TU helps protect Colorado River Gold Medal stretch

Not all of Trout Unlimited's efforts are loud and publicized. In fact, some are quiet and calculated. There are many TU efforts that don’t generate action alerts or require high level discussions with politicians. Recently, TU's work to protect the Gold Medal Water section of the upper Colorado River from 20 oil and gas leases was successful by inserting the voice of sportsmen into the BLM’s oil and gas lease sale process. “The process of commenting on these federal land actions can feel bureaucratic and can be tedious,” said Tyler Baskfield, sportsmen coordinator for Colorado who drafted comments for TU pertaining to the May 2017 Oil and Gas Lease Sale. “But it is critical that we address federal land actions from a sportsmen’s perspective. These leases in Grand County near the Colorado River are a perfect example of what TU staff can accomplish by participating in the process and providing accurate and consistent information to federal agencies.”

The parcels had originally been nominated for the lease sale by the oil and gas industry, but the BLM removed the 20 parcels totaling 27,529 acres in Grand County from the upcoming lease sale citing “concerns raised by Grand County and other stakeholders about offering these parcels at this time,” said acting Deputy State Director for Energy Lands and Minerals, Kent Walter. “We want to be sure they are still appropriate for leasing.”

TU staff along with Grand County and a number of environmental organizations discouraged the leasing of these parcels that were close to both the Colorado River and Rocky Mountain National Park. These areas also contained cutthroat trout habitat. TU and partners commented on the potential impact to the wildlife resources and recreation in the area to the BLM throughout the NEPA process. The other organizations who commented on these potential leases played a large role in the removal of these parcels, but the sportsmen’s perspective that TU provides seemed to be especially influential in many of these efforts.

“TU’s members should feel great about the impact their contribution has to the places that sportsmen are passionate about,” said Baskfield. “It takes several staff members to participate in just one of these efforts. The staff who work on these comments and follow these processes are incredibly passionate, intelligent, and thorough when it comes to producing the desired outcome for the resource. It isn’t the most visible part of the work that we do, but it is rewarding to work with all of those talented staff members and get a win.”

Behind the Fin: Greg Pohlman

How long have you been a TU member? I have been a TU member for 10 to 15 years or more and a local TU chapter board member since 2014.

Why did you become a member and what chapter are you involved with?

I became a TU member to stay current on the issues and challenges that we face at our local chapter level and on our local waters as well as regionally (western states).

What made you want to become involved with TU?

I wanted to get involved with a good cause and volunteer my time. I chose this opportunity since I enjoy fly fishing and would like to see our rivers and water systems protected for future generations.

What is your favorite activity or project that you have done with TU?

We have done several activities at our local chapter level since my short involvement. Projects include river restoration, replanting of vegetation, supporting youth in fly fishing activities, youth fly fishing camps, etc. I think one of the most important activities that our chapter has supported is youth education and river conservation, fly fishing and fly tying. I helped recruit Bennett Colvin, who is a middle school teacher with years of fly fishing experience and assisting youth in the program. He has done a tremendous job here locally as our chapter's Youth Coordinator. He has organized week-long youth fly fishing conversation and education camps here locally. He has a strong following of middle school students that show up to tie flies in the morning before school starts. Bennett is really our “Shining Star”.

I know you won’t tell me your top spot, so what is your second favorite fishing spot or favorite fishing story?

One of my favorite local areas to fish is on the Yampa River just south of town (Steamboat Springs). In 2002, Our chapter along with the Yampa Valley Stream Improvement Charitable Trust and the Colorado Division of Wildlife partnered on a project to clean up an areas south of town now called the Chuck Lewis SWA. This section of river was a part of a ranch that the ranch owners had placed old cars along the bank for erosion control. Needless to say, a lot of work from many folks went into clearing the old cars, restructuring and revegetating the river banks to improve the health of the river. This river section is now a favorite of many locals and out of town guests.

What does being a part of TU mean to you?

I would like to think that my being involved in our chapters activities is making a difference. I hope that my small part supporting our chapter will continue a tradition of common love for our river system as well as promote continued preservation of rivers, streams and lakes around Steamboat Springs.

What else do you do in your spare time or for work?

My occupation is that of a Home Inspector, Energy Auditor, and most recently I have become interested in aerial photography flying drones. I enjoy spending time with my family outdoors fly fishing, camping, rafting, motorcycle riding (dirt & touring). I have two sons who are both Eagle Scouts. My oldest (21 yrs) is in the Army National Guard and a local firefighter/EMT. My youngest is a junior in high school with plans to go to college after graduating. My lovely wife of 28 years is an accountant with Routt County.

Speak Out for National Monuments

By Corey Fisher Senior Policy Director for Trout Unlimited Caddis fly blizzards on the Arkansas River in Browns Canyon National Monument. Strongholds of native redband trout in the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument. Fishing with the ghost of Henry David Thoreau in the Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument.

These are just a few of the reasons Trout Unlimited supports the Antiquities Act and the ability for presidents to use the act to designate national monuments. As national monuments, each of the places will be kept just the way they are today and provide world-class coldwater habitat and fishing opportunities for future generations – or so we hope.

Take action to stand up for our National Monuments!

On Wednesday, President Trump issued an executive order, Review of Designations Under the Antiquities Act, calling for a review of national monument designations over 100,000 acres since 1996 (or at the discretion of the Secretary of the Interior) and instructing the Secretary to provide “recommendations for such Presidential actions, legislative proposals, or other actions” if determined that a monument should be rescinded or resized.

This unprecedented action could have far-reaching implications for America’s public lands and hunters and anglers. Trout Unlimited cautions that the order could lead to the weakening of national monument protections and the Antiquities Act, a law championed by Theodore Roosevelt and used by sixteen Presidents – eight Republican and eight Democratic – to protect some of America’s most iconic landscapes.

This review starts us down a path that could jeopardize protected public lands that help to sustain our outdoor traditions, such as Rio Grande del Norte National Monument. In these places, locally driven conservation efforts need to be preserved and celebrated, not questioned.

The Antiquities Act has historically been a bipartisan tool for conserving public lands that are part of our natural heritage and important for America’s sportsmen and women. After signing the act into law, President Theodore Roosevelt designated over 1.5 million acres of public land as national monuments, both large and small.  Since then, the act has been used to enable long-term conservation of some of the best fish and wildlife habitat and hunting and angling opportunities in the country.

When Congress has been unwilling or unable to enact widely supported conservation initiatives, the Antiquities Act has provided a path forward to see these efforts through to fruition. The Antiquities Act is a powerful tool for conservation. Like any tool, it must be used appropriately, but it is important to keep this tool available for those times and places it is needed.

For this reason, hunting and fishing groups have been calling on elected officials to uphold the legacy of Theodore Roosevelt and set an example for how the Act can be used responsibly, rather than attacking national monuments and the Antiquities Act. These efforts have included a letter from the CEOs of five national sporting groups expressing opposition to any executive action to overturn a national monument.

An angler looks to hook up with a trout while fishing Rio Grande del Norte National Monument. Joshua Duplechian/Trout Unlimited

It remains to be seen what final actions will stem from the review mandated by President Trump’s executive order, but one thing is clear: we must remain vigilant to ensure that some of America’s most cherished landscapes remain protected as national monuments.

Read more about national monuments and the Antiquities Act.

Take action today – tell Congress don’t mess with the monuments!

Own a business? Sign the outdoor business letter to Congress.

Read a press release from Trout Unlimited and partners in response to the Executive Order.

Corey Fisher is the Senior Policy Director for Trout Unlimited. He can be reached at CFisher@tu.org

Rendezvous 2017 Recap

This past weekend, over 100 chapter leaders, volunteers, Trout Unlimited staff, and partners joined Colorado TU in Keystone for the annual Rendezvous spring meeting. This year the theme was Homewaters where participants learned more about specific issues that are affecting not only their homewaters, but the homewaters of all Colorado chapters. These issues included mining projects, protecting public lands, creating healthy urban watersheds, connecting local communities to their homewaters, partnering with agriculture, and learning about water laws in Colorado. Participants in the weekend heard from National TU staff, chapter leaders, professionals in the related fields, and locals from various watersheds throughout the state. Each session focused on various aspects of each issue affecting watersheds all over. The presentations from various sessions can be found on the Rendezvous page!

Included in the presentations from National TU Staff was the keynote speaker at the Saturday Night Banquet, TU President and CEO, Chris Wood. Wood spoke about the future of TU in the midst of an uncertain political climate. Wood reassured everyone that TU will continue to not only defend our prized fisheries and public lands but go on the offense and fight for protections of areas. We will also make sure we are working for our trout and salmon as opposed to working party lines.

The banquet also included the presentation of chapter, volunteer leadership, and partner awards. The awards included:

• John Connolly Outstanding Chapter Communications Award:  West Denver Chapter
• Exemplary Youth Education Award:  Gunnison Angling Society
• Exemplary Project Award:  Dolores River Anglers
• Outstanding Volunteer Awards:  Mark Hanson, Dustin McCory, Tim Toohey
• Exemplary Chapter Award:  Five Rivers Chapter
• Distinguished Service Award:  Gil Hassinger
• Exemplary Guide & Outfitter Awards:  Telluride Outside, Trouts Fly Fishing
• Trout Conservation Award:  Paul Bruchez
• Bruce Hoagland Award for Leadership in Conservation:  Buck Skillen
• Silver Trout Foundation also recognized Rick Matsumoto and John Aaron with the Silver Trout Award.

The weekend started off with the a Cast N' Sip event where guests were treated to a "Seven Deadly Sins of Casting" presentation by Johnathan Walters. Afterwards everyone could apply their newfound knowledge and participate in casting games like tic-tac-toe. Beer was provided for the event by Upslope Brewing Company.

New to this year's Rendezvous was a poster session in which chapters from around the state made a poster highlighting their chapter and the work they've accomplished over the last year. Throughout the weekend, guests were able to walk around and read the posters to gain a better of understanding of what each chapter is doing on their homewaters.

Saturday morning, before the Homewaters sessions began, Colorado TU held it's spring board meeting. The council went over the current "State of CTU" and discussed other pressing topics including the Parks and Wildlife Financial Sustainability Bill.

Also at the board meeting, the Council awarded six Gomolchak mini-grants from CTU to help with a chapter project. The following chapters were awarded grants of $1,000 for their specific project.

• Cheyenne Mountain: Greenback youth education publication.
• Colorado River Headwaters: Fraser Flats project.
• Gore Range: Blue River Explorer hike.
• West Denver: Clear Creek Habitat Improvement Project.
• The Greenbacks: Rock Creek-Black Canyon greenback barrier design & construction.
• Denver Chapter:  South Platte Stream Management Plan.

At Rendezvous each year the election of CTU's Board of Directors takes place and this year the positions up for election were the President and Vice President. Former Vice President, Cam Chandler, was elected as President of the Board of Directors. While former Director-at-Large, Dick Jefferies, was elected Vice President of the Council.

TU hails Long Draw settlement and native trout benefits

Agreement includes largest native trout restoration in Colorado history

The U.S. Forest Service this week finalized a litigation settlement that will allow the Water Supply and Storage Company, a northern Colorado ditch company, to continue to use Long Draw Reservoir on the Arapaho-Roosevelt National Forests, and will launch a large-scale native trout restoration program for the Cache la Poudre river headwaters within the Forests, including the Neota and Comanche Peaks Wilderness Areas, as well as in Rocky Mountain National Park.

Completion of all project elements is expected to take more than 10 years, but when completed will provide for a connected “metapopulation” of trout across the watershed – the largest such restored native trout habitat in Colorado. The native trout restoration project will span more than 40 miles of connected river and multiple lakes, as well as Long Draw Reservoir itself. To protect the watershed from invasion by non-native species, fish barriers will be established on the Grand Ditch and on the mainstem Cache la Poudre below its confluence with La Poudre Pass Creek. Within the watershed, temporary barriers will also be installed to enable fishery biologists to complete restoration of native trout one section of the basin at a time.  After installing temporary barriers, biologists will remove non-native fish from the upstream areas. Once the areas are confirmed to be free of non-native trout, they will be re-stocked with native greenback cutthroat trout. Work will be done in collaboration with the USDA Forest Service, Rocky Mountain National Park, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Colorado Parks and Wildlife, and Colorado Trout Unlimited.

Under the settlement, a trust will be established with $1.25 million from the Water Supply and Storage Company for purposes of funding these restoration activities. Colorado Trout Unlimited will serve as the Trustee, while the U.S. Forest Service will be the lead agency for project implementation.

David Nickum, executive director of Colorado Trout Unlimited, issued the following statement:

“The settlement finalized today is a great example of how open dialogue and a spirit of cooperation can yield conservation solutions. After years of litigation and debate, the U.S. Forest Service, National Park Service, Water Supply and Storage Company, and Trout Unlimited have agreed to launch a collaborative restoration project for Colorado’s state fish, the greenback cutthroat trout, which will be the largest native trout restoration effort in Colorado history.

“Over the next decade, we will be restoring a true Colorado native to the Cache la Poudre headwaters in spectacular alpine wilderness within both Rocky Mountain National Park and the Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests. The watershed will be a stronghold for native trout, helping secure this piece of Colorado’s natural heritage for generations to come.

“We are pleased that settlement efforts enabled all the parties to find a solution for the area’s natural resources that meets federal stewardship responsibilities, respects the operating needs and challenges of long-standing water users, and achieves meaningful benefits for Colorado’s environment and the millions of residents of and visitors to our state who enjoy it.”

Keith Amen, president of the Water Supply and Storage Company said:

“We are pleased to have concluded the terms necessary for us to obtain a thirty year easement agreement for the continued operation of Long Draw Reservoir, a very valuable resource that contributes a great deal to the local, state and national economies.”

Congrats to our Spring Raffle Winner

Congrats to the 2017 Statewide Raffle Winner, Doug Nielsen. Doug is the winner of a two-day, one-night float trip through the Gold Medal waters of the Gunnison Gorge for two with Black Canyon Anglers. The trip also includes one night’s lodging and dinner for two at Gunnison River Farms the night prior to the launch.

The Gunnison Gorge is home to some of the state’s Gold Medal Waters and is a world-class fishery for large rainbow and brown trout. And is one of the best fishing trips in the lower 48 states.

Black Canyon Anglers have been guiding on the Gunny for over a decade and have knowledge about the fishing, geology, and wildlife in the area. Along with the excellent fishing, there is beautiful scenery and the occasional encounters with big horn sheep, mule deer, river otters, and eagles.

Thanks to everyone who participated in the raffle, helping Colorado TU raise over $7,000 that will go towards on-the-ground projects to help protect and restore Colorado’s fisheries and watersheds.

Voices from the River: What makes a 'trophy?'

by Kirk Deeter, editor of TROUT Magazine and the vice president of Trout Media for Trout Unlimited I love catching big fish. How can you not? After all, size is the benchmark that is ingrained to matter most to many anglers. My mother doesn't fish much, but when I call her to say I spent the day fishing, she always asks: "Did you catch any?" Question two… "How big?"

The concept of "trophy fish" is usually about size too. I'm starting to rethink that a bit, though. If you go fish in a place where the fish are stocked, and some of the trout are 20 inches long when they are put in the water to begin with, well, isn't that more like a "participation trophy?"

I'm a bit more old-school, in that I think a trophy should be a reward for lots of hard effort and good performance. I love it when people catch big Michigan brown trout at night… you know, this fish you think is in the bottom of that perfect run, but you've never been able to get it to eat. Sometimes it takes a better angler than me to revive my faith.

A small, native cutthroat is also a good "trophy" in my mind, especially when I have to walk a few miles to find them (though I admit I don't have to make any miracle casts to catch them). They also tend to represent the effort of a lot of people who work hard to keep them around.

We spend a lot of time thinking about the covers for Trout magazine. Thanks, by the way, to those who wrote to say they like the current one, featuring a Clark Fork Cutbow, by Lon Lauber. Erin Block picked that one.  I think one of my favorite covers is the "State of the Trout" issue we did a couple years ago featuring a small cutthroat. We might be the only "fishy" magazine to run a 3-inch fish on its cover. I wonder if we could pull that off again...

Support Sustainable Funding for Colorado's Fish and Wildlife

The Colorado General Assembly is taking up legislation – HB 17-1321 – to authorize the Parks and Wildlife Commission to have the power to set its own fee rates, up to a specified cap, instead of the Colorado Legislature setting all fees. This action would enable them to increase fishing and hunting license fees in order to provide needed funds to maintain fish and wildlife management and to meet growing demands for habitat conservation and for hunting and fishing access. While the bill provides a needed financial boost to Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW), it does include limitations on using these funds for fee title land and water purchases – limiting an important tool in CPW’s tool box for protecting habitat, improving stream flows, and securing access. You can help by contacting your state Representative – today – and letting them know that you support increasing CPW funding, and that you believe CPW should retain authority to purchase land and water to benefit fish and wildlife.  The most effective way to make your voice heard it to call your Representative directly – using your address, you can look up your Representative and their contact information here.  Or you can quickly comment using our email template by clicking here. 

Colorado TU’s Board of Directors has voted to support HB 1321.  Since 2009, CPW has cut or defunded fifty staff positions and sliced $40 million from the wildlife budget. Without new revenue, more painful cuts are inevitable.This bill gives the Parks and Wildlife Commission authority to set fees, within a cap set at a 50% increase from current levels.  Importantly, it allows future license fees to be adjusted gradually over time to keep up with inflation rather than needing the legislature to approve larger increases every few years. The bill would also allow out-of-state fishing license fees for Colorado to be increased to bring Colorado’s pricing in line with peer states like Montana, Wyoming, and Utah. A senior fishing license (not more than half the regular price) would also be re-instituted.  The bill also would add a new sticker and fee program for boats, to help finance inspections for aquatic nuisance species.  You can read more about the bill here.

While the bill provides much-needed financial support for CPW, it also includes language limiting the agency’s purchase of fee title land and water. While such permanent purchases of land and water are not frequent, they are important – for example for expanding or establishing new state parks, obtaining water rights to benefit fisheries, or protecting key wildlife habitat if a landowner wishes to sell their property rather than putting under conservation easement.

Please tell your Representative to support HB 1321’s enhanced funding for CPW, and also to support CPW’s ability to use purchase land and water to benefit fish, wildlife and recreation in Colorado.

2017 Rendezvous: Homewaters

Registration is now open for 2017 Rendezvous! The agenda for Rendezvous Weekend can be viewed here!

Rendezvous will also be featuring a Women's Weekend complete with massages, brunch, and much more!

This is the largest annual meeting held in Colorado for TU members, chapters, leaders and supporters. This 3-day weekend is packed with workshops, presentations on important conservation issues and current projects, the annual business meeting for Colorado TU where new officers will be elected, plenty of time for networking, sharing ideas and socializing, and a Saturday evening banquet featuring delicious food and presentation of CTU's annual awards plus a keynote address from National TU CEO/President Chris Wood. This weekend is great for all members (new and old), chapter leaders and anyone interested in what Trout Unlimited in Colorado needs to accomplish this year to protect our cold water resources.

The theme for Rendezvous 2017 is Homewaters. Colorado contains 24 local chapters with their own homewater rivers and streams that all face unique challenges and issues. This year's Rendezvous will help chapter leaders and TU members tackle the issues happening in their own backyard with help from National and Colorado TU staff,  industry experts and organizational partners! From agriculture partnerships to mine drainage to urban rivers, we'll have sessions covering all different types of challenges facing our rivers so those in attendance can take back to their chapter useful information on protecting and restoring their local homewaters and fisheries.

We have lined up speakers this year that will help us explore solutions, inspire new ideas, and develop projects on your chapter's local waterways. We also want each chapter to share their homewater projects and success stories with us! New this year, we will be featuring a Poster Session that will be set up all weekend including for the Saturday night cocktail hour. These posters will help share each chapter's stories on the projects and issues facing their homewater streams. We hope that all 24 chapters are represented in this poster board session (even if no one from the chapter can make Rendezvous, we hope you can send a poster board to share your local work with other TU members!). Please contact Shannon Kindle for details on the poster session!

Friday afternoon will consist of a Chapter Leaders Summit that will address the challenges facing all chapters from retaining members, to developing projects, to diversifying your membership. Friday evening we will hold a social event complete with beer, heavy hors d'eouvres, and casting! There will be a silent auction plus fly casting demos, instruction, and contests for a chance to win some awesome prizes and connect with other TU members and professionals. On Saturday, we will hold the CTU board meeting and begin our Homewaters workshops. The Saturday night banquet will feature a delicious meal and presentation of CTU's annual awards to chapters and volunteers for their distinguished work. We will also be hosting Trout Unlimited CEO and President, Chris Wood, as the keynote speaker.

Sunday morning will contain more Homewaters workshops and a chance to network with other chapter and state leaders. This is a weekend you don't want to miss!

For more information, please contact Shannon Kindle SKindle@tu.org.

Embrace-a-Stream Grants

Bring in up to $10,000 dollars to support a conservation project in your watershed! Have an idea for a conservation project, community education program, or public lands campaign? The Embrace-a-Stream grant program can help your chapter raise up to $10,000 dollars for the initial implementation of efforts that promote healthy coldwater fisheries in your area.  Chapters must contact their regional Embrace-a-Stream representative (Bill Schudlich, highmesa@gmail.com) with their project ideas by APRIL 15 in order to qualify. You do not need to have specific project details for the initial conversation, but you must inform your representative that you are interested in pursuing this funding source!

A Quick Overview

Embrace-A-Stream (EAS) is a matching grant program administered by TU that awards funds to TU chapters and councils for coldwater fisheries conservation. Since its inception in 1975, EAS has funded more than 1,000 individual projects for a total of $4.4 million in direct cash grants.

The Details

Who Can Apply?

A TU chapter or council must be the primary applicant, but government agencies, non-profits, and other groups are strongly encouraged to partner with TU. There must be significant TU involvement in the planning and execution of the project to warrant funding, and projects which include strong chapter capacity and/or community building components are highly encouraged.

What It Will Fund

• On-the-ground restoration, protection, or conservation efforts that benefit trout and salmon fisheries and their habitats
• Education or outreach projects that increase the awareness and support of coldwater conservation among a non-TU audience.
• Applied research, assessment, or monitoring that addresses the causes of fisheries or watershed problems and helps develop management solutions
• Advocacy efforts that will positively influence government planning or policy to benefit coldwater resources, including coalition building with other partner organizations
• Feasibility studies, campaign planning, or other tools that will directly contribute to TU’s imminent ability to benefit coldwater resources
• Projects that increase the internal capacity of the chapter or council to directly benefit coldwater resources.
• Any other well planned and feasible project that will provide direct benefit to coldwater resources

How Projects Are Evaluated

Applications will be evaluated based on four key criteria:

Conservation Impact

Strengthening overall TU Impact in the community or watershed

Public education, engagement, and outreach (especially for non-TU members)

Technical Merit

Timeline

Successful applicants will have two years to implement their Embrace-a-Stream project.

Matching Requirements

Chapters must provide a 1:1 match for requested funds.  Matching dollars can be cash and/or volunteer hours ($23.07/hr.).

Important Deadlines

April 15, 2017:    Deadline for chapter/council to make initial contact with EAS Committee Representative about proposed project

May 15, 2017:    Deadline for draft application to be sent to EAS Committee Representative.  This step is intended to help chapters address shortcomings in and improve their applications prior to the final submission deadline.

July 15, 2017:      Final deadline for applications

Sept. 29, 2017:   Embrace-A-Stream Committee grant selection meeting

October 2017:    Grant announcement letters are mailed

October 2017:    Grant checks will be deposited in the chapter or council bank account. Please ensure that your bank routing information is on file with TU. Contact Kyle Smith (ksmith@tu.org) to update your information, if needed.

Important Next Steps

For more information, visit: http://www.tu.org/conservation/watershed-restoration-home-rivers-initiative/embrace-a-stream

Contact your Embrace-a-Stream Representative for Colorado:

Bill Schudlich

Southern Rockies

505-470-4878

highmesa@gmail.com

For additional questions or for more information, contact:

Dan Omasta

Colorado Trout Unlimited, Grassroots Coordinator

720-354-2647

domasta@tu.org