Session A5 - NOAA\u27s Efforts to Restore River Herring in the Northeast U.S.

Owing to their trans-boundary, migratory life-history, their commercial and recreational importance, and their ecological value to other commercially and recreationally important species, the restoration and protection of diadromous fish populations is a high priority for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The implementation of dam removal and other fish passage techniques is a primary tool that NOAA uses to address this priority. NOAA exercises this responsibility through a number of different programs and authorities including the Federal Power Act, Endangered Species Act, and through its pro-active restoration programs including the Community-based Restoration Program. Among the 14 diadromous species present in the Northeast United States, alewife and blueback herring are priority species for restoration. This presentation will summarize NOAA\u27s efforts to restore these populations across the region and discuss recent and future opportunities and constraints. In particular the presentation will focus on river herring restoration accomplishments, efforts to develop a watershed-based geographic prioritization for fish passage in the Northeast, integrated monitoring, and the recent petition to list river herring under the Endangered Species Act