Dentry: Natural gas drilling hurting land

By Ed Dentry Rocky Mountain News

July 22, 2008

"While there is little to no relationship between the price of gasoline and development of natural gas on public lands - which is what most of this development has been about, as opposed to oil - our rush to produce short-term energy supplies can have a profound effect on the fish and wildlife habitats and water supplies that define the West," said Chris Wood, a Trout Unlimited executive.

http://www.rockymountainnews.com/news/2008/jul/22/feverish-natural-gas-drilling-has-wreaked-havoc/

Enviros seek options to fight Roan drilling

by David Frey, Aspen Daily News Correspondent Monday, July 7, 2008

After Ritter took office, his administration reviewed the plan and called for protecting about 15,000 more acres to safeguard areas of environmental concern further.

Many wildlife groups, including Trout Unlimited, the National Wildlife Federation and the Colorado Wildlife Federation, have endorsed that plan. The House passed a bill sponsored by Salazar’s brother, Rep. Ken Salazar, and by Rep. Mark Udall, both Democrats, to implement it, but it must also be passed by the Senate.

http://www.aspendailynews.com/section/home/127920

Gov. Ritter on energy/wildlife hot seat

By Charlie MeyersThe Denver Post

Dave Nickum, executive director of Colorado Trout Unlimited, deeply lamented the commission's waffling, calling it a rollback in the face of industry pressure.

"This caught us very much off guard and this newest round poses notable problems, particularly from a rivers standpoint," Nickum said.

Nickum also expressed regret that the industry had taken such radical steps in its attack.

"It's frustrating that they put out so much misinformation, that they deliberately exaggerated what the rules proposed. That's unfortunate because there's so much more flexibility in the original draft rule than has been suggested."

http://www.denverpost.com/extremes/ci_9686387

Showdown set on new Colorado oil, gas regulations

Jun 21, 2008 By JUDITH KOHLER, AP But Dave Nickum of the Colorado chapter of Trout Unlimited said he's worried about losing ground. He's concerned about a suggested change from the draft rules to limit buffers around water bodies to just rivers and lakes with native cutthroat trout or gold-medal fisheries.

http://www.examiner.com/a-1452713~Showdown_set_on_new_Colorado_oil__gas_regulations.html

Santa Cruz River studies may impact mining, development

By Dick Kamp, Wick News Service

Published: Saturday, June 21, 2008 7:32 PM MDT

Melinda Kassen of Boulder Colo.-based nonprofit Trout Unlimited agreed, adding, “More than one lower court has determined that these limited definitions of “navigable waters” are required to apply the entire Clean Water Act, and it is often a difficult determination in the West.”

http://www.gvnews.com/articles/2008/06/21/news/news07.txt

New laws balance river protection, water rights

Op-ed from TU's Colorado Water Project Director, Drew Peternell. http://www.chieftain.com/articles/2008/06/15/editorial/doc48548f8a71053517891884.txt

State fears loss of surface-water rights

By Dick Kamp, Wick News Service

Published: Thursday, June 5, 2008 6:08 PM MDT

Gov. Janet Napolitano and the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality say they're losing the ability to regulate surface water in the state.

At a May 19 ADEQ hearing in Tucson on declaring Davidson Canyon as “Outstanding Arizona Water” — a designation that strengthens water quality protection — a controversial Supreme Court Decision raised questions of a larger significance to Arizona and other Western states.

The hearing also provided an opportunity for those in attendance to comment on he state's proposed revisions to water quality regulation, which was of little concern to most were present to overwhelmingly support protecting the canyon by giving it a higher surface water quality standard than other surface water bodies.

Attorney Melinda Kassen of the Denver office of nonprofit environmental group Trout Unlimited pointed to successful local efforts in Boulder among local water regulatory agencies and within county planning and zoning departments to fill in the gap left by Rapanos, while conceding that “nobody knows what will happen as a result of it.”

http://www.gvnews.com/articles/2008/06/05/news/news04.txt

DENTRY: Nature lovers ride to rescue

The Rocky

Wednesday, May 7, 2008

A cavalry made up of sportsmen, conservation groups and San Luis Valley residents have charged to the rescue of public lands along the upper Rio Grande just days before those lands were to be sacrificed to energy development.

Sportsmen's groups joining the battle included Trout Unlimited, Backcountry Hunters and Anglers, the Colorado Wildlife Federation and the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership. The latter described the protests as "a blistering wave of criticism."

http://www.rockymountainnews.com/news/2008/may/07/dentry-nature-lovers-ride-to-rescue/

Dils gets top award from river forum

By CHRIS WOODKATHE PUEBLO CHIEFTAIN

WESTCLIFFE - Newly minted Colorado Water Conservation Board member Reed Dils was honored by Arkansas Valley water users Wednesday for his years of work on water and conservation issues.

Dils was elected by the Arkansas Basin Roundtable as its recreational representative in late 2005, was a founding member of Collegiate Peaks Anglers Chapter of Trout Unlimited and represented his own and other river rafting companies when whitewater experiences were a fledgling industry for the Arkansas River. In the mid-1980s, he was involved in the formation of the Arkansas River Headwaters Recreation Area, and subsequently helped to develop the voluntary flow program for the Upper Arkansas River in 1990.

http://www.chieftain.com/articles/2008/05/02/news/region/doc481ab4122821a071104051.txt

DOW to sample fish in Parachute Creek

Phillip YatesGlenwood Springs correspondent Aspen, CO Colorado April 30, 2008

Ken Neubecker, president of Colorado Trout Unlimited, said the DOW's efforts to sample the fish population in Parachute Creek was a good idea, especially in light of sediment allegations raised by the Colorado Attorney General.

http://www.aspentimes.com/article/20080430/NEWS/460094699