What a year 2020 has turned out to be! As we head into this holiday season and begin to look forward to 2021, we at Colorado Trout Unlimited wanted to take a minute to thank YOU. In spite of the pandemic, we have many things to be grateful for this year!
First, a HUGE thank you to those who have served our communities in Colorado and across the nation this year! Our heartfelt appreciation goes out to our First Responders, Healthcare Workers, Essential Workers, and Fire Fighters – thank you for your efforts and dedication during this incredibly challenging year.
With the support of Colorado TU’s chapter leaders and volunteers, we successfully adapted our youth programs during Covid-19 to continue engaging kids with fish, rivers and the outdoors. STREAM Girls pivoted to a virtual learning opportunity with Girl Scouts exploring their local watersheds safely with family members; Trout in the Classroom teachers set up cameras so students could monitor their tanks virtually; and teens from around the state joined Colorado TU for an online lineup of fly fishing and conservation-related sessions through TU Teens LIVE.
The Great American Outdoors Act passed with broad bipartisan support and will provide needed funding for public lands, including permanent full funding of the Land and Water Conservation Fund. We are grateful to the hundreds of TU supporters who contacted their elected officials and to members of our Colorado Congressional delegation who supported this landmark legislation.
We’ve seen continued progress on Stream Management Plans for the Blue River, Gunnison River, and South Boulder Creek and new SMPs coming together on the Arkansas and Clear Creek, all in partnership with our local TU chapters.
We held our first-ever Digital Rendezvous with chapter leaders from around the state and excellent sessions on Stream Management Planning, engaging people of color in conservation and angling, TU’s mine reclamation work, the State of Colorado’s Fisheries, and more!
In a year like this, we couldn’t be more thankful for the support we have been fortunate enough to receive from all of you in the Colorado TU community. A big thank you to the following folks for their incredible generosity and ongoing support of our work for healthy rivers and trout:
River Stewardship Council and Century Club donors, raffle ticket purchasers, and all of the supporters who make contributions in support of CTU's work;
Business Partners who contribute through our corporate donor program, support our events, and share our story with their customers;
Gala sponsors, auction donors, and attendees who have made CTU's largest annual fundraiser into a must-attend event;
Chapter leaders and grassroots members who changed direction and continued to serve their local members and communities from a distance;
Our dedicated volunteers who contribute countless hours in support of healthy rivers and wild trout;
Our National TU staff colleagues whose expertise and commitment help to make Colorado even better through mine reclamation work, advocating for our wild lands and water partnerships with Colorado’s farming and ranching community;
And last but not least, the Colorado TU Board who give of their time, talent, and treasure and are integral to CTU's continued success!
THANK YOU! Wishing you a safe and healthy holiday season!
- Annie, Dan, David, Geoff, Jen, and Shannon
The Colorado TU Team
