Meet Lori Maloney
Lori Maloney with toddler in a backpack, standing on rocks high above the Potomac River in Maryland.
April 1, 2021
Dear Partners in brook trout habitat conservation:
I'm Lori Maloney, the new coordinator for Eastern Brook Trout Joint Venture, working with the Canaan Valley Institute. Some of us know each other from past work (you may have known me as Lori Davias), and some of you have already introduced yourselves. So far, I have experienced nothing but positive interactions with EBTJV's members and leadership. This is an amazing community.
I am replacing Steve Perry, who has become a trusted name for EBTJV and brook trout conservation. His service to the EBTJV goes back to its very beginnings in 2004, and I am lucky to be able to learn from him as I get oriented to this unique partnership. Don't worry, he will still very much be a part of EBTJV. He has joined the Steering Committee for EBTJV and also the board for the National Fish Habitat Partnership.
Steve's role on the NFHAP board comes at an important time. America’s Conservation Enhancement (ACE) Act was passed by Congress and signed by the President in fall 2020. It authorizes an appropriation of up to $7.2 M for fish habitat conservation projects across 20 Fish Habitat Partnerships. ACE places an emphasis on restoration efforts that will enhance sport fish populations that will improve recreational fishing opportunities and public use of the resource. An important change is the requirement of a 1:1 non-federal match to NFHAP dollars. The legislation additionally appropriates up to $400,000/year to the USGS, USFS, NOAA, USFWS, and EPA to provide scientific and technical assistance to the partnerships. Steve, the Steering Committee, and I will help navigate these and other changes and opportunities provided by the ACE Act, so please stay tuned.
As you plan your own projects and future funding requests through EBTJV, please remember to coordinate with your regional biologists. They are here for you, and also play an important role guiding projects to be as effective as possible. We have always relied on letters from these experts as we evaluate projects and will continue to do so.
In this time of transition, it is good to remember how we formed. In 2004, state and federal agencies, conservation groups and academics concerned about the decline of eastern Brook Trout formed the Eastern Brook Trout Joint Venture as one of the first five Fish Habitat Partnerships operating in accordance with the guiding principles of the National Fish Habitat Action Plans. By working across jurisdictional lines, the EBTJV fills a need for coordinated conservation. The EBTJV provides leadership in Brook Trout conservation that is grounded by science; and, through its network of the region’s top scientists and fisheries managers, the EBTJV identifies priority needs, delivers valuable decision-support tools, and promotes proven techniques for conserving wild Brook Trout populations. This range-wide, coordinated approach is as important as ever, given the increasing threats to brook trout from climate change and other challenges.
Please feel free to contact me with questions or feedback. I can be found in the Eastern Panhandle of WV with my husband and five-year-old son, or more conveniently via email, phone, or web meetings. I'd love to chat with you and learn about your interests. Thank you for continuing to do what you can to protect the best of the best, and to restore brook trout to the waters we love and value so much.
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