A Landmark Win for our Great Outdoors

Today, the President signed into law the Great American Outdoors Act (GAOA), which previously passed both the House and Senate with strong bipartisan support. The most significant national conservation legislation passed in a generation, the GAOA permanently secures funding for public lands and outdoor recreation under the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) as well as providing much needed funding to address the maintenance backlog on our National Parks and other public lands.

For more than 50 years, LWCF has set aside and protected special places in Colorado and nationwide. With LWCF funds invested statewide, from iconic landscapes like the Great Sand Dunes, to boat launches on the Colorado River, to community parks and trails in our own backyards – there’s a good chance you’ve enjoyed lands or facilities that LWCF helped provide.

LWCF doesn’t rely on your tax dollars, but rather is funded by an earmarked portion of royalties paid on offshore oil and gas development. Unfortunately, that dedicated stream of revenue has been regularly raided for other purposes in the annual politics of the appropriations process. More than $22 billion has been diverted from LWCF over its history – but it won’t happen again. With the GAOA now the law of the land, the funds committed to LWCF are permanently dedicated. And that is great news for our public lands and the multi-billion outdoor recreation economy they help sustain.

The other key portion of the GAOA originated as the Restore Our Parks Act and will provide $9.5 billion in dedicated funding toward our public lands deferred maintenance backlog. TU played a key role in ensuring that this maintenance funding included public lands beyond just the National Park facilities – funding partnership projects like replacing undersized culverts that are blocking trout and salmon migrations, and fixing roads that are bleeding sediment into streams.

Corinne Doctor, David Nickum, and Barb Sheedlo traveled last fall to Washington, DC to advocate for LWCF with our legislators.

Passage of the GAOA is a victory that has been many years in the making, the result of hard work from countless TUers and conservation allies. From volunteer advocates who reached out to their elected officials and wrote letters to their local papers – to staff and interns who helped us research LWCF projects in Colorado and prepare publications telling the program’s story – to grassroots leaders who flew in to Washington, DC to make the case for LWCF in person.

In Colorado, we’re blessed to have elected officials who have shown their deep commitment to our public lands as well. In particular we’d like to extend our gratitude to: Senator Gardner, lead Senate sponsor of GAOA whose tireless efforts were essential in creating the bipartisan support needed to move this legislation; Senator Bennet, a GAOA co-sponsor who has been among the strongest advocates for LWCF and public land conservation throughout his years in the Senate; and Representatives DeGette and Neguse, whose work on behalf of LWCF as Colorado’s members on the Natural Resources Committee helped secure the support needed for GAOA’s passage within the House of Representatives.

Today is a great day for all of us who value our public lands. In the midst of some very challenging times, it is especially rewarding to have something to celebrate – so please join us in toasting a great conservation victory and all of those who have made it possible!

Great American Outdoors Act passes the House

On July 23, 2020, the U.S.House voted 310-107 to pass the Great American Outdoors Act.  This bill also overwhelmingly passed in the Senate by a 73-25 vote on June 17th. Please take a moment to THANK your members of Congress for helping to advance this bipartisan legislation. 

A special thank you to our Colorado Senators Bennet and Gardner who took a lead in sponsoring the Great American Outdoors Act. They have helped secure funding full permanent funding for LWCF and establish an additional dedicated funding program to address the great and growing needs for maintenance at National Parks and other public lands. Thank you!

Latino Conservation Week 2020

July 18-26 is https://latinoconservationweek.com/, an event of our partners at the Hispanic Access Foundation and is full of virtual and in-person activities all week across the country.

Check out the online event map of webinars, conversations and sessions happening this week!

Featured Online Latino Conservation Week Events:

• Elevate Conservation: Outdoors for All – July 20 – 4 pm Mountain Outdoor Retailer Online and partners such as Patagonia, The Nature Conservancy, Trust for Public Lands and more, bring together national conservation organizations, outdoor industry companies, and diverse community leaders to discuss the intersection of outdoor recreation, conservation, and equity in the outdoors. Hispanic Access Foundation's powerful video "I Am Cheo" will be screened.

• Latinx Conversation to Conservation - July 21  - 4 pm Mountain For minority students aspiring to work in a conservation related field, challenges related to lack of representation and exposure face many current and recently graduated students. Listen in on a student panel as they talk about their experience in internships and programs that helped expose them to diverse opportunities in conservation related work with different state and federal land management agencies.

• "We Need to Talk" Just the Beginning: Experiences of Young Latinx in Conservation – July 22 – 4 p.m. Eastern Join the National Park Service Chesapeake Bay Office for a virtual panel discussion. Young, early career Latinx conservationists will explore their personal experiences of diversity in the conservation field and the Chesapeake Bay community.

  Conexión: The Conservation Heritage of Latinx and Hispanic Peoples in the Southwest – July 23 – 7 pm Mountain Presented by Colorado Parks and Wildlife, Continental Divide Trail Coalition, HECHO, Latino Outdoors Colorado, National Parks Conservation Association, and Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership, a panel of Latinx and Hispanic leaders will explore: National Park Service, Hunting and Food Security, Advocacy and Environmental Legislation, Climate Justice Activism.

Trout Unlimited Activities During #LCW2020:

Trout Unlimited will be supporting Latino Conservation Week by elevating and promoting our partners in Latino communities and their events and programs to help connect our audience to the broader conservation community.

• Free TU Memberships to Latino Conservation Week participants
  Our free trial membership offer will be shared by Hispanic Access Foundation and their partners through email and social media to help introduce us to new friends and members in the Latino outdoors and conservation community.

• Land, Water y Comunidad video
  When the Great American Outdoors Act passes this week (fingers crossed), including funding the Land & Water Conservation Fund, we’ll have our own media and communications related to our mission work and messages, but we’ll also be sharing the Hispanic Access Foundation video “Land, Water y Comunidad” showcasing why the LWCF is important for Latino communities.

• Instagram Live Interview with Luke Argleben – July 22 – Time TBD
  Tune into our Instagram channel on Wednesday for a special live interview between Josh Duplechian and Luke Argleben of the Hispanic Access Foundation. Luke, an avid angler and conservationist will talk about Latino Conservation Week, the Hispanic Access Foundation and efforts to engage more Latinos in conservation and outdoor recreation.

Connect:

 HECHO - Hispanics Enjoying Camping, Hunting & the Outdoors

Nuestra Tierra Conservation Project

Latino Outdoors

This Cutthroat needs your help!

Rio Grande Cutthroat. Photo credit: Frank Weisbarth.

Help us Meet our Match for Native Trout

You can be part of restoring Colorado’s native trout heritage in the heart of one of our state’s most unique landscapes! The Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve is one of Colorado’s iconic settings and is also home to the most significant Rio Grande Cutthroat trout restoration project in Colorado. Sand Creek, nestled above the dunes in the spectacular Sangre De Cristo mountains of southern Colorado, provides an opportunity to restore Rio Grande cutthroats to 14 miles of stream and two outstanding natural lakes high in the headwaters and is well situated to persist in the face of drought and a warming climate.  With your help it can be a place that our native trout will exist forever on our priceless public lands.

In September, Colorado Parks and Wildlife, with volunteer support from TU, will begin the first phase of work to restore cutthroat to Sand Creek, utilizing a large crew in a very rugged and remote setting. Wilderness Adventures has generously donated 25% of the value of the outfitting and catering required to logistically support this backcountry project.  That leaves us needing $9,000 to complete phase one of this restoration project.  Colorado TU, The Greenbacks and the San Luis Valley Chapter of TU have contributed $4,500 as a challenge to private donors like you: every dollar you donate toward this project will be matched.

Join this exciting effort to bring back Rio Grande Cutthroat trout to the Sand Creek watershed and create a unique backcountry fishery that will remain available for generations to come!  Every donation helps so please consider contributing and helping us to Meet Our Match.

July Currents: A voice for Colorado's Rivers

July’s issue includes:

• Help us Meet our Match for Native Trout

• The Great American Outdoors Act Passes in Senate

• Final TU Teens Live Session: Exploring Conservation and Fly Fishing Careers

• Two Knots You Need To Start Fly Fishing

• Ascent Fly Fishing Teams up with Fly Fishing For Hip Hop to Bring Fly Fishing To Denver Youths!

• Pre-Register for the Greenback Stocking! Project time frame: Mid to Late-July

and so much more. Check out our monthly digest, Currents, to see what we are up to!

The summer 2020 High Country Angler e-zine is out!

Check out the new Summer 2020 issue of High Country Angler e-zine!

Featuring articles on reading water with Landon Mayer, the new CTU president reflecting on silver linings, a walk down memory lane fishing for brown trout, Colorado’s fight against weakening the Clean Water Act, and much more, including the regular columns:

• TUFTED GREEN DRAKE by Joel Evans

• LOOKING BACK AND AHEAD by Hayden Mellsop

• FLY FISHING DURING RUNOFF by Peter Stitcher

• THE LAST CAST by Dr. John Nickum.

Great American Outdoors Act advances with strong support from sportsmen

Repost from TU.org:

(June 17, 2020) WASHINGTON DC – The Senate voted today 73 to 25 to pass the Great American Outdoors Act, a bill that permanently and fully funds the Land and Water Conservation Fund and provides money for the growing maintenance backlog on public lands. 

Upon its passage, Trout Unlimited issued the following statement: 

“We know LWCF is incredibly important to hunters and anglers as one of the most enduring and vital funds for securing access to our public lands at no cost to the taxpayer,” said Chris Wood, president and CEO at Trout Unlimited. “We’re thrilled and grateful to see the Senate pass this pivotal piece of legislation. In addition to LWCF, we can’t overstate the importance of the funding provided for the maintenance backlog, which will help fix the thousands of miles roads bleeding sediment into our rivers and streams and replace undersized culverts that block fish migration. This upkeep, while not flashy, is a critical part of the stewardship of our public lands.” 

“We ask that the House move swiftly to pass companion legislation and get this bill to the President’s desk,” continued Wood. “The sooner this legislation gets enacted, the better off our outdoor traditions will be, now and for future generations.”  

The House of Representatives version of the bill, H.R. 7092, was introduced by Rep. Joe Cunningham (D-SC) on June 4 with strong bipartisan support. The legislation currently has nearly fifty cosponsors from around the country. 

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Trout Unlimited is the nation’s oldest and largest coldwater fisheries conservation organization dedicated to conserving, protecting and restoring North America’s trout and salmon and their watersheds. Follow TU on Facebook and Twitter, Instagram and our blog for all the latest information on trout and salmon conservation.  

Profiles in Conservation

Duranglers Flies and Supplies: Supporting Conservation and the Fly-fishing Community for 36+ years.

In February of 1984, the Five Rivers Chapter of Trout Unlimited, led by Neill Peterson, John Flick and David Wilson, was certified as Chapter number 451 of Trout Unlimited.  Among the founding members were Flick, Jim Herrig, Byron Hilliard and Tom Knopick.

The chapter was established only a couple of months after the founding of Duranglers Flies and Supplies by Flick and Knopick.  John and Tom both recognized the intrinsic relationship between the business they planned to grow and the need for active conservation of the incredible cold-water fisheries to which they called home.

Pictured: Tom Knopick

This commitment by John and Tom and Duranglers has been carried forward, often with fierce dedication, to our present time and will carry on for the future.  But, let’s go back and remember some of the past conservation efforts that Duranglers has helped advance.

Hermosa Creek, which is currently undergoing reintroduction of native Cutthroat to 23+ miles of East Fork and Mainstem, was an early focus of habitat improvement by Five Rivers TU and John, Tom and Jim Herrig.  Most of this work was done on the reach above Hotel Draw.  In addition, log structures were introduced on the East Fork for habitat development in the area of Hermosa Park.

The headwaters of the East Fork of Lime Creek also benefitted from habitat improvement undertaken by the Chapter.

Pictured: John Flick

One of the Rivers precious to John and Tom is the Dolores River below McPhee Reservoir, locally known as the “Lower D”.  This tail water was created in 1984 when the Dam was completed.  The result was a fabulous cold-water fishery that was stocked with Snake River Cutthroat Trout as well as rainbows and browns.  The combination of (formerly) abundant cold water and great water quality allowed the bug life and fish to thrive.  It was not uncommon to catch trout upward of 20” and 4 – 5 lbs.  Needless to say this was the subject of many guided trips by Duranglers, video programs such as the Fishing The West TV show with Larry Shoenborn Guided by Tom Knopick and relentless attention to the conservation of the resource by the crew at Duranglers.

Then in 1990 the area began to endure a series of drier years.  When McPhee was created an Environmental Assessment was undertaken, one of the first such assessments in the West.  While the EAS called for releases of 70, 58 or 20 cfs, depending on the reservoir level to maintain the quality of the coldwater fishery, the fishing community felt these flows to be inadequate.  This became abundantly clear when in just a few short years of 20 cfs releases most of the fish, particularly the healthy adults, died due to low water and heat stress.  The golden age of the “Lower D” came to an end.

But not without Tom and John, personally leading the push for more water for the fishery.  In subsequent years, they have been at the forefront of efforts to find water for the fishery and have been partners with Colorado Parks and Wildlife in helping to establish greater release of water for the fishery.

In the early 1990’s, Chapter leadership was taken over by Jay Engel and others.  Jay had been a leader in the fly fishing community for years on the West Coast and was a tireless advocate for cold-water conservation, eventually being recognized with the Silver Trout Award.  In the middle 90’s Jay passed away unexpectedly and was soon followed by the Chapter’s Treasurer.  This left the Chapter leaderless and it went dormant for a couple of years.

In Spring 1999 a group from Duranglers led by John, Tom and Nate Bronson gathered a group together in the upstairs of Gazpachos, a local New Mexican restaurant, with the intent of reviving the Five Rivers Chapter.  And, resurrect it they did, with John and Tom helping behind the scenes with fund raising and tolerating the occasional minor disruption from one of their part time employees, who had assumed the reins of the Chapter.

To this day in 2020, we owe a tremendous debt of gratitude to John and Tom for their support and dedication to conservation of our cold-water fisheries, particularly in southwest Colorado.  This was evident in 2018 when CTU recognized Duranglers Flies and Supplies as Outfitter of the Year at its Rendezvous in Glenwood Springs, just one year after recognizing the Five Rivers Chapter they helped establish and revive as Exemplary Chapter in 2017.

So let us raise a glass of whatever beverage is preferred and toast Duranglers and John and Tom for their past and future support of all of TU’s conservation efforts.  To check in on what is happening fishing wise in Southwest Colorado or to just say hi you can reach them and Duranglers Flies and Supplies at 970-385-4081 or www.duranglers.com.

Tight Lines,

Buck Skillen, Past President, Five Rivers Chapter TU

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Profiles in Conservation is a new blog series sharing the stories of important long-term leaders in Colorado’s fly fishing and conservation community.  If you would like to share a story or nominate a flyfishing leader for this series, please contact us at info@coloradotu.org. 

June Currents

The U.S. Senate is expected to vote next week on the Great American Outdoors Act, providing full dedicated funding to the Land and Water Conservation Fund and providing $9.5 billion over five years to help address deferred maintenance needs on public lands. CTU thanks Senators Bennet and Gardner for their support of this important legislation. We also thank our many members who have reached out to their elected officials in support of public lands; your voices have helped build the political momentum that is propelling this legislation.  If you haven’t yet done so, consider taking a moment to thank our Senators for their efforts on this bill by clicking here. 

Additional stories include:

• CTU Introduces Virtual Happy Hours

• Now Hiring: CTU Youth Coordinator Full-Time

• Keeping it Close to Home: Pike, Bass and Panfish on the fly

• Colorado Water Plan Listening Sessions

• Featured Fly: Matt Callies’ Hare’s Ear Nymph

• Spring 2020 High Country Angler

• Featured Business Partner: Anglers All and more!

Colorado TU Supports the Great American Outdoors Act

Anglers thank Senators Gardner, Bennet for investing in public lands

Denver, Colo – Colorado Trout Unlimited strongly endorses the Great American Outdoors Act (S. 3422), which is expected to be voted on by the U.S. Senate next week. The bill, introduced by Senator Cory Gardner and cosponsored by Senator Michael Bennet, would for the first time guarantee full, dedicated funding to the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF), one of America’s most successful conservation programs, as well as commit $9.5 billion toward public lands maintenance needs. The legislation has broad, bipartisan support with 58 cosponsors and President Trump has signaled his support.

“Colorado is fortunate to have bipartisan leadership from our Senators in securing funds for LWCF and maintenance on our public lands,” said Colorado TU Executive Director David Nickum. “We greatly appreciate the efforts of Senators Gardner and Bennet in sponsoring the Great American Outdoors Act and their hard work in moving it toward Senate passage.”

For more than half a century, LWCF has used a portion of federal offshore energy revenues — at no cost to taxpayers — to conserve our public lands, water, and open spaces and protect the outdoor recreation opportunities they offer. LWCF has invested over $268 million in Colorado, helping to secure access and conserve special places across the state, including the Gunnison Gorge National Conservation Area, Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve and boat launches on the Colorado River. 

Unfortunately, while $900 million is generated by energy royalties for the program each year, in its more than 50-year history the LWCF has only been fully funded once – with funds instead being diverted by Congress toward other unspecified purposes. The Great American Outdoors Act would solve this problem by permanently dedicating those annual revenues to LWCF.

"Public lands are an icon of democracy,” said Colorado TU President Matt Moskal. “They are places to celebrate our rich natural history and they provide all Americans with the freedom to recreate in our most cherished places. By fulling funding the LWCF and providing critical support for the stewardship of our public lands, the Great American Outdoors Act will maintain this legacy. Colorado Trout Unlimited, on behalf of its 12,000 members state-wide, strongly supports this legislation."

The legislation also includes $9.5 billion in funding over five years to tackle deferred maintenance on public lands. The legislative proposal originally included deferred maintenance funding only for the Park Service, but hunters and anglers championed a change to provide funding for all public land management agencies. The public lands maintenance backlog has been mounting for decades and is now estimated at $20 billion, with the Park Service share alone nearly $12 billion. 

Region 2 of the Forest Service, which includes Colorado, has a deferred maintenance backlog of $477 million, and the road maintenance backlog on the Grand Mesa-Uncompahgre National Forest alone is $49 million. This problem does more than create challenges accessing our public lands; poorly maintained roads degrade trout streams through increased erosion that bleeds sediment into rivers and streams. Oftentimes these roads also have undersized culverts that block trout migrations. TU partners with both the Department of the Interior and Forest Service on collaborative restoration projects and has leveraged nearly $43 million in funding to complete restoration projects on Forest Service lands.

“Fixing roads that are bleeding sediment and removing migration barriers for trout at road crossings are just two examples of how this bill and TU’s partnership with federal agencies benefit anglers and public lands users,” noted Moskal. “We hope to see this bill’s passage into law this summer so dedicated funding is guaranteed to continue our work to make fishing better.”

About Colorado Trout Unlimited:

Colorado Trout Unlimited is dedicated to conserving, protecting and restoring Colorado’s coldwater fisheries and their watersheds. With a grassroots base comprised of nearly 12,000 members in 24 local chapters across the state, Colorado TU works both locally and statewide through advocacy, education, and on-the-ground restoration projects. For more information visit www.coloradotu.org.