Wildlife and Fisheries Habitat Management

What this funds

The Wildlife and Fisheries Habitat Management program manages habitat for fish and wildlife and contributes to maintaining the ecological conditions needed to support the viability and productivity of plant and animal communities in the Nation's forests and grasslands. The program conserves habitats through management activities that reduce fire risk, increase ecosystem integrity and forest health, and result in forest products in line with the objectives outlined in E.O. 14313, Establishing the President's Make America Beautiful Again Commission, E.O. 14314, Making America Beautiful Again by Improving Our National Parks, and E.O. 14225, Immediate Expansion of American Timber Production. Habitat management encourages economic growth, as the combination of recreation, hunting, fishing and wildlife viewing sustains more jobs than any other activity on National Forests and Grasslands. The program develops information and tools that help focus conservation measures and active management in the most effective and efficient locations, promoting both achievement of statutory requirements and Administration priorities. Current activities include a focus on active forest management that produces the multiple benefits of habitat conservation, fuels reduction/wildfire risk reduction, and generation of forest products, and forage. Endangered Species Act compliance efficiencies are a strong focus including programmatic consultations in furtherance of Presidential Executive Orders and the National Active Forest Management Strategy. The program capitalizes on widespread appreciation for preserving outdoor traditions such as fishing, hunting, and exploration among the American public and conservation organizations by leveraging resources with numerous internal and external partners, including Teddy Roosevelt Conservation Partnership, Trout Unlimited, Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, Mule Deer Foundation, National Wild Turkey Federation, Ruffed Grouse Society, and the National Deer Association. The program focuses on managing habitats to ensure aquatic and terrestrial species' persistence, conservation and recovery of America's fish and wildlife populations, and 29a-72 FY 2027 USDA EXPLANATORY NOTES - FOREST SERVICE habitat connectivity. Priority terrestrial habitat work focuses on integrating habitat maintenance and improvements with active management, range productivity, and other Administration priorities such as hunting and fishing. Priority information and tool development aim to reduce regulatory burdens and cut bureaucratic delays that hinder effective environmental management through decision support and efficient statutory compliance in accordance with E.O. 14192, Unleashing Prosperity Through Deregulation. Selected Examples of Recent Progress In FY 2025, the program and its many partners implemented 130 projects to protect road infrastructure access and restore aquatic organism passage, leveraging $26.9 million, of appropriated funds with $17.9 million of additional Forest Service and partner investments. Upgrading of the Forest Service's priority road-stream crossings ensures active management opportunities and recreational use by the public and local communities. In FY 2025, the Forest Service partnered with the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation (RMEF) on the Watts Mountain Habitat Improvement Project on the Fillmore Ranger District of the Fishlake National Forest. This collaborative effort resulted in over 6,200 acres of sagebrush improved using several treatment methods. More so, the project protected high-value river habitat using fencing, seeding, and transplanting plants inside the protected area. Wildlife and Fish Habitat Management funds were leveraged with $460,000 in funding from RMEF. The program worked with partners to update habitat maps for ESA-listed species and utilized refreshed maps to reduce the impact of limited operating periods on timber operations and focused conservation measures in the most effective areas. The program worked with partners to expand technological advancements such as acoustic recording in wildlife monitoring program development to facilitate more efficient surveys for fuels reduction and timber projects. The program leveraged resources from extensive Federal, State, and private partners across 49 States to monitor avian and bat species to implement more efficient environmental compliance processes, including a programmatic consultation for ESA-listed bat species in the Eastern U.S., for timber, energy, and fuels priority work. Program Objectives for FY 2027 In FY 2027, the Wildlife and Fish Habitat Management Program remains focused on managing, protecting, and enhancing habitats and water quality necessary for the protection and recovery of plants and animals on NFS lands.

Extracted from Forest Service, p. 59. Verbatim; nothing here is paraphrased.

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