The status of freshwater fishes continues to decline despite substantial conservation efforts to reverse this trend and recover threatened and endangered aquatic species. Lack of success is partially due to working at smaller spatial scales and focusing on habitats and species that are already degraded. Protecting entire watersheds and aquatic communities, which we term “native fish conservation areas” (NFCAs), would complement existing conservation efforts by protecting intact aquatic communities while allowing compatible uses. Four critical elements need to be met within a NFCA: (1) maintain processes that create habitat complexity, diversity, and connectivity; (2) nurture all of the life history stages of the fishes being protected; (3) include a long‐term enough watershed to provide long‐term persistence of native fish populations; and (4) provide management that is sustainable over time. We describe how a network of protected watersheds could be created that would anchor aquatic conservation needs in river basins across the country.
We surveyed U.S. state and Canadian provincial fish and wildlife agencies regarding their participation and approach to environmental review (i.e., review of project permit applications or proposals for environmental impacts). Most agencies dedicated a personnel unit to environmental review ranging from 1 individual to a staff of 38, and staffs are administered within various divisions or programs. Agencies annually reviewed from 10 to 7,500 projects for environmental impact, and state and provincial agencies spent an average of 3,681 hours (state) and 700 hours (provincial) on projects monthly. An average of 1,760 hours (state) and 390 hours (provincial) was spent annually on proactive measures such as environmental education and land use planning. Most agencies viewed environmental review as very important; however, agencies generally reported limited success in influencing the outcome of reviewed projects, and many identified this as a dissatisfying aspect of the review process. State and provincial agencies have adopted a variety of approaches to accomplish environmental review. Examining the alternative strategies and approaches employed among agencies may add perspective and provide successful models to enhance other agencies' programs.
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