16 U.S.C. § 8201 — Purpose

The purpose of this chapter is to encourage partnerships among public agencies and other interested people to promote fish conservation, in five ways: (1) To get measurable habitat results through Fish Habitat Partnerships that lead to better fish habitat and more fishing chances, by (A) improving ecological conditions, (B) restoring natural processes, or (C) stopping the decline of healthy, intact systems. (2) To build a shared set of national conservation strategies to guide future action and investment by Fish Habitat Partnerships. (3) To widen support for fish habitat conservation by (A) increasing fishing opportunities, (B) getting local communities — especially young people — involved in conservation, and (C) raising public awareness of how healthy fish habitat affects quality of life and local economies. (4) To fill gaps in the National Fish Habitat Assessment and its database, by (A) enabling strategic action backed by widely available science, and (B) folding in socioeconomic data to improve people's lives in ways consistent with fish habitat goals. (5) To communicate with the public and conservation partners about (A) the results Fish Habitat Partnerships have achieved together, and (B) new opportunities and voluntary ways to conserve fish habitat.