The California Fish Passage Forum annual meeting, Klamath River, Siskiyou County, CA
About the California Fish Passage Forum
Mission and Purpose
The California Fish Passage Forum is a collaborative partnership of researchers, engineers, fisheries and restoration practitioners and advocates working within the state agencies, federal agencies, nonprofits, and tribes to protect and restore California anadromous waterways. The forum members work collaboratively to understand the state of fish passage improvement projects and programs, direct investments into restoration, research, assessment and monitoring, and develop data products, trainings, and media materials to communicate the continued need for restoration. The Forum is a congressionally recognized Fish Habitat Partnership supported by the National Fish Habitat Partnership (NFHP).
The Forum mission is to protect and revitalize anadromous fish populations in California by restoring connectivity of freshwater habitats throughout their historic range.
Man-made barriers to fish migration including road-stream crossings, irrigation diversions, dams, and other in-stream structures which delay or prevent fish movement, block access to critical habitat, and can injure or kill fish. Addressing these barriers has been consistently identified as a high-priority, cost-effective approach to protecting and restoring anadromous fish populations.
Forum History
In October 1999, the California Natural Resources Agency (CNRA) convened a group of interested state, local, and federal agencies, conservation groups, researchers, and restoration contractors as part of an eight-point California Coastal Salmon and Watersheds Program. The program recognized that removing or modifying fish passage barriers could yield the greatest cost-efficiency for short-term restoration. This convening led to the formal establishment of the California Fish Passage Forum in 2012.
One of the Forum’s first actions was to develop the Passage Assessment Database (PAD), a map-based inventory of known and potential barriers to anadromous fish in California. The PAD was created in collaboration with the California Coastal Conservancy and the Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission, supported by a legislative appropriation from Proposition 12.
Forum Members
| First Name | Last Name | Signatory | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| Holly | Steindorf | Coordinator | Coordinator |
| Adrienne | Chenette | American Rivers | Associate Director California Data Science & River Restoration |
| Meghan | Quinn | American Rivers | California Dam Removal Program Director |
| Mark | Gard | CA Dept of Fish and Wildlife | Senior Hydraulic Engineer |
| Andrew | Hampton | CA Dept of Fish and Wildlife | Statewide Aquatic Connectivity Coorindator |
| Theo | Claire | CA Dept of Water Resources | Environmental Scientist |
| Jim | Long | CA Dept of Water Resources | Fish Passage Improvement Program Supervisor |
| Gena | Lasko | CA State Parks | Senior Environmental Scientist |
| Ted | Masters | CA State Parks | Environmental Scientist |
| John | Sayers | CA State Parks | Environmental Scientist |
| Emily | Siegel | CA State Parks | Engineering Geologist |
| Claire | Buchanan | CalTrout | Senior Project Manager |
| Sandi | Jacobson | CalTrout | South Coast Regional Director |
| Darren | Mierau | CalTrout | North Coast Regional Director |
| Russel | Marlow | CalTrout | Senior Project Manager for the South Coast Region |
| Claire | Buchanan | CalTrout | Regional Director, Central California Region |
| Garrett | Altmann | Environmental Policy Innovation Center | Western Restoration Program Manager |
| Ruth | Goodfield | National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration | Marine Habitat Resource Specialist |
| Stan | Allen | Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission | Senior Program Manager |
| Anne | Elston | Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission | Data Management Specialist |
| Van | Hare | Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission | GIS Specialist |
| Sam | Janniches | State Coastal Conservancy | Project Manager |
| Stephanie | Falzone | Sustainable Conservation | Senior Project Manager |
| Erika | Lovejoy | Sustainable Conservation | Accelerating Restoration Program Manager |
| Anna | Halligan | Trout Unlimited | North Coast Coho Project Director |
| Marisa | Parish- Hanson | Trout Unlimited | Marine Resources Habitat Specialist |
| Natalie | Stauffer-Olsen | Trout Unlimited | California Staff Scientist |
| Chris | Kane | USDA Forest Service | Procurement Officer |
| Alex | Jones | US Fish and Wildlife Service | Culvert Aquatic Organism Passage Coordinator |
| Tim | Loux | US Fish and Wildlife Service | Senior Fishery Biologist |
| Don | Crocker | Wildlife Conservation Board | Habitat Enhancement and Restoration Program Director |
| Geneva | Iversen-Krampitz | Wildlife Conservation Board | Program Manager – Climate Adaptation and Resilience |
Forum Committees
Steering Committee
Any entity that has signed the Forum MOU is a member of the Forum Steering Committee. The Steering Committee is responsible for overall policy and direction, establishing and guiding committees and working groups, approving the annual work plan, and monitoring the implementation of the strategic framework.
The Steering Committee , comprised of the entire Forum membership, is led by an elected Chair and Vice-Chair, each serving concurrent two-year terms, with the Vice-Chair moving into the Chair position at the end of each term. The Forum advances tasks from the annual work plan through four standing committees:
Governance Committee
The Forum Governance Governance Committee coordinates the Forum’s work plan and budget, guides the work of the Forum coordinator, communicates with the National Fish Habitat Partnership, and drafts key Forum documents such as the Strategic Framework, bylaws, and grant applications.
Science and Data Committee
The Forum Science and Data Committee supports the collection and management of barrier removal effectiveness assessment monitoring data, guiding the development of trainings related to the assessment of fish passage barriers. The Committee also supports the ongoing maintenance and expansion of the California Passage Assessment Database.
Policy and Permitting Committee
The Forum policy and Permitting Committee discusses issues related to project permitting and fish passage policy in California, and communicates advancements in streamlined restoration permitting options via practioner case studies, and communicates options for advocacy surrounding policy relevant to California’s anadromous fisheries restoration.
Education and Outreach Committee
The Forum Education and Outreach Committee develops materials and implements outreach actions to communicate Forum data products, trainings, and restoration funding, and supports engagement with a diversity of restoration organizations including tribal governments and organizations working with underserved communities.
Interested in Joining the Forum?
The California Fish Passage Forum is comprised of signatory agencies, which commit to participating in the Forum through our MOU. Signatories assign a designee to represent their organization at the Forum. Signatories are encouraged but not required to assign an alternate member, who can participate in addition to, or in replace of the designee. The entire Forum membership comprises the Steering Committee, while most day-to-day Forum operation is through monthly subcommittee meetings. Forum members are encouraged to join at least one subcommittee.
Membership Benefits
Stay Informed
Keep appraised of the strategic priorities of decision-making organizations, changes to policy or programs that influence the climate of fish passage restoration, and the projects and priorites of your fellow restoration groups.
Join a National Movement
Help advance the scale and pace of fish passage restoration by joining forces with enthusiastic and engaged organizations in California and beyond. Learn about the growing network of fish habitat partnerships through the National Fish Habitat Partnership.
Access Diverse Expertise
Gain perspectives on current and future restoration design, policy, and investment from federal, and state agencies and non-profits with expertise and experience.
Share Your Impact
Utilize the Forum’s platform to communicate, collaborate, and advertize your agency programs to other organizations and to project practitioners.
A request can be submitted at any time, and will be reviewed by the Forum Governance Committee within 60 days of the request.