National Fish Passage Program on the Land Conservation Assistance Network

National Fish Passage Program
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last updated: June 2016
The National Fish Passage Program (NFPP) is a voluntary, non-regulatory initiative that provides funding and technical assistance to reconnect the aquatic habitat by removing or bypassing barriers.

NFPP was initiated in 1999 to address structures built on rivers and their effects on fish and other aquatic species. NFPP program coordinators work with local communities and partner agencies to restore natural flows and fish migration by removing or bypassing barriers. Perched culverts and sediment inputs are common problems that impact fish passage at road stream crossings. Dams and other artificial barriers can also interfere with the movement patterns of fish.

National Fish Passage programs benefits the local communities by providing ecological and recreational benefits such as: increases river connectivity creating healthier aquatic habitat for fish and wildlife, improving water quality and quantity, improving sediment management, restoring and protects aquatic and riparian habitat and It provides a solution to continued decline of freshwater species in the face of climate and other ecological uncertainties.

National Fish Passage Program project funding benefits the economy of local communities at the same time as enhancing the vitality of our critical and unique aquatic resources. More than 70% of the NFPP’s total funding goes directly to on-the-ground project implementation.

NFPP Benefits local communities faced with the expense of maintaining obsolete dams removes the threat of unsafe-killer dams and culverts and help withstand catastrophic events such as flood due to not properly designed culverts. Culverts survive the 100 to 500-year flood event if fish-friendly sizing and positioning put in place and reduces the local communities’ loss to important road infrastructure at stream crossings from flooding.

Proposals must be submitted to a Fish and Wildlife Conservation Office Biologist to be formally considered for funding. To begin this process, please contact your Regional Fish Passage Coordinator, or your local Fish and Wildlife Conservation Office. Service Biologists will discuss the project with you and help in ensuring it is a good fit for the National Fish Passage Program. It is recommended that you do this early in the process so that they can help guide the creation of the proposal and provide templates or formatting instructions. NFPP funding cannot be used for mitigation projects or for those required by other regulation.

Proposals are accepted year round, however, the funding cycle for Fish Passage projects begins each year in August and ends with funds awarded the following spring. Funding is administered through the Regional and local Fish and Wildlife Conservation Offices.

Please note that fish passage projects are not eligible for funding if they are eligible for any Federal or State compensatory mitigation or if fish passage is a condition provided by existing Federal or State regulatory programs.

Contact National Fish Passage Program
Listed in:
Department of Interior - Fish and Wildlife Service Programs

Contact National Fish Passage Program
Susan Wells
National Fish Passage Coordinator
5275 Leesburg Pike
Falls Church, Virginia 22041
Phone: 703-358-2523

Service Area
National Program

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Related Success Stories for National Fish Passage Program

Fish and Wildlife Service Fish Passage Program: The Fish Passage Program works with public and private partners nationwide to restore fish habitat by removing local barriers to natural water flows.