Western Native Trout Initiative

08/28/2026

📢 FY27 Funding Opportunity Coming Soon! 🎣

The Western Native Trout Initiative will open its Fiscal Year 2027 Request for Proposals on September 7, 2026! This is when we will be accepting applications for funding coming from the National Fish Habitat Partnership.

WNTI is seeking projects that support the conservation, restoration, and long-term persistence of native trout and their habitats across the western United States. If you have a project that could make a difference for native trout, now is the time to start planning!

Learn more about the types of projects we fund, eligibility requirements, and the application process on our website:

Learn more about the FY27 Request for Proposals

📅 Anticipated FY27 RFP Timeline:

🎣 September 7, 2026 – WNTI opens the NFHP FY27 RFP cycle to applicants.

📄 October 16, 2026 – Proposals are due to WNTI; the RFP closes.

🔍 November 2026 – WNTI reviews and ranks proposals and submits the highest-ranked projects to the National Fish Habitat Partnership for approval.

🏛️ December 2026 – National Fish Habitat Partnership Board reviews proposals and sends recommendations to the U.S. Department of the Interior.

✅ March–May 2027 – U.S. Department of the Interior review and final project approvals.

🎉 June–August 2027 – Awards are announced, grant agreements are finalized, and funding is awarded.

We look forward to seeing the innovative projects and partnerships working to conserve the West’s native trout!

08/28/2026

Very cool story about a WNTI focal species. Don't forget, Dolly Varden are also part of the Western Native Trout Challenge, and only available in Alaska!

Today feels like the right day to appreciate the Dolly Varden. ❤️

A beautiful fish with a coat of many colors, found in cold, clear waters across Alaska and the Pacific Northwest.

There are a lot of beautiful things in this world, and we’ll always have a special place in our hearts for the Dollys.

Photo by USFWS

08/27/2026

Are you heading to the National American Fisheries Society annual meeting next week? If so, don't miss some of these great sessions as part of the 20th anniversary of the National Fish Habitat Partnership! Here's a cheatsheet of great NFHP-related events and sessions.
Also, don't forget WNTI and Eastern Brook Trout Joint Venture are co-hosting a session on Thursday: East vs. West: Approaches to Native Trout Management Across North America

Hope to see you in Columbus!

Monday, August 31, 2026
• National Aquatic Connectivity Collaboration: Expanding a Proven Regional Model to Drive National Change
8:00 AM - 8:15 AM | Franklin D | Navigating Aquatic Connectivity Challenges: Partnerships, Process, and Progress (Kat Hoenke)

• The National Fish Habitat Action Plan- A Renewed Plan for Landscape-Scale Aquatic Habitat Conservation (ID #601)
8:00 AM - 8:15 AM | Morrow | Advancing Recovery at Scale: Habitat Restoration and Augmentation Drive Sustainable Fisheries (Jason Olive)

• Indiana Aquatic Connectivity Team - Building Partnerships to Benefit Dam and Barrier Removal (ID #248)
8:30 AM - 8:45 AM | Franklin D | Navigating Aquatic Connectivity Challenges: Partnerships, Process, and Progress (Pierce VanValkenburg, ORBFHP Coordinator & Associate Director of River Restoration at American Rivers & Josh Egenolf Stream Restoration Project Manager at The Nature Conservancy)

• Assessments in Action: Scenario-Driven Insights for Aquatic Habitat Conservation
1:30 PM - 5:00 PM | Franklin C
Bring your laptop and/or examples of use cases to explore available information and tools.

Monday Evening Poster Session
Poster & Tradeshow Networking Event: 5:30 PM - 7:30 PM
• California Fish Passage Forum Poster
• Pacific Marine & Estuarine Fish Habitat Partnership Poster

Tuesday, September 1, 2026
AFS Plenary Session
Featured NFHP Speakers
10:15 AM – 12:00 PM | Regency Ballroom
• Tim Schaeffer, Pennsylvania Fish & Boat Commission and NFHP Board Chair: 20th Anniversary of the National Fish Habitat Partnership
• Stan Moberly Award Presentation
Dave Miko, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service: Collaborative Landscape-Scale Aquatic Habitat Conservation: A Federal Perspective
Featured Session
• Assessments in Action: Supporting Aquatic Habitat Conservation with Landscape Information
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM | Morrow

Wednesday, September 2, 2026
• Stream Fish Diversity in and Protection Status of Headwater Streams of the United States
10:15AM - 10:30 AM | Fish Conservation: Native Stream Fishes (Jared Ross)
• Science and Data Support of the National Fish Habitat Partnership
10:30 AM - 10:45 AM | Updates on the Status of the Fisheries Commissions-USGS Partnership (Daniel Wieferich)
• National Fish Habitat Partnership Networking Reception
4:00 PM - 5:30 PM | Hyatt Regency Columbus, 20th Floor (room 2007 in Hyatt)

Thursday, September 3, 2026
• East vs. West: Approaches to Native Trout Management Across North America
8:00 AM - 3:00 PM | Fayette

08/26/2026

Amazing story about a cool dessert fish!

08/24/2026

Very cool story on the next chapter of this Greenback Cutthroat Trout recovery project from Colorado Parks and Wildlife and Colorado Trout Unlimited. WNTI was instrumental in funding an early phase of this project to help fund installation of a temporary barrier. Great to see this project entering a new chapter!

Rocky Mountain National Park and nearby forests will close trails and campsites Aug. 23-30 for greenback cutthroat trout recovery project. See link below ⬇️

📸 Provided by Colorado Parks and Wildlife

08/20/2026

The August 2026 edition of the Western Native Trout Initiative newsletter is here!
https://mailchi.mp/westernnativetrout/apr-2026-news-from-the-western-native-trout-initiative-17330118?e=8bbc80000b
This month, we’re highlighting exciting progress for native trout conservation across the West, including:
🎣 FY2027 WNTI NFHP funding information — proposals open September 7
🌉 New conservation projects supporting California Golden Trout and Yellowstone Cutthroat Trout
🐟 A major NDOW project to restore Lahontan Cutthroat Trout habitat in Nevada
🏆 Summer adventures with the Western Native Trout Challenge
👥 New leadership and members joining the WNTI Steering Committee
🔬 Innovative new research using YY males to eradicate invasive Brook Trout populations
📅 Upcoming fisheries conferences and important news for anglers

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07/22/2026

Today we celebrate one of the true giants of native trout and freshwater fish conservation—Dr. Peter B. Moyle.

For more than five decades, Dr. Moyle has helped shape our understanding of western native fishes through groundbreaking science, influential publications, and the mentorship of generations of fisheries professionals. His research and mentorship has advanced the conservation of California's native trout and countless other freshwater species, while helping guide science-based management and restoration efforts across the West.

The latest profile in California Fly Fisher offers an inspiring look at Dr. Moyle's remarkable career, his passion for native fishes, and the lasting legacy he continues to leave on fisheries conservation.

If you care about wild trout, healthy rivers, and the future of our native fish to give it a read here:
https://calflyfisher.com/stories/profile-dr-peter-b-moyle/

From everyone at the Western Native Trout Initiative, thank you, Dr. Moyle, for a lifetime of scientific excellence, leadership, and unwavering dedication to conserving the native trout and freshwater ecosystems that define the American West. Your work has inspired countless fish squeezers and will continue to benefit native fish for generations to come.

06/25/2026

06/25/2026

Catch up on the latest native trout conservation news from across the West, including project updates, partnership highlights, funding opportunities, and stories showcasing conservation in action. Learn how WNTI and our partners continue to protect, restore, and enhance habitat for 21 species of western native trout across 12 western states.

Since 2006, WNTI-supported projects have helped reconnect more than 2,000 miles of native trout habitat, remove barriers to fish passage, and advance conservation efforts through collaborative, locally led partnerships. Read about the people, projects, and successes making a difference for western native trout and the waters they depend on.

📖 Read the Summer 2026 Newsletter here: https://mailchi.mp/westernnativetrout/apr-2026-news-from-the-western-native-trout-initiative-17328836?e=8bbc80000b

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