We Are Public Lands

A note from Chris Wood, CEO of Trout Unlimited:

This is not a dispassionate report.

The threat of losing our public lands looms large. That threat grows, passing like wildfire through halls of Congress and state capitols, spreading its invasive rhetoric in our communities. People with soft hands and expensive suits tell us

“It’s just transfer. It’s not like we’re selling them.”

It’s not just transfer. And it is a big deal.

The truth is that the distance between the effort to “transfer” public lands and to sell them is very short. Many of the states that would manage these lands have already sold significant portions of their formerly public state land to the highest seller. And we, as a country, have nothing to gain by such actions.

We have nothing to gain. And everything to lose.

Public lands are for anglers, hunters, hikers, campers, backpackers, energy producers, mountain climbers, berry pickers, ranchers, horse packers, birders, timber operators, miners, snowmobilers, ATVer’s, mountain bikers.

Nature’s enthusiasts. Advocates of open space and the guardians of our right to use it.

We are public lands. Public lands are our birthright as American citizens. And we will not give them up.

Statistics make the point. More than 70 percent of hunters use public lands in the West. Nearly 70 percent of native trout strongholds are on public lands. A growing majority of hunters and anglers oppose the sale of public lands.

Public lands create strongholds of important fish and wildlife habitat. Public lands provide important sources of clean water for tens of millions of people. Public lands are some of the last pristine places in the country.

Sure, these things are important.

But the bottom line is these are our lands. Yours. Mine. Ours. And a greedy few are trying to steal them from us.

Public lands are part of what define us as Americans. They are what remain of the great westward migration of the nation. They are the crucible upon which the character of the nation was formed. Our forebears left these lands to us, not so we could sell them to the highest bidder. They left them to us as an heirloom to pass on intact to the next generation. These lands are our birthright. They are a beacon of blinding and unwavering light on what it means to be free.

Whether you call it sale, transfer, or divestiture, allowing public lands to fall from public ownership would represent the triumph of cynicism over democracy. We — you and me, all of us who own these lands by virtue of our citizenship — can make sure that never happens.

We are public lands. And we will not step aside.

Sign the Petition to keep our public lands in the public hands!

Colorado: Outfitted for Public Lands

Fishing Through the Fall

For sportsmen, fall means opening day and stalking elk through the Colorado back country. The decrease in anglers (and football on the tube) generally lead to less crowds, but just because there are fewer people fishing, the fish are still there for the taking! As the weather cools, bugs and insects don't hatch as often as in the spring or summer. Making fall fly fishing a little more difficult, but that doesn't mean the fishing has stopped. Brown trout and kokanee salmon spawn in the fall and are moving to find the best place to make their redds,

Because of this, fishing where feeder streams and tributaries confluence with larger streams is a good place to look as trout will be moving into these areas to spawn. "While we never advocate fly fishing for actively spawning fish that are on shallow gravel redds, these tributaries allow anglers to predict where to find larger fish," according to Vail Valley Anglers. "Fish in deeper water that aren’t on beds are fair game and with a quick, gentle release they will be free to continue their mission to propagate the species. Be aware some small tributaries are closed during the spawn because the trout are simply too vulnerable in these tiny creeks."

Trout will also start to develop predictable eating patters when the summer hatches dwindle down. With fall approaching, the blue wing olive mayflies and midges are now the primary food source. Under the right circumstances, trout will still feed heavily as they prepare for the colder, winter months ahead.

With blue wing olives as the primary food source, blue wing fly patterns are a primary "go-to" for fall anglers. But according to Vail Valley Anglers, size is more important than pattern, "Flies mimicking these bugs (BWO) should range from #18-24. This is more important than the actual fly pattern. Choose flies in olive or grey such as the trusty Parachute Adams, Sparkle RS-2, CDC Loop Wing Emerger or JuJu Baetis."

But going smaller isn't always the best, especially if you're after the monster brown trout. As the brown trout are moving around looking to spawn and are becoming more territorial, using larger streamers may help you catch the largest fish.

For more information on a list of flies to use in the fall and techniques for these flies, check out Vail Valley Anglers, Colorado Fly Fisher Blog, or Orivs,

Volunteer Opportunity

Colorado Parks and Wildlife is looking for help to stock Rock Creek on September 21 from 8:00 am - 3:30 pm. Volunteers will be meeting in Jefferson CO in between Bailey and Fairplay on 285, but exact location is still being determined. Volunteers will be packing their backpacks full of Greenback Cutthroat Trout and hiking about 5 miles to stock them in Rock Creek, their new home. This is part of a larger Greenback Recovery effort being led by Colorado Parks and Wildlife.

Volunteers will need:

• Water
• Hiking Boots (no waders)
• Lunch
• Large Pack/Backpack for hauling fish
• Sunscreen

If you are interested in participating or want more information on this project please contact Stephanie Scott. sscott@tu.org or 720-354-2647. Volunteers who sign up will be given more detailed information about the volunteer day upon sign up.

Going Home to Public Lands

By Randy Scholfield Communications director for the Southwest region.

A couple weeks ago, my son and I decided on a last-minute camping outing and picked a popular area of high-country lakes in the Indian Peaks Wilderness, a short 30-minute drive above Boulder. He’s going to China soon to teach for a year, and this was a chance to get away, catch our breath and compare notes on life.

Want to know if America’s public lands are valued? Just try camping in them during a summer weekend in Colorado. The Indian Peaks, just south of Rocky Mountain National Park, is one of the most heavily used backcountry areas in the lower 48 because of its proximity to a large urban population.

I grew up in Kansas, which has one of the lowest percentages of public lands in the nation—only 1.9 percent of the state’s lands. My family was lucky to have access to some private places to hunt and fish, but for many people, their options were limited. They were locked out of the larger landscape.

Here on Colorado’s Front Range, there’s an embarrassment of public land riches in your backyard: Rocky Mountain National Park, Indian Peaks Wilderness, Arapahoe and Roosevelt national forests, and on and on. You couldn’t explore it all in a lifetime. It gives a sense of infinite possibilities.

More than a century ago, John Muir extolled the virtues of wild nature as a place of renewal for city folk: “Thousands of tired, nerve-shaken, over-civilized people are beginning to find out that going to the mountains is going home; that wildness is a necessity; and that mountain parks and reservations are useful not only as fountains of timber and irrigating rivers, but as fountains of life.”

Most Americans these days are urban or suburban dwellers. We need these places more than ever—as the summer crowds in public lands attest. When we arrived, we had to sit in a line of cars at the entrance for 10 minutes. Grouchiness ensued, and I nursed dark thoughts about how our public lands were being loved to death. We did manage to find a good tent site, in a developed campground near some hiking trails that led to a string of high-altitude lakes we wanted to explore and fish.

After setting up camp, we grabbed our rods and hit the trail and, for the first half-mile, walked bumper to bumper with a phalanx of chattering hikers. Again, I felt annoyed by the interlopers infesting our trail. But as we put trail behind us and the landscape opened up, my crabbiness gave way to fellow feeling.

These adventurers, with their daypacks, floppy hats and kids in tow, were there, like us, in search of their share of respite and adventure. In truth, this amazing place was big enough for all of us. Overhearing foreign accents, I even had a flash of patriotic pride: They had travelled far to experience this place that Americans enjoy as our common playground and birthright.

How lucky are we?

As the afternoon clouds built, we fished bracingly cold, sky-hued lakes and held small jewelled brookies in our hands before a late-afternoon squall jumped the jagged peaks and drove us back to camp.

That night, my son and I sat in camp amid the enclosing dark pines—a glittering canopy of stars overhead—and talked and laughed and connected in a way we hadn’t for a long time.

When he’s half-way around the world, I’ll remember this.

Gold King Mine Added to Superfund List

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) placed the Gold King Mine and 47 other nearby sites on the Superfund cleanup list. These sites, all within the Bonita Peak Mining District, deposit an estimated 5.4 million gallons a day of heavy metal drainage into creeks within the Animas and San Juan river basins. The Superfund cleanup is a federal program that would allocate funds for the investigation and cleanup of some of America's "ticking time bombs" that would hinder human health and the environment.

"The Bonita Peak Mining District site consists of 48 historic mines or mining-related sources where ongoing releases of metal-laden water and sediments are occurring within Mineral Creek, Cement Creek and the Upper Animas. Near Silverton, Colorado, these drainages join to form the Animas River, which is used for drinking water, recreation and agricultural purposes," according to the EPA listing. "Contaminants found in these sources and in the surface water include arsenic, cadmium, copper, manganese, zinc, lead and aluminum. These contaminants impact fisheries that are harvested for human consumption, as well as wetlands and habitat for the threatened Canada lynx."

The Bonita Peak Mining District being added to the Superfund list is a step in the right direction that would help protect headwaters from mine drainage. Currently 40 percent of headwaters in the Western United States are affected by hard rock mining drainage. The TU-led San Juan Water Coalition has been fighting to address this issue by pushing for Good Samaritan legislation that would help clean up even more abandoned mines not addressed by the Superfund.

“Anglers and sportsmen strongly support this process,” said Trout Unlimited San Juan Mountains coordinator Ty Churchwell in a Denver Post article. “We’ll monitor the progress in the months and years to come to ensure the cleanup is done right and supports a high-quality fishery in the Animas. It’s our hope that Congress appropriates adequate funding to begin the cleanup soon." The town of Silverton, previously opposed to the Superfund program, now supports the listing along with local communities and law makers. “I’m hopeful that with this designation the EPA will continue to collaborate with local, tribal and state officials and work to protect the local economy, maximizing local employment opportunities where possible, and providing adequate funding to ensure the cleanup begins as quickly as possible,” said US Rep. Scott Tipton.

“Listing the Bonita Peak Mining District on the National Priorities List is an important step that enables EPA to secure the necessary resources to investigate and address contamination concerns of San Juan and La Plata Counties, as well as other downstream communities in New Mexico, Utah, and the Navajo Nation,” EPA regional administrator Shaun McGrath said in a statement.

“We look forward to continuing our efforts with the state of Colorado, the Bureau of Land Management, the U.S Forest Service, tribal governments and our community partners to address the impacts of acid mine drainage on the Animas River.”

South Platte River Revival

The South Platte River once supported the growth of an entire region. Cities and civilization all along the river’s shoreline sprang up, igniting the West’s development. Now, everything from shopping malls to fields of corn relies on the water in the South Platte River. Today, the South Platte Basin is tasked to support over 2.8 million people in a three-state area—and roughly 95 percent of those people live in Colorado. This is largest population density in the Rocky Mountain region and has led to the overuse of the crucial South Platte water supply.

But the communities that have used, and at times severely depleted, the resource are now working to restore it and bring the river back to health.

It was announced last week  that Denver Water, with help from Colorado Parks and Wildlife has obtained the rights to an additional 2,100 acre-feet of water that will be stored in Chatfield Reservoir and will be released downstream during times of low flow. The additional water will address the river's fishery and the populations of trout.

With the additional flows during low water periods, the water temperature will remain lower and deeper pools will be created, allowing a more hospitable environment for rainbow trout.

Increasing water flows is just one step of many that has been done to help revive the river. The Denver Trout Unlimited Chapter has been working on restoring the South Platte for many years. The chapter has recently installed water temperature sensors from Chatfield Reservoir upstream through Downtown Denver and all the way to Commerce City. These monitors will allow the chapter and agencies to see how the sometimes unreliable flows affect the temperature of the South Platte and influence the fishery.

The river also benefits from the CarpSlam- an annual fundraiser that focuses on anglers catching carp through Denver. The funds raised by the CarpSlam go directly towards the South Platte and restoring the health of the river. Over the years, the CarpSlam has resulted in anglers catching Carp, Walleye, Bass, and Trout in a river that some believe isn't able to hold a healthy population of fish.

Projects like Stream Explorers have also helped the South Platte by teaching students about the river and how it is used for both human and aquatic needs. Learning how a city can impact the health of a river and how the river plays such a vital role to our way of life is important to teach to the next generation of river stewards.

Through all of these initiatives by Denver TU, Colorado Parks and Wildlife, and Denver Water, the South Platte River is returning to a healthy river. One that not only provides water for municipal uses but one that offers enough cool, clean water for a healthy population of trout and other fish species.

Bear Creek Porter for Greenbacks

Story telling has long been accompanied by beer, just as flyfishing has long been accompanied by storytelling. What would a fishing story told around the campfire be without beer? The fish would be smaller, the fights shorter, and the flies more nymph like. Naturally the story book relationship between beer and flyfishng is used to make money, think Busch Light’s cutthroat cans, but some brewers use it to raise awareness. Think Pikes Peak Brewing Company’s Bear Creek Porter. Bear Creek Porter is brewed with water taken directly from Bear Creek, home of the greenback cutthroat trout. A porter by request, the dark, coco, fan favorite is served seasonally to create conversation about greenbacks through beer. This is a cooperative mission spearheaded by Cheyenne Mountain Chapter of Trout Unlimited and Pikes Peak Brewing Company.

Greenback cutthroat trout need every bit of help they can get. The current state of affairs is hopeful but management agencies like Colorado Parks and Wildlife, need Colorado Trout Unlimited (CTU) to make partnerships they cannot. By engaging locals in the places they frequent, CTU chapters throughout the state can grab the attention of their constituents through a universal talking piece.

The Bear Creek Porter is a conversation starter. Imagine this. A local, regular walks into Pike Peak Brewing Company, notices Bear Creek Porter is the seasonal beer, orders it and enjoys it. They ask the bartender about the beer and come to find that the Bear Creek the water for the brew comes from, is the same Bear Creek they take their children hiking most weekends. The patron then tells their family and friends about the beer and the trout.

This ripple effect is the start of a grass roots movement. To protect and restore greenbacks it will take a public who understands that engaging in conversation is the most important thing we can do to spread ideas. What better way to start a conversation than with a beer.

Parasitic Disease Causes Yellowstone River Closure

In response to a parasitic disease that caused an unprecedented fish kill, on August 19, Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks (FWP) closed 183 miles of the Yellowstone River and all its tributaries. The closure stretches from Yellowstone National Park's North Boundary to Laurel, Montana. "This action is necessary to protect the fishery and the economy it sustain," said Montana FWP in a press release. "The closure will also help limit the spread of the parasite to adjacent rivers through boats, tubes, waders and other human contact and minimize further mortality in all fish species.

"In the past week, FWP has documented over 2,000 dead Mountain Whitefish on some affected stretches of the Yellowstone. With that, FWP estimates the total impact to Mountain Whitefish in the Yellowstone to be in the tens of thousands. FWP has also recently received reports of the kill beginning to affect some Rainbow and Yellowstone Cutthroat Trout."

In order to help the Yellowstone rebound and keep other fisheries throughout the west healthy, it's important to remind anglers to effectively clean their gear. Colorado anglers know all to well with Whirling Disease how these parasites can affect a fishery, economy and community so it's worth the time to clean gear properly. "Few of us want to spend time cleaning rafts and fishing gear at the end of a long day on the river. But, this outbreak is a great reminder that those efforts are the least we can do to protect the resources we love," said Brooks.

It is believed that the parasite causing the fish kill was introduced to the river by people and FWP along with Montana TU and its chapters are urging people to keep their gear cleaned. "Now that the parasite (Tetracapsuloides bryosalmonae) is in the Yellowstone and infecting fish, the main priority is eliminating additional stressors on those fish and preventing it from spreading to other rivers," said David Brooks, Montana TU Associate Director of Conservation. "Our MTU chapters in the Yellowstone area are coordinating volunteers to be stationed at river access points to let folks know that the river is closed and to educate people about the reason. More importantly we are using those encounters and all of our social media presence to talk about cleaning and drying boats and gear properly."

Colorado Parks and Wildlife has an Angler Cleaning card to remind everyone of the safest and most efficient ways to clean gear. These options include:

• Clean gear with a mixture of ammonia based cleaner and water
• Spray or soak gear with water of at least 140 degrees
• Dry waders and gear for a minimum of 10 days.
• Place boots and waders in a freezer overnight.

The parasite in the Yellowstone is believed to cause prolific kidney disease in trout. It does not pose any issues to humans or pets. According to the Bozeman Daily Chronicle, the parasite was first discovered in 2011 has been seen and related to fish kills in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Canada and Europe.

The parasite is picked up through the gills and travels to the kidneys. "The sudden and large death toll in whitefish indicates that they have not been exposed to the parasite before," said Brooks. "The good news is that surviving fish that have been exposed - whitefish and trout - will develop pretty robust immunity. The bad news is, this incident shows that the parasite travels with people and our stuff."

It only takes one person to transmit a parasite similar to the one found in Yellowstone. Maybe one day the angling community will have a "Smokey Bear" figure that tells people "Only YOU can prevent the transmitting of parasitic diseases" but until that day, it's up to the angling community to share among ourselves.

Victory for Native Trout

The Western Native Trout Initiative (WNTI) has granted Colorado Trout Unlimited and the Cheyanne Mountain Chapter of Trout Unlimited $6000. Two $3,000 grants will be used to help bring public awareness to native trout and help further greenback genetic studies at Mt. Shavano Fish Hatchery. Western Native Trout Initiative is an organization dedicated to protecting native trout. They offer many different grant opportunities that provide conservation organizations with a means to realize their native trout projects.

Colorado Trout Unlimited (CTU), The Greenbacks and Trout Unlimited Chapters throughout the state have been propagating the good news story of greenback cutthroat trout. Throughout past months and years chapters across the state have thrown their time and energy into false greenbacks. No more. Chapter and state level advocates at CTU are working with Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW), Western Native Trout Initiative, and Cities to ensure greenbacks forever have a home on the Front Range.

Part of the state level involvement will be to create new signage to replace old signage marked with the wrong greenbacks. Signs will be erected at sights of greenback reintroduction to educate unknowing recreationists about the greenback. CPW is helping design and install signs. CTU and The Greenbacks will also be buying more 50 gallon tanks to be installed at the Mt. Shavano Fish Hatchery. Tanks will serve as brooding pens for the newly hatched greenback fry from Zimmerman Lake. Fry with like genetic crosses (WildXWild, WildXHatchery, HatcheryXHatchery) will be assigned to the same tank for research purposes.

At the chapter level the Cheyenne Mountain Chapter of Trout Unlimited (CMCTU) will be installing an exhibit: “Trout on Tejon”. The exhibit will feature sculpted greenbacks complete with educational plaque and possibly QRC code, strategically placed throughout Colorado Springs. Patrons of the Springs will soon never be far from the greenbacks. Look for instalments in the coming year.

Funding for these projects is coming from a freshly awarded WINTI Grant (Western Native Trout Initiative). The Greenbacks and CTU, along with CMCTU both received 3,000 dollars to complete their projects. These three organizations and many others across the state collaborating to bring greenbacks to the forefront of public attention is beginning to be recognized as a ground breaking effort.