Ty Churchwell, Backcountry Coordinator, SCP

Having spent the last ten years or so engaged with TU, both in chapter leadership and on staff, I have a wonderfully unique perspective on our work as a ‘One TU’ team.  A decade ago, I had the pleasure of joining our local chapter in Durango just in time to fill a vice president’s void, then two years later stepped into the president’s seat.  I cut my conservation teeth performing chapter fundraising, youth education, learning water policy and developing relationships at all levels, all as a volunteer.  I found a family of trout warriors and a great desire to do conservation work full-time. Six years ago I joined the team of National TU’s public land programs, the ‘Sportsmen’s Conservation Project’ (SCP), headquartered in Durango.   I share office space with the director of our programs, Steve Kandell, who oversees about 28 staff in all eleven western states.  We’re the ‘…and their watersheds’ part of TU’s mission statement.  It is my pleasure to represent hunters and anglers in discussions around our public lands.

I primarily work on placed-based initiatives, which are directed at being legislative in nature at the federal level.  The campaigns I’ve coordinated were for special areas of BLM or USFS public land that had been identified as vital to sportsmen, such as the Alpine Triangle and Hermosa Creek.  I’ve also had the opportunity to assist colleagues in all areas of TU, on campaigns such as Browns Canyon, the San Juan Wilderness bill, Thompson Divide, Roan Plateau and the Public Land Renewable Energy Development act.  My work takes me to discussion around ATVs, mines, native trout, timber, oil/gas development, elk habitat, mountain bikes, sage grouse and on and on.  Our public lands are our birthright and trout fisheries rely on them.

At present my time is almost exclusively directed at the Hermosa Creek effort, a campaign of somewhat notoriety.  Hermosa Creek has long been a focus area for TU in SW Colorado.  A bill to protect the entire basin now works its way through the halls of Congress, including a wilderness component.  Each day seems to bring new developments.  Many consider Hermosa Creek to be one of the top bills in the country to possibly break the gridlock of public land bills in DC.  Congress has only enacted one wilderness bill since 2009.

The Animas River, my home water, is the poster child for Acid Mine Drainage in America.  The upper basin near Silverton is laden with heavy metals from historic mining.  I work with local stakeholders such as BLM, EPA, CDPHE and mining interests to resolve our water quality problem.  I worked with Rep. Tipton and Sen. Udall in crafting ‘Good Samaritan’ legislation, which was introduced in 2013, but has languished.  Thankfully the Animas’ water has been diluted by the time it reaches Durango and we enjoy a world-class brown trout fishery right in town.

I have always been a trout bum, for as long as I can remember.  Those beautiful trout have brought me great joy with wonderful friends and exciting travels.  I owe them!

Ty Churchwell - tchurchwell@tu.org

Sportsmen Thank Secretary Jewell For Her Strong Support of the LWCF

Today, organizations representing hundreds of thousands of hunters and anglers delivered a letter to Interior Secretary Jewell thanking her for her leadership on the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) in front of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee last week.  In her statements, Secretary Jewell called for full and dedicated funding for this tool which has helped protect some of the country's best fish and game habitat.  Created in 1967, LWCF funnels revenues from offshore oil and gas extraction to purchase public land from willing landowners.  This tool has been used to secure new public lands, provide access to existing lands for hunters and anglers, and fill in patchwork public lands, allowing for continuous habitat for fish and game.  Originally authorized at $900 million per year, this non-taxpayer funded program has dwindled in recent years, creating a backlog of needed acquisitions.  By making the fund a mandatory spending program, it would prevent Congress from cutting it to fund other projects, and ensure a consistently full funding level from year to year.   America's hunters and anglers know the value of these public lands better than any group, as they often hold the biggest fish and game, and support local rural economies by providing destinations for sportsmen.  The letter,signed by  The American Fly Fishing Trade Association, Bull Moose Sportsmen's Alliance, Backcountry Hunters and Anglers, Isaak Walton League of America, National Wildlife Federation, Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership, and Trout Unlimited, pledged that sportsmen would continue to work with Secretary Jewell and Congress to protect our public lands by investing in LWCF.

Read the letter to Interior Secretary Jewell.

Brian Hodge, Project Coordinator, Yampa and White River Basins

As a member of TU’s Colorado Water Project, I work to meet TU’s mission through on-the-ground projects.  My goal is to plan and implement projects that benefit coldwater fish and landowner alike.  By helping to improve irrigation efficiency, for example, we can, under the right circumstances, both improve ranch operations and increase stream flows for trout.  I frequently work with private landowners and agency partners to reach conservation goals. Here’s a flavor of happenings in the northwest Colorado:

In 2012, I worked with Yampa River Ranch and Partners for Fish and Wildlife (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service) to protect a 1.6-mile segment of the Yampa River. The Ranch wanted both to run cattle and to maximize habitat for brown trout.  So we constructed a riparian fence that enhanced the ranch’s ability to concurrently manage for a livestock operation and trout fishery.

I’m currently working with the U.S. Forest Service to reconnect Poose Creek.  Poose Creek is occupied by native Colorado River Cutthroat Trout.  However, since the 1960s a large culvert under a county road has prevented cutthroat and other fishes from accessing the headwaters.  We’re installing a fish ladder to restore fish passage in Poose Creek.

This year, I continued working with Colorado Parks and Wildlife and others on multi-phase efforts to restore Armstrong and Milk creeks.  Both streams are home to native cutthroat trout and to two lesser-known native, coldwater fishes: mountain sucker and mottled sculpin.  Additional information is available at the following links:

Armstrong Creek.   http://www.tu.org/blog-posts/a-small-creek-a-grand-vision-of-restoration

Milk Creek.  http://troutunlimitedblog.com/climate-adaptation-one-stream-at-a-time/

We’ve implemented successful projects and developed valuable partnerships in northwest Colorado. Additional opportunities await.

Brian Hodge - bhodge@tu.org

Aaron Kindle, Colorado Field Coordinator, SCP

My name is Aaron Kindle. I am the Colorado Field Coordinator for National Trout Unlimited's Sportsmen's Conservation Project or SCP. The SCP is essentially the public lands protection arm of TU. We work in three main program areas: energy development, off-highway vehicles (OHVs) and backcountry protection. I have been with TU for three years now and have worked on several issues you are probably familiar with - the Colorado Roadless Rule, energy development in the White River Basin, and travel management planning across the state. I'm currently engaged in efforts across Colorado in all three of our program areas. One you may have heard of is the Thompson Divide. This area is a unique 200,000 plus acre landscape just west of Carbondale. We are engaged there due to the outstanding fish and wildlife habitat, including several cutthroat trout populations, and the potential for energy development. Our goal is to pass legislation to permanently withdraw the area from future development and to broker deals with energy companies to buy, retire or exchange currently held leases.

I also work just south of the Thompson Divide in Gunnison County. Last year Senator Michael Bennet began a process to examine the potential for protective designations for federal lands in the county. Gunnsion County is a sportsmen's haven, boasting abundant world class fish and wildlife habitat. We are working to with a broad spectrum of stakeholders to determine the most appropriate ways to protect the outstanding values of the area. Keep an eye out for more on this effort in the coming months.

In the realm of off-highway vehicles, I have two main campaigns. The first one is working in the state legislature to pass a bill requiring that all OHVs have visibly identifiable license plates. We regularly hear from wildlife officials and sportsmen that they witness off-highway users violate laws but lack a mechanism for identifying these violators. We want to change that and believe that visible identification in the form of license plates is the  essential tool to effective management of OHVs.  The second campaign I work on is Bear Creek. Bear Creek is a small stream near Colorado Springs that holds the one and only population of wild greenback cutthroat trout. Poor management and user abuse, including poorly managed OHV use, has caused the degradation of this stream. We are working diligently with trail users, agency officials and members of the Cheyenne Mountain Chapter of TU to correct the problems, restore the stream and implement a sustainable management scheme to ensure the persistence of these rare fish. TU has also developed a nationally recognized OHV program, dubbed Sportsmen Ride Right, to address many issues related to OHV use on public lands. Look for us at rideright.org.

If you have any questions or comments about the work I do, please do not hesitate to contact me. I enjoy working with chapter members across the state and find their knowledge invaluable to many of my campaigns so please do get in touch when a public lands issue arises in your neck of the woods.

Aaron Kindle - akindle@tu.org or 303-868-2859

Denver Water and Colorado TU

Jim Lochhead is chief executive of Denver Water. David Nickum is executive director of Colorado Trout Unlimited. They represent groups that often have opposing views, but worked together on an opinion piece in the June 1, 2013 edition of the Denver Post. Conservation groups and water utilities don't always see eye-to-eye on every water resource issue.

A case in point: Trout Unlimited and Denver Water have yet to agree on what constitutes an adequate package of protections for the Fraser River, a Colorado River tributary and stellar trout fishery that is also an important source of water for metro Denver. We're trying to find a package of protections that keeps the river healthy while ensuring that Denver Water's need for system reliability are met through the Moffat Firming Project.

We face tough, complicated issues. What we agree on, though, is the need to preserve the long-term health of the Fraser and Colorado Rivers, and the value of working toward collaborative solutions.

Read the full article, "Together, we can meet Colorado River challenges," in The Denver Post.

Jason Willis, Mine Restoration Project Manager, Western Restoration

I grew up about 30 minutes east of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.  It was along the mighty Youghiogheny River that I learned how to fish and developed a passion for outdoor activities.  Summer days were spent fishing for catfish and smallmouth while spring was reserved for trout.  Driving across the state to different fishing spots increased my desire to learn more about the environmental processes and hydrology that composed my local river and stream networks.  I eventually was able to steer these personal interests into a career choice after completing graduate school in the field of Environmental Engineering.  A previous road trip had me longing for a relocation to the West, particularly either Colorado, Montana, or Oregon.  It’s been about 3.5 years since Colorado became home and I started my initial work for TU as a contractor based out of Saguache, Colorado. It was here that I was introduced to the Kerber Creek Restoration Project, which has been one of TU’s most successful abandoned mine clean-up projects in Colorado.  Needless to say, the transition from Pittsburgh to Saguache was quite a shock, but I embraced the Western way of life and became well versed in stream restoration practices and soil improvement.

After 9 months in Saguache and 6 months on Pikes Peak, I was brought on full time for TU in 2012 to work on mine restoration projects with a home base in Salida, Colorado along the Arkansas River.  Being centrally located in Salida allows me to work on projects across the state giving the program wide-reaching capabilities.  The focus of my program is to help restore watersheds affected by historic hardrock mining.  Mining played such a large part in the development of Colorado, and it is evident today by the degraded water and soil quality left behind at these sites.  Specifically, over 80% of Colorado’s most-impaired waterways are a result of past mining operations.  Typically, these are the type of streams where I work to improve stream channel health and adjacent soil quality by raising pH and adding nutrients to the soil.  This process of adding calculated amounts of soil amendments promotes future riparian and upland vegetation growth, which stabilizes stream banks and reduces heavy metal runoff into our surface and ground waters.  The end goal is to meet state standards for water quality in these streams, while improving habitat to sustain a reproducing trout population.

Some watersheds where I currently work are the Kerber Creek watershed outside of Villa Grove, Evans Gulch east of Leadville, Leavenworth Creek outside of Georgetown, Willow Creek near Creede, and a local project on the South Arkansas River in Poncha Springs.  I also assist in water quality studies on various projects, as well as working with watershed groups and TU chapters from Cortez to Trinidad.  I am privileged to work at such a great organization with like-minded people who are passionate about conservation.  I look forward to continuing to expand and improve TU’s restoration work across the state of Colorado for years to come.  If you have any questions or comments about the projects I work on, please don’t hesitate to contact me at jwillis@tu.org.

Bennet & Tipton Bills = Good News for Hermosa Creek!

In a true “One TU” effort, a cutthroat stronghold may soon have a permanently protected home. The Hermosa Creek basin has long been a focus area for southwest Colorado’s 5 Rivers chapter and staff from TU’s Sportsmen’s Conservation Project and Colorado Water Project. Now, U.S. Senator Michael Bennet and U.S. Representative Scott Tipton have introduced a bill to protect more than 107,000 acres of the Hermosa Creek Watershed, an area in the San Juan National Forest north of Durango. The “Hermosa Creek Watershed Protection Act” would establish management for the Hermosa Creek Watershed based on recommendations from the Hermosa Creek River Protection Workgroup, which included local water officials, conservationists, sportsmen, mountain bikers, off-highway-vehicle users, outfitters, property owners, grazing permit holders and other interested citizens.

“We are lucky in Colorado to be able to enjoy many of the country’s most beautiful landscapes in our backyards. The Hermosa Creek Watershed represents some of the best Colorado has to offer,” Bennet said. “This bill will protect this land for our outdoor recreation economy and for future generations of Coloradans and Americans to enjoy. It is the result of a local effort that took into account the varied interests of the community, and that cooperation helped us put together a strong bill with the community’s input.”

Senator Bennet’s sentiments were mirrored by Representative Tipton in a joint press release on April 25^th.

“As one of Colorado’s most scenic areas, Hermosa Creek has long been treasured by the local community and by countless visitors who have explored all that the region has to offer,” Tipton said. “Local stakeholders including snowmobilers, anglers, hunters, other outdoor enthusiasts, elected officials, miners and Southwest Colorado residents have voiced their support to preserve the Hermosa Creek watershed and the multiple use recreation opportunities it provides. In response to this locally driven effort, Senator Bennet and I have joined together to put forward legislation to protect and preserve this special place, and ensure that Coloradans as well as visitors to our great state have the opportunity to experience Hermosa Creek’s abundant natural beauty for generations to come.”

The bill would designate certain public lands in SW Colorado as the Hermosa Creek Watershed Protection Area.  In accordance with the consensus recommendations of the Hermosa Creek Workgroup, roughly 38,000 acres of the watershed would be set aside as wilderness, to protect some of the finest elk habitat in Colorado.  Of particular interest to TU, a Special Management Area would be established to protect a Colorado Parks and Wildlife Colorado River cutthroat trout reintroduction program.

Click here to learn more about Sportsmen for Hermosa, or if you prefer visit us on Facebook.  To get involved with TU's work for Hermosa, you can contact Ty Churchwell at tchurchwell@tu.org.

Sportsmen for Browns Canyon Meeting Tomorrow!!

Browns Canyon Public Meeting: We need your voice!!

Senator Mark Udall has unveiled his proposal to create Browns Canyon National Monument and Wilderness Area. Trout Unlimited along with the National Wildlife Federation, Colorado Wildlife Federation, Backcountry Hunters & Anglers, the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership, and the Bull Moose Sportsmen’s Alliance are proud to support his bill and we need your help. This proposal will create jobs, maintain existing uses, and most importantly protect this spectacular area for river recreationists, sportsmen, anglers and future generations.

Mark Udall, who chairs the U.S. Senate National Parks Subcommittee, unveiled draft legislation on March 28, 2013, to create the Browns Canyon National Monument, covering 22,000 acres between Salida and Buena Vista in Chaffee County.  The proposal includes 10,500 acres of new wilderness and seeks to protect the most popular rafting destination in the country.  The proposal is based on a year of public input that Udall and his staff have collected since the spring of 2012.

Senator Udall is hosting two public meetings to gather input on his proposal. The first meeting was in Nathrop, CO on April 13th, and we are proud to say that sportsmen made a huge impact on the discussions that took place. Senator Udall very much heard the support coming from the sportsman community in Nathrop; but we need more!! The second meeting is being held in your area and We need to bring a strong sportsmen's voice to this meeting also. Senator Udall's proposal will protect the outstanding brown trout fishery in Browns Canyon and maintain the integrity of the backcountry habitat that is critical wintering ground for the big game that we appreciate so much as sportsmen.

Meeting Details:

What:

Browns Canyon Public Meeting

When:

Saturday, May 18

9:30am - 11:30am

Where:

American Mountaineering Center

Foss Auditorium

710 10th St.

Golden, CO

For more details, contact Reed Dils (719) 395-8949, Bill Dvorak (719) 221-3212, or Garrett VeneKlasen (505) 670-2925

Some Good News for Our "Most Endangered River"

In April, American Rivers issued its annual list of  Most Endangered Rivers.  And the Colorado River - from source to sea - was named the #1 most endangered river in America. The Colorado is facing enormous challenges, largely driven by the extensive demands of its water supply in the face of a limited resource - and one that may become even more limited as we experience shifts in climate.  Fortunately, there are also positive developments for the Colorado River.

In April, the Colorado water courts decreed a new instream flow right to the Colorado Water Conservation Board to help protect its environment from the Blue River near Kremmling down to its confluence with the Eagle River.  With flows ranging from 500 cfs to 900 cfs depending on the season, it is the largest instream flow water right in Colorado's history. You can read about it in the local (Sky Hi News) paper here.

While as a more "junior"  2011 water right, it will not guarantee flows in the river from diversions under prior existing "senior" water rights, the instream flow will help protect the outstanding environment that the Colorado sustains today from future water rights or changes.

The filing was the result of a collaborative effort among local governments, conservationists, water districts, and other stakeholders in developing protections for a reach of the Colorado that had been found eligible for possible federal Wild and Scenic designation.

“This is good news for a stretch of the river that is beloved by generations of anglers,” said Mely Whiting, counsel for Trout Unlimited. “It’s an example of what can be accomplished when working together.”

TU Spells "Relief" on the Gunnison

For over 100 years, the Relief Ditch diversion on the Gunnison River has been a headache for local landowners and irrigators and a major obstacle for boaters and fish. The diversion dam, which is used to divert water for farms east of Delta, was washed out almost every year with high spring runoff flows, and then reconstructed annually by the irrigation company using bulldozers in the river channel to push up cobble creating a temporary dam. The dam created several problems, including erosion of nearby river banks, an unnatural buildup of sediment downstream, and a migration barrier to fish. It also poses a safety hazard to boaters.

In November 2012, Trout Unlimited, the Relief Ditch Irrigation Company, BLM, and other stakeholders broke ground on a construction project to modernize the Relief Ditch diversion. The project will improve water delivery for irrigators while benefiting trout, Flannelmouth sucker, Bluehead sucker, and Roundtail chub as well as wildlife habitat in the BLM’s Gunnison Gorge National Conservation Area.

“TU is identifying opportunities like this in Colorado to upgrade aging infrastructure in a way that benefits both ag producers and fish and wildlife,” said Cary Denison, project leader for TU. “We’re very excited about the opportunity to work with the irrigators to improve the diversion.”

Gunnison Gorge Anglers, the local Trout Unlimited chapter, has led the effort to replace the push-up dam with a permanent low head diversion structure and a grade control structure—improvements that will remove the fish barrier and hazard to boaters and expand habitat for several native fish. TU and partners have installed a new headgate that will reduce maintenance and expense for irrigators.  By measuring the diversion at the headgate, it will also allow irrigators to avoid drawing more water than they need from the river –helping to bolster flows.  TU has also restored the eroded riverbanks near the project with native plantings and erosion-resistant fill.

Chapter President Marshall Pendergrass explained, "This project started over three years ago from the ideas of one local TU chapter member and has become the model for working with many local, state and federal agencies to complete a major project that benefits so many water users. We are proud to be coordinating agents of this significant milestone for the Gunnison River cold water fisheries."

Final project construction was completed in March 2013 at a total cost of over $750,000.

“Many rivers and streams in the Colorado River Basin have become fragmented over the years, preventing fish movement and degrading habitat,” said Denison. “We’re working with local partners on win-win projects like this one that both open up river habitat and address infrastructure problems.”

“We’ve enjoyed working with Trout Unlimited on this project," said Mel Frazier of Relief Ditch Irrigation Company, "and look forward to the improvements to the system.”