February 13, 2024 (Washington, D.C.) – The Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation’s (CSF) Senior Director of Fisheries Policy, Chris Horton, was recently chosen to serve on both the Sport Fishing and Boating Partnership Council (SFBPC) and the National Fish Habitat Partnership (NFHP) Board further solidifying CSF’s footprint on fisheries policy.
For 35 years, CSF has been the nation’s most effective outdoor advocacy organization, working to protect and advance hunting, angling, recreational shooting, and trapping for America’s 55 million sportsmen and women. Having begun his career as a fisheries research biologist and later working for B.A.S.S., the nation’s largest membership-based angling organization, Chris’ experience with fisheries science, habitat restoration, and working with anglers around the country positions him well to be an effective member of both the SFBPC and NFHP Board.
“With the ever-increasing challenges exerting pressures on the nation’s aquatic resources from habitat loss and degradation to a changing climate, the work of both the Sport Fishing and Boating Partnership Council and the National Fish Habitat Board is critical in ensuring American’s can continue to enjoy abundant, healthy fisheries from coast to coast,” said Chris Horton, CSF’s Senior Director of Fisheries Policy. “As a passionate angler, I am honored to be selected to play a role on both of these advisory bodies where my background and expertise in fisheries management and fisheries policy can contribute to providing strategic guidance for addressing these challenges.”
“As a long-standing partner and member of the CSF Board of Directors leadership team, I entrust in CSF and their ability to advocate on issues of great importance to our customers,” said Ken Eubanks, CEO of Rather Outdoors and CSF Board of Directors Treasurer. “Chris Horton’s selection to serve on these two advisory boards is another testament to CSF’s leadership and their ability to continue as strong advocates for anglers nationwide that will allow us to pass these traditions on to future generations.”
Dually appointed by both the Secretaries of the Interior and Commerce, the Sport Fishing and Boating Partnership Council is a Federal Advisory Committee that advises each Secretary on aquatic resources conservation and restoration endeavors in freshwater, estuarine, and marine environments that benefit recreational fisheries, enhance recreational boating, and encourage partnerships among industry, the public, and government to advance these efforts.
The National Fish Habitat Partnership was codified in 2020 with the passage of the America’s Conservation Enhancement Act. The NFHP mission is to “protect, restore and enhance the nation’s fish and aquatic communities through partnerships that foster fish habitat conservation and improve the quality of life for the American people.” There are currently 20 fish habitat partnerships across the nation that range from individual species like the Eastern Brook Trout Joint Venture to system-based like the Reservoir Fish Habitat Partnership. Chris was recently elected by the NFHP Board to serve as a representative for marine recreational anglers. The job of the NFHP Board is to establish national priorities for fish and aquatic habitat conservation and to assist individual partnerships in achieving their mission of protecting and improving fish habitat.
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