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Ken Burton 202-208-5657

Fish Barriers in 19 States to be Removed or Bypassed by U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Partners in 2005

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's Fisheries Program and partners in 19 states will spend a combined $7.4 million this year to remove or bypass more than 150 barriers to fish passage.

The popular National Fish Passage Program enlists municipal, state, tribal and other federal agencies, as well as non-governmental organizations, to open habitat in the Nation's streams and rivers by removing or bypassing dams and other obstructions as well as improving or replacing culverts under roads or railroad tracks.  Partner participation is strictly voluntary.

Many small dams set for removal or bypass date back to the American and Industrial revolutions.  Many were built to accommodate early barge traffic, or provide power, or irrigation to a fledgling economy.  As all uses were superseded by other, more efficient systems, the dams were left abandoned, providing no function other than fragmenting habitat and dampening fish populations.

Completion of the 2005 projects will open more than 1,500 miles of waterways and more than 5,000 acres, allowing fish to access a considerable amount of important historic spawning and rearing habitats that were unavailable for years.

"The National Fish Passage Program is a model for similar programs," said Matt Hogan, Acting Director of the Fish and Wildlife Service.  "We not only have a long list of partners, we have a long waiting list of partners anxious to get on board.  And because they all share in the cost, taxpayer dollars go a long, long way.  Everybody - and nearly every fish - is a winner."

Hogan pointed to the Penobscot River Restoration Project in Maine as an example of the Program's success and appeal.  This multi-year project involves nine partners and is expected to remove or bypass three large dams at a cost of $25 million.  The opening of the Penobscot River will not only benefit fish, but also nearby communities who expect to see increased fish runs and more recreational anglers in the years ahead.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is the principal federal agency responsible for conserving, protecting and enhancing fish, wildlife and plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people.  The Service manages the 95-million-acre National Wildlife Refuge System, which encompasses 542 national wildlife refuges, thousands of small wetlands and other special management areas.  It also operates 69 national fish hatcheries, 64 fishery resource offices and 81 ecological services field stations.  The agency enforces federal wildlife laws, administers the Endangered Species Act, manages migratory bird populations, restores nationally significant fisheries, conserves and restores wildlife habitat such as wetlands, and helps foreign governments with their conservation efforts.  It also oversees the Federal Aid Program, which distributes hundreds of millions of dollars in excise taxes on fishing and hunting equipment to state fish and wildlife agencies.

USFWS National Fish Passage Program FY 2005 Funded Fish Passage Projects

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For more information about the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, visit our home page at http://www.fws.gov

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