landscape produces small headwater mountain runs, limestone creeks, freestone streams, big rivers, and one Great Lake, offering some of the finest fishing in the country. But with a population of 13 million people and many waterways flowing through private land, access can be a barrier for the many who seek to enjoy these resources. In fact, over 80% of Pennsylvania’s stocked trout waters exist on private lands, while 70% of wild trout waters and almost 60% of our Class A trout waters also are on private lands. These privately owned stretches can impede anglers trying to access fishable waters.

Fortunately, funding has been dedicated that facilitates hunting and fishing access to these private lands through the Voluntary Public Access and Habitat Incentive Program (VPA-HIP); a voluntary, incentive-based Farm Bill program. VPA-HIP provides funding for state and tribal governments to incentivize landowners for allowing public access to hunters, anglers, and other outdoor recreationists on their lands. Through a competitive application process, states and tribes apply for VPA-HIP funds that can be used at the state-level for access and habitat improvement projects. During the latest round of applications, the PFBC sought funding and was awarded $2.8 million through VPA-HIP to expand public access on private waterways in Pennsylvania through access easements. The commission will purchase streamside easements on targeted waterways that permanently create public access for fishing, boating, and outdoor recreation.

Easements acquired by PFBC as part of a previous round of VPA-HIP funding.
Image credit: PFBC

Former VPA-HIP dollars awarded to the PFBC have been used to open stretches of multiple waterways across the Commonwealth, and this round of funding aims to do more of the same. Through the application of easements that compensate landowners for access, the PFBC continues to invest in expanding fishing opportunities, which benefits all Pennsylvania anglers.

“We are excited for this opportunity and believe that it can benefit private landowners significantly, while also benefiting anyone who enjoys outdoor recreation and access to waters,” said Penny Ayers, Chief of the Division of Public Access and Property Services for the PFBC.

Access to Lake Erie tributaries is critical for anglers who pursue steelhead and brown trout during upstream runs. Image credit: Tim Schaeffer

Over the next three years, easements will be acquired on private waterways that have been identified by PFBC staff as desirable waters for anglers or are offered by willing landowners. This is a voluntary program, so private landowners always get to decide if they want to participate. They retain ownership of the land while being compensated monetarily for allowing public access for fishing or boating. Potential easements are discussed at quarterly PFBC Commissioner meetings, and when approved are made public through press releases and the PFBC website.

A section of Pine Creek in Potter County, opened for public access through a PFBC VPA-HIP easement. Image credit: PFBC

VPA-HIP dollars can also be used by the PFBC to construct or improve parking areas that provide anglers with improved access to streamside easements. These projects are implemented on sites where appropriate, and only with landowner approval.

Whether you’re pursuing smallmouth in the Susquehanna, wild browns in the Little J, or steelhead coming out of Lake Erie, increased access facilitates better fishing opportunities and improves angler satisfaction. VPA-HIP grants and similar programs provide critical funding for easement acquisitions, offering state governments the necessary tools to enhance access to waterways that flow through private lands. TRCP applauds the USDA and PFBC for continuing to invest in public access programs that provide quality hunting and fishing opportunities for all Pennsylvanians.

If you are a Pennsylvania landowner interested in being compensated for opening your stream frontage to public access, you can contact Penny Ayers, Chief of the Division of Public Access and Property Services for the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission, at peayers@pa.gov.

Banner image courtesy Adam Miller

The Hunter & Angler’s Guide to the Farm Bill

It can be difficult to understand all the acronyms tied to Farm Bill conservation programs and why the reauthorization and improvement of this legislation 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