U.S. FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE
MID-ATLANTIC FISHERY RESOURCES OFFICE
P.O. Box 67000, 1601 Elmerton Avenue, Harrisburg, PA 17106-7000
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Larry Miller, Coordinator
November 18, 2010 Susquehanna River Anadromous Fish Restoration
Cooperative Office: (717) 705-7838
e-mail larry_m_miller@fws.gov
SUSQUEHANNA RIVER ANADROMOUS FISH RESTORATION
COOPERATIVE (SRAFRC) APPROVES A NEW
MIGRATORY FISH MANAGEMENT AND RESTORATION PLAN FOR THE
SUSQUEHANNA RIVER BASIN
HARRISBURG, Pa. – The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) today announced that a new
Migratory Fish Management and Restoration Plan for the Susquehanna River Basin (Plan) was
approved by a unanimous vote of the Susquehanna River Anadromous Fish Restoration
Cooperative (SRAFRC), Policy Committee. USFWS chairs the SRAFRC, which is a chartered
interagency cooperative organization comprised of the fishery agencies from the three basin states
New York, Pennsylvania, and Maryland, the Susquehanna River Basin Commission, and the
federal government (USFWS, and the National Marine Fisheries Service) working together to
restore self-sustaining migratory fishery resources and their habitats to the Susquehanna River
Basin.
Migratory fish restoration in the Susquehanna River Basin has been a cooperative effort from the
start, with the state and federal resource agencies, and the river basin commission working
together with hydropower companies and others to establish fish passage, fish culture and
stocking programs, and other activities to enhance and effectively manage migratory fish
resources in the basin.
The Migratory Fish Management and Restoration Plan for the Susquehanna River Basin will be
used by SRAFRC and others in managing and restoring migratory fish resources in the
Susquehanna River Basin. The overall goal of the plan is to: Restore self-sustaining, robust,
and productive stocks of migratory fish capable of producing sustainable fisheries, to the
Susquehanna River Basin throughout their historic ranges in Maryland, Pennsylvania, and
New York. The restoration goals are 2 million American shad and 5 million river herring
spawning in the Susquehanna River Basin upstream of the York Haven Dam. Goals for
American eel and other migratory species are yet to be determined. The Plan sets five
objectives each with a number of management actions which if accomplished should achieve the
goals of the plan.
This comprehensive Susquehanna River watershed plan will serve as the lead document for
guiding migratory fish management and restoration. The success of this plan is dependent upon
stakeholder involvement in a dynamic process of fish stock restoration efforts, implementation of
effective upstream and downstream passage, promoting water quality monitoring and
improvements, and promoting watershed planning activities. Benchmarks set forth in this plan
and will be reviewed periodically by SRAFRC thereby maximizing the probability of success by
employing science-based evaluations and strategic realignment. The full Plan is available on the
USFWS web site at: http://www.fws.gov/northeast/susquehannariver/