At the annual Fall Rendezvous in Glenwood Springs on November 2, Colorado TU presented its annual awards to a slate of chapters, partners, and volunteers whose contributions helped advance the cause of coldwater conservation over the past year and beyond. Winners of the 2024 annual awards were:
Trout Conservation Award
Representatives Julie McCluskie and Karen McCormick, and Senator Dylan Roberts, were recognized for their collective leadership in passing landmark legislation establishing a state-level program for regulating dredging and filling of waters and wetlands in Colorado. Passage of the bill, HB 24-1379, made Colorado the first state to restore protections to waterways that lost their federal protection under the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling in Sackett v EPA, which rolled back Clean Water Act jurisdiction from isolated wetlands and seasonal streams despite their significant impact on the health of downstream waterways. McCluskie, McCormick and Roberts were the original sponsors and key legislative leaders in shepherding the bill through a challenging and sometimes contentious 2024 legislative session. Thanks to their efforts, Colorado’s waterways once again enjoy water quality protections that will help maintain their health and that of the downstream rivers that sustain our fisheries and communities.
Exemplary Chapter
The San Luis Valley Chapter was recognized for their outstanding work engaging with local communities, landowners, agencies, and other partners to advance conservation efforts in San Luis Valley. The chapter was honored for its strong accomplishments in multiple dimensions of chapter activity – strong growth (4-fold) in Trout in the Classroom programs offered through schools in their region; engagement with the community in promoting conservation and addressing shared battles such as the efforts to export San Luis Valley groundwater to the Front Range; and leadership with collaborative conservation efforts from restoration work on Rio Grande Cutthroat trout populations to flow and habitat efforts on the Rio Grande and Conejos Rivers. The San Luis Valley Chapter has been small but mighty – with a more limited population and membership base, they have made large impacts for the trout and water resources of Colorado’s Rio Grande watershed.
Bruce Hoagland Award for Leadership in Conservation
Long-time TU leader Dave Taylor was selected for this lifetime award recognizing both efforts in promoting trout conservation and in strengthening the capacity of Trout Unlimited in Colorado. Taylor has served with distinction in multiple capacities – as a chapter president in Boulder, as the Executive Director of Colorado TU during the Two Forks battle, as President of the Council Board of Directors in helping to revitalize CTU in the late 1990s, as a grassroots voice with the National TU grassroots board during a nationwide reorganization, and most recently as the chair of the Troutfest Colorado event at Coors Field taking TU community event engagement to a new level.
Exemplary Industry Partner
The St. Peter’s Fly Shop in Fort Collins was recognized for their engagement and support of conservation and education efforts in the northern Front Range of Colorado. St. Peter’s has helped support TU efforts, especially youth education and community engagement. They have sponsored a local film event that helped raise funds for TU activities in the Ft. Collins area but have also contributed time and talent with guides and staff from the shop helping with programs like the local chapter’s annual summer day camp where youth learn about rivers and fly fishing.
Exemplary Landowner
Kay Roth was honored for her participation in mineland reclamation for the Orphan Boy mine site, an abandoned mine located on her property, including entering into a long-term covenant to preserve the restoration work over time. Through her efforts not only will the Middle Fork South Platte watershed benefit from the clean-up efforts, but she is also providing an inspiring example for other landowners with abandoned mine sites on their properties.
Exemplary Project
The Cutthroat Chapter in the south Denver metro area was honored for its rapid and effective response in assisting the US Forest Service and other local partners in stabilizing and restoring the Gill Trail within Cheesman Canyon in the aftermath of a major rainstorm that led to wash-out and mass sedimentation in this high-use hiking and gold-medal fishing destination.
Outstanding Chapter Communications
The Five Rivers Chapter in Southwestern Colorado was recognized for its strong work across multiple communications platforms, including unique efforts to engage and inform constituencies not only in Colorado but in neighboring New Mexico around the shared resource of the San Juan and Animas Rivers.
Exemplary Youth Education
The Rocky Mountain Flycasters Chapter on the northern Front Range was honored for its diverse education offerings including introduction to fly fishing courses with local rec centers, Trout in the Classroom programs in local schools, and the nation’s only chapter-run youth summer camp.
Outstanding Volunteer
Four local volunteers were selected for this award in 2024:
· Mark Miller for his work with the Poudre Headwaters Project and in growing the strength of the Rocky Mountain Flycasters Chapter including its northern Colorado fly fishing expo.
· John Semich for his collaborative efforts in connecting West Denver TU with programs for engagement and education with Colorado Parks and Wildlife, Jefferson County, and other local partners.
· Buck Skillen for his long-time leadership with conservation projects and mobilizing volunteers in support of agency partnerships in southwest Colorado.
· Michele White for her work with the Pikes Peak Chapter in promoting effective advocacy, youth education and engagement programs, and public outreach efforts including greater angler awareness around stream temperatures.
Silver Trout Award. In addition to Colorado TU’s annual awards, the Silver Trout Award – a lifetime recognition for contributions to coldwater conservation in Colorado – was presented at the Rendezvous. Recipients of this award are selected by a vote of past Silver Trout recipients. Greg Hardy – current NLC Representative and past president of Colorado TU, and a long-time leader of the Gore Range chapter in Summit County – was honored for his leadership on conservation efforts ranging from habitat efforts with the Blue River watershed, to advocacy on behalf of improved rail safety and emergency response measures in light of oil train deliveries along the Colorado River and Boulder Creek.
Congratulations to all the 2024 award recipients!
