Clint Packo from Freestone Aquatics in Littleton, CO

by Walt Gasson posted here.

Clint Packo. If you don’t know him, you should. He was one of the first people I met back when I first started with TU. I liked him from the get-go. He was sharp, a no-nonsense guy who clearly loved fish and fish habitat. His outfit, Freestone Aquatics, Inc. in Littleton, CO became a TU Business member almost immediately. And in time, we became friends.

The old saying goes that they don’t care how much you know until they know how much they care. Clint Packo and the staff at Freestone know fish and fish habitat. And they care deeply. Take stream restoration, for example. The whole thing starts with an evaluation to find the hidden potential within any piece of property. Whenever considering a project related to stream restoration, it’s extremely important to understand the present conditions and dynamics of the aquatic ecosystem. This can be as simple as taking a few samples or it may involve a more intensive analysis that can take several seasons. The primary consideration of Freestone Aquatics on any ecosystem evaluation is to understand the goals and vision of the project, large or small. Once the goals of the project have been clearly established, Freestone Aquatics can then provide a plan to meet those goals that is economically viable and biologically sound.

Design comes next. This is crucial to the success of any stream restoration project. Different projects require different objectives including improved riparian habitat, waterfowl habitat, or trout habitat. The design phase is about the tiered collaboration of landowners, fisheries/wildlife professionals, hydrologists, engineers, and permitting agencies to produce a comprehensive stream design for a sustainable aquatic ecosystem.

Then the exciting part begins – real work, in stream habitat construction. Again, Freestone Aquatics does it. They provide general contractor, and construction management services to make the design a reality in the stream and remain one of the only fims in the country whose staff designs, permits and builds all phases of the aquatic ecosystem. Their goal throughout this phase is to promote long-term sustainability while maintaining the integrity of the natural environment. Their trademark is a light hand on the land and in the stream. A year post-construction, you might not ever be able to tell they were there. But the fish will know. With habitat enhancement structures, streambank stabilization and the creation of new habitats, the fish will most definitely know. And what’s more, you’ll know you’re doing the right thing.

Clint Packo always goes the extra mile. That’s just who he is. That’s why he’s a Gold Level TU Business member. That’s why he serves on the board of Colorado TU. That’s why he’s a well-known and respected member of the fly-fishing community across the West. Freestone Aquatics – they’re the real deal.

Freestone Aquatics, Inc.               

Clint Packo

Littleton, CO 80127

(303) 807-7805

clint@freestoneaquatics.com

www.freestoneaquatics.com

September Currents

This month’s newsletter features these stories:

• Public Lands Month and activities to do

• STREAM Girls goes virtual

• TU in Colorado’s FY20 year in Review Report

• Digital Rendezvous Sign up

• Fishing Your Home Waters with John Davenport, from Denver Trout Unlimited

• Former opponents now partners working to restore the upper Colorado River

• Ken's Crazy Ant

• Take Action: Ensure Responsible Energy Development with safeguards for wildlife, fish and their habitat

and more!

‘Hunters and Anglers for CORE’ Call for More Access and Habitat Protections

‘Hunters and Anglers for CORE’ Call for More Access and Habitat Protections

Pending public lands legislation would open miles of fishing and conserve big game habitat

Gunnison, CO—Hunter and angler advocates gathered on the banks of the Gunnison River today with Senator Michael Bennet to talk about sporting protections in the CORE Act. The four-part legislation would protect more than 400,000 acres of public lands and waters in Colorado, including significant protection for the fish and wildlife habitat most valued by the sporting community.

Representatives from Trout Unlimited, National Wildlife Federation, Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership, Artemis, and Backcountry Hunters and Anglers joined Sen. Bennet in Gunnison to proclaim their unified support for the legislation under the banner of “Hunters and Anglers for the CORE Act.”

“Hunters and anglers in Colorado and throughout the nation recognize the importance of protecting the unique landscapes the CORE Act represents and the fish and wildlife that depend upon them,” said Scott Willoughby, Colorado Public Lands Coordinator for Trout Unlimited’s Angler Conservation Program. “As we continue to see habitat deteriorate and public access to quality fishing and hunting areas decline, it has become painfully obvious that passing the provisions found in the CORE Act is long overdue. ‘Hunters and Anglers for CORE’ wants to put an end to that and calls on the Senate to push this legislation over the finish line.”

Contact:

Scott Willoughby/TU (970) 390-3676

Aaron Kindle/NWF (303) 868-2859

Nick Payne/TRCP (720) 369-5499

Take Action: Ensure Responsible Energy Development with safeguards for wildlife, fish and their habitat

Please take a moment to give your voice and urge the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission (COGCC) to ensure responsible energy development through providing safeguards for wildlife, fish and their habitat. Both the outdoor economy and our Colorado quality of life depends on it.

August Currents: A voice for Colorado's Rivers

This month’s issue of Currents features these stories:

• A Landmark win for our Great Outdoors

• You’ve Got Backpacks, We’ve got Greenbacks

• Leave No Trace: An Educational Opportunity

• What do YOU want at Digital Rendezvous

• Meet our Match VICTORY!

• The Green Drake is a summer staple

• Summer 2020 HCA

• Introducing Geoff Elliot, CTU’s new Youth Education Coordinator

• Featured Business: Upslope Brewing

• CCTU 2020 Raffle with a 1 in 4 Chance to Win & MORE

You've got backpacks, we've got Greenbacks

On July 28, 2020 over 700 native Greenback Cutthroats were released into the East Fork of Roaring Creek, representing the first population restored in Poudre Canyon tributary since the Greenback species was rediscovered in 2012.

The effort looked a little different this time around due to mandatory social distancing requirements. 43 volunteers and 15 agency staff (CPW & USFS) managed a series of staggered start times, social distancing, groups of less than 10 people each, and a much more strenuous trek to complete the 1st stocking of Greenbacks into new habitat on an important Poudre River tributary was a success. Thanks to all of the volunteers and agency partners, the effort was a huge success!

This project is adjacent to a much larger effort called the Poudre Headwaters Projects (PHP) that is planned to be the largest Greenback Cutthroat recovery project in the history of Colorado. The goal is to restore these native fish back into a part of their historic range on the upper Poudre - including 40 miles of small streams and Long Draw Reservoir. The PHP will create a “metapopulation” of Greenback Cutthroats that will be able to survive future impacts of climate change and catastrophic events.

A big thank you goes out to the volunteers who took time out of their week to help these fish return home!

To learn more about this effort, please check out the Poudre Headwaters Project page.

Videos from Volunteers

On July 28, 2020 Colorado Trout Unlimited organized 6 groups comprised of 8 volunteers and 2 team leaders to transport the Colorado state fish - The Greenbac...

Greenback Cutthroat Trout were stocked in the East Fork of Roaring Creek July 28, 2020. 43 volunteers, 15 agency staff (CPW) and over 700 Greenbacks helped o...

Video taken by volunteer, Bob Fielding. On July 28, 2020 over 700 native Greenback Cutthroats were released into the East Fork of Roaring Creek. The effort w...

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.