Plenary Session

2025 Western Division and Colorado/Wyoming AFS Annual Meeting

Dates: May 11-15, 2025

LocationWestin Westminster in Westminster, Colorado

2025 Western Division and Colorado-Wyoming AFS Annual Meeting Plenary Session

Plenary Session at a Glance

 

Theme: Building Resilience: Investments in Fish Passage, Habitat Restoration, and Hatchery Modernization

Substantial resources, such as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Act, Inflation Reduction Act, and other funding initiatives, are being allocated in the US and Canada to enhance fish passage and habitat restoration projects in an effort to increase resilience in fish populations and their ecosystems. Concurrently, both public agencies and private aquaculture are focusing on modernizing existing hatcheries and designing new facilities to withstand future climate challenges.

We have an amazing group of plenary speakers who will give presentations related to our meeting theme.

 

Scaling Up Strategic Collaboration in Support of Resilient Ecosystems and Communities

—Shannon Boyle, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Recent investments in collaborative conservation are driving a shift in environmental stewardship, uniting federal agencies and partners to tackle critical ecological challenges and enhance climate adaptation. The Federal Interagency Fish Passage Task Force, consisting of 13 agencies, is spearheading innovative strategies for large-scale aquatic ecosystem restoration. Success relies on strategic collaboration, leveraging collective expertise and resources from both public and private sectors to maximize restoration impact and ensure lasting benefits beyond the Bipartisan Infrastructure Legislation funding timelines. This presentation highlights ongoing challenges and successes, showcasing the power of collaboration in addressing complex restoration issues. Shannon has worked with the USFWS Fish and Aquatic Conservation program since 2021, supporting the National Fish Passage Program and BIL funding implementation. As the Federal Interagency Fish Passage Task Force Coordinator since 2022, she has a background in juvenile salmonid monitoring and hydropower relicensing as a fish biologist for FERC. She holds degrees from McGill University and UC Santa Barbara and enjoys outdoor activities with her partner and mini dachshund.

 

Structuring Habitat – The Key Underpinnings of and Perspectives from the National Fish Habitat Partnership

—Gary Whelan, MI DNR Fisheries Division (retired) and AFS President-Elect

The National Fish Habitat Partnership (NFHP) was established in 2006 to address the decline of fish populations despite billions spent on conservation. Over its 20-year history, NFHP has remained focused on its mission to protect, rehabilitate, and enhance the nation’s fish habitats through partnerships. However, challenges have arisen in maintaining these foundational tenets. While much attention has been directed at projects on impaired systems—such as oyster reef restoration or fish barrier removal—protecting intact habitats, which are far less expensive, has been undervalued due to political and public perception challenges. Additionally, some high-profile, heavily degraded systems with high costs have not shown measurable results, even with extensive public and tribal involvement. To create lasting, positive change, NFHP must focus more on protecting intact habitats and rehabilitating those with only minor impairments, ensuring a higher return on investment for aquatic habitat work. Gary, a retired fisheries biologist, continues his work with NFHP, focusing on science and data assessments. He has authored or co-authored 54 peer-reviewed publications and remains active in fisheries policy and habitat management training. Gary holds degrees from the University of Wyoming and University of Missouri, and is currently the President-Elect of the American Fisheries Society.

 

Reconnecting and restoring habitat for Cutthroat Trout in the Bear River Basin

—Jim DeRito, Mike Fiorelli, and Tyler Coleman with Trout Unlimited

The Bear River flows through Utah, Wyoming, and Idaho and is the epitome of a “working river” in the West, supplying water for agriculture, hydropower, and municipal/industrial uses. These uses and related infrastructure have fragmented and degraded fish habitat for Cutthroat Trout throughout the basin. To address these conditions, Trout Unlimited and partners have used the Protect, Reconnect, Restore, and Sustain conservation model for about 20 years. We present three examples within the basin of how this model has been applied, results achieved, and future steps to conserve Cutthroat Trout in the basin. Jim DeRito has done fisheries conservation work in the Intermountain West for a variety of federal, state, and non-profit organizations for about 32 years. For the past 12 years, he’s worked for Trout Unlimited and has focused on Cutthroat Trout conservation in the Bear River Basin. He holds degrees from Montana State University and Hobart College.

 

 Increasing Resilience in Arizona’s White Mountains

 —Zachary Jackson, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service—Arizona Fish and Wildlife Conservation Office

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Arizona Fish and Wildlife Conservation Office in Whiteriver, Arizona, has long partnered with tribal, state, federal, and NGO groups to support the recovery of Apache Trout and other native fish. Recent funding increases over the past five years, including from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Act and Inflation Reduction Act, have accelerated recovery efforts, including delisting Apache Trout due to successful recovery and building long-term resilience. This funding supports local tribal employment for eradication, monitoring, barrier replacement, meadow restoration, road decommissioning, and fish passage improvements. These efforts are integral to maintaining fish population health and ecosystem resiliency in the White Mountains, with expanded metapopulations and habitat restoration efforts ensuring recovery into the future. The Apache Trout recovery is a testament to the power of collaborative conservation. Zac Jackson has worked for the Arizona Fish and Wildlife Conservation Office since 2017, with prior experience in habitat restoration and fish management in California. He holds degrees from North Dakota State University and Iowa State University.

 

Columbia Basin Anadromous Hatchery Infrastructure: Repair and Renovate for Resilience

—Becky Johnson, Nez Perce Tribe Department of Fisheries Resource Management

The Columbia River (Nchʼi-Wàna), the largest river in the Pacific Northwest, is crucial habitat for 13 ESA-listed species of salmon and steelhead and holds deep cultural significance for local Tribes. Over 14 federal and 10 public utility dams on the River provide hydropower and navigation but have also eliminated 55% of salmon and steelhead habitat. To offset these losses, over 50 hatcheries have been established since the 1930s, producing around 150 million juvenile fish annually to support tribal and non-tribal fisheries. However, many hatcheries are over 50 years old, with aging infrastructure and a backlog of over $1 billion in repairs. Recent funding from the Inflation Reduction Act and Bipartisan Infrastructure Law has brought new momentum to address these issues, with projects underway to repair and adapt hatcheries for climate resilience, water efficiency, and fish passage. Becky Johnson, the Production Division Director for the Nez Perce Tribe, manages hatcheries that produce 13 million juvenile fish annually to support restoration and harvest efforts.

 

Connectivity, Ethics, and a Reverence for Rivers

—Kurt Fausch, Professor Emeritus, Colorado State University

Habitat fragmentation and the loss of connectivity significantly impact fish populations, but recent fish passage projects and dam removals have helped restore connectivity to thousands of rivers and streams across the U.S., providing fish access to critical habitats necessary for their life cycles. However, these projects also present ethical dilemmas, particularly regarding the potential for invasive species to gain access to previously isolated areas. These ethical challenges are common in river management, where threats like overfishing, water demand, and climate change complicate conservation efforts. Addressing these issues requires blending Western scientific knowledge with the wisdom of indigenous cultures to create a more holistic and respectful approach to river conservation. Kurt Fausch, Professor Emeritus at Colorado State University, has spent 35 years teaching about and researching stream fish ecology and conservation, collaborating globally. His work is featured in the PBS documentary RiverWebs and his 2015 book For the Love of Rivers: A Scientist’s Journey, which won the Sigurd F. Olson Nature Writing Award.