Good Afternoon,

Last week, concurrent with our Annual Rise to the Future Awards Ceremony in Washington, D.C., Chief Tooke released the Forest Service’s updated Rise to the Future: National Fish and Aquatic Strategy. The strategy is available online at the link provided and is also attached here, along with a 4-page Fact Sheet.  If you’re with another agency or nongovernmental organization, please feel free to share news of the Forest Service’s updated strategy through your networks.  The Forest Service will not be developing a press release.  Your help in disseminating word of our updated strategy would be greatly appreciated.   

We extend our sincere thanks to all those who participated on our nearly 60-member national team in development of the strategy and to all those who provided input or review along the way.  Many of you, including cooperating agencies and partner organizations, made significant contributions to the updated strategy making it much better in the end.  We think so, and we’re confident you will too.  The strategy includes 8 high-priority, near-term action items to get us rolling with implementation.  We’re looking forward to that work in 2018 and will be inviting your participation along the way.  We have a communications and roll-out strategy that will take place well into 2018 and serve as a means to engage participants in implementation, including those from cooperating agencies, partner organizations, and others.  Nat Gillespie is leading that effort, so stay tuned on more to come.     

We’re excited to move forward and welcome your participation and feedback.  Thanks for your support and contributions to date.  Most of all, thanks for making a difference!

Dan Shively – Team co-lead; National Fisheries Program Leader

John Rothlisberger – Team co-lead; National Program Leader for Aquatic Ecology Research

Nat Gillespie – Team co-lead; Assistant National Fisheries Program Leader