ISE 2012

As a partner of the 2012 International Sportsmen's Expo, we'd like to invite you to stop by the Trout Unlimited booth for special youth activities and a chance to win a Gunnison Gorge float trip with Dvorak Expeditions. Click here to purchase tickets or learn more about the International Sportsmen's Expo, or click here to sign up for a $2 off coupon on admission.

If you're interested in volunteering at the TU booth, please email estock@tu.org. A limited number of free tickets will be available to those who volunteer 2-3 hours at the show.

Show Information

FREE PARKING & SHUTTLES at Coors Field--ISE's thanks to everyone for a generation of support! Ready to shop, have fun, compete, learn, and pass on the outdoors tradition to family or friends? ISE Denver is the place to do all of those things, and more!

500 companies will exhibit in a single 290,000-sq.-ft. hall, offering you a staggering selection of outdoor goods and services, including:

• Fishing & hunting outfitters & guides
• Fishing tackle & gear
• Hunting products & gear
• Fly-fishing retailers
• Travel, vacations, lodges & resorts
• Boats, kayaks & marine accessories
• RVs, campers
• Outdoor gear
• Apparel & optics
• ATVs, motorcycles & personal watercraft
• Mountain-home furnishings
• Outdoor clubs, groups & organizations
• Trucks, trailers & aftermarket accessories

Plus special features are spread throughout the entire show, including:

• NEW: RMEF Great Elk Tour
• NEW: Eastmans’ Trophy Deer Display
• NEW: Wild Justice TV--War in the Woods presentation
• NEW: Stay the Trail & Wildlife Experience Museum Adventure Trail
• 30,000-sq.-ft. Discover Fly Fishing Pavilion
• Orvis Fly Fishing 101 Program
• Fly-Casting Ponds & Free Lessons
• Accuracy Casting Contest
• DockDogs Pond & Contest
• Sporting-Dog Arena
• Game-Calling Contest
• RMEF Ultimate Rifle Raffle
• World Fishing Network Aquarium Demonstration Tank
• 3D Pop-Up Archery Range & Contest
• Adventure, and Fly-Fishing Theaters
• Colorado Parks & Wildlife Youth Outdoor Fair

A Look Back at 2011

It has been an eventful year for Colorado Trout Unlimited and our 23 chapters. We’ve seen a growth in capacity thanks to new full-time volunteers and additional National TU staff, conducted on-the-ground projects to improve habitat and restore native trout, extended our advocacy on behalf of rivers, and created new partnerships to strengthen our ability to conserve, protect and restore Colorado’s rivers and watersheds. All of these efforts were made possible through the involvement and support of our members, donors, and partners – and we deeply appreciate each and every one of you. Looking back at the past year, here are a few of the highlights from 2011:

• Yampa Valley Fly Fishers – long time leaders in conservation projects in the Steamboat Springs area – become the 23^rd active chapter of Trout Unlimited in Colorado.
• Colorado TU and the Colorado Water Project expand efforts to educate and engage the public in protecting the Colorado headwaters, launching a new Defend the Colorado website featuring the “Faces of the Fraser” – local residents from an Olympic skier to a logger who share their connections with the river.
• Colorado TU brings on two new OSM/VISTAs – full time volunteers funded with support from the Office of Surface Mining and Americorps – to strengthen our efforts with youth education and RiverWatch water quality monitoring programs.
• Denver Water and west slope interests announce an agreement to provide additional water and funds to benefit the Colorado River headwaters.  The agreement does not address the impacts of proposed new projects, but is a good start in collaboration to benefit the Colorado, Fraser, and Williams Fork.
• Upslope Brewing Company unveils its new craft lager with a “1% For Rivers” program where a portion of all sales of the new beer benefit Colorado TU.
• Our new ColoradoTU.org website launches with an enhanced design, pages on TU activities in basins across the state, and an improved set of tools for visitors to engage with TU in river conservation.
• Grand Valley Anglers and Colorado TU volunteers plant more than 200 willows along Trapper Creek on the Roan Plateau, helping improve riparian habitat for a key native Colorado River cutthroat trout stream.  Grand Valley Anglers also assists federal agencies with reconstruction of a reservoir atop Battlement Mesa as a refuge habitat for native cutthroat trout.
• TU and a coalition of agency and private sector partners – with volunteer support from the Collegiate Peaks Anglers chapter – complete award-winning mine restoration work along Kerber Creek in the historic Bonanza mining district.
• After years of advocacy and volunteer monitoring, TU and the Evergreen Chapter successfully get Bear Creek listed as an “impaired water” for temperature under the Clean Water Act – triggering a state regulatory process to identify the sources of the problem and develop projects to address them..
• The West Denver Chapter completes work on the Canyon Reach project, improving fish habitat and angling accessibility on Clear Creek.
• Colorado TU holds its first “Golf Classic,” engaging more than 120 participating golfers and raising funds for conservation and education.
• Denver TU provides seed money to launch development of a master plan for river restoration in the south Denver metro area; the plan wins unanimous approval from the South Suburban Parks & Recreation District and City of Littleton opening the door to a new “golden age” for the South Platte.

This is a long list, but still far from complete. And with your help, we will work to make 2012 an even better year for Colorado’s rivers and watersheds. Thank you – and happy new year to you all!

Congress Boosts Land and Water Funds

Not exactly front-page news to the mainstream media, but it's pretty big news to us. Congress recently approved increased funding for the Land and Water Conservation Fund. Revenues for program, created in 1965, come from offshore oil and gas leases. LWCF benefits are far-reaching. According to Will Rogers, President of the Trust for Public Lands. “This program protects lands and jobs across the nation, from local parks and trails to Civil War battlefields and local forestry jobs in New England and Montana, to the Sierra Nevada in California.”

In a news release announcing the funding increase, the Land and Water Conservation Fund Coalition (TU is a member), pointed out that outdoor recreation, conservation and historic preservation contribute $1.06 trillion annually to the U.S. economy, and support 9.4 million – or 1 out of every 15 - American jobs. The coalition lauded the efforts of a number of members of Congress, including Colorado Senator Mark Udall and Representative Scott Tipton (3rd District) of Cortez.

This year’s LWCF appropriation will increase to a shade under 323 million. If there’s a down-side, it’s that more than $900 million in offshore royalties are deposited into a special trust fund each year, so there’s still room for improvement. You can learn more about the LWCF at lwcfcoalition.org.

Fighting for the Green River

A speculative water project could take 81 billion gallons a year out of the Green River and Flaming Gorge Reservoir.

Problem

The Green River below Flaming Gorge Reservoir offers some of the best fishing in the West. But despite the importance of the Green River to anglers and the local economy, a speculative water project proposed by developer Aaron Million could take 81 billion gallons a year out of the Green River and Flaming Gorge, and pump it 560 miles to the Front Range of Colorado.

Initial construction costs for this project will exceed $7 billion, with annual operating costs totaling over $123 million. Yet that’s not the worst part. The Million Pipeline is a potential economic and environmental boondoggle that could unleash a host of destructive impacts on local communities, fish and game habitats, and taxpayers in three states.   A pipeline project of this magnitude has the potential to:

• Ruin world class kokanee salmon and lake trout populations by increasing water temperatures and raising salinity levels.
• Destroy the Blue-ribbon fishery for trophy rainbow and brown trout in the Green River.
• Harm critical mule deer and pronghorn habitat and hunting opportunity.
• De-water wetlands in the basin and impede waterfowl hunting.
• Impact Seedskadee National Wildlife Refuge, Browns Park
• National Wildlife Refuge, Dinosaur National Monument, as well as Ouray National Wildlife Refuge.
• Lower water levels significantly, making it virtually impossible to access the reservoir for recreation.
• Further the spread of cheat grass, tamarisk and quagga mussels, which will harm hunting and fishing in the area.
• Force the government to spend millions of dollars in taxpayer money to reconstruct boat launches, campgrounds, marinas, fishing piers and other access points.
• Destroy a $118 million recreation-based economy the communities in the region depend on for their survival.
• Slow the recovery of endangered native fish like the razorback sucker, Colorado pikeminnow, and bonytail chub. Until these fish are recovered and removed from listing under the Endangered Species Act, the area’s recreation-based economy will continue to operate with restrictions required under federal law.

Make Your Voice Heard

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) reviews federal permits for hydropower projects, and is taking comments on Million's application for a preliminary permit through December 16.  While this is only the first step of many that would be required for the proposed pipeline, it gives us the chance to stop Million's dangerous proposal now, before it can get started.  FERC needs to hear from you about the importance of the Green River and your concerns about the impacts of this project.

To submit your comments by the December 16th deadline, please follow these instructions:

1. Go to www.ferc.gov 2. Click on the 'Documents and Filings' menu tab on the homepage 3. Click on the eComments tab 4. Fill in the required information and you will receive an official form to file your comments 5. Include on the docket # P-14263 for the Flaming Gorge Pipeline project. 6. Submit your comment before the December 16th deadline

Note: If you have personal experiences on the Green, be sure to mention those in your comments.

Suggested Talking Points

In addition to the points listed above, it's important to stress the following in your comments:

• The Million project will be bad for the Green River and its world-class trout fishery and the regional tourism economy that fishery supports, as well as harming critical native fish habitat downstream where the Green is a centerpiece of endangered fish recovery.

• This project already failed to pass muster with another federal agency that reviewed it.  After scoping, the Army Corps of Engineers pulled the plug on the environmental analysis process that it had begun on this pipeline because Million didn't have the threshold information available to even allow them to analyze the project. Nothing has changed - and FERC shouldn't allow an applicant to "game" its system this way to create phony credibility with investors.

• Having struck out with the Corps, Million is now trying to sell this as a hydropower project - but it can't be justified based on its claimed hydropower benefits.  It would actually interfere with hydropower generation at Flaming Gorge by reducing the water available to go through the existing hydroelectric facilities. The project isn't good for fish or for hydropower.

Continue the Fight

To stay up to date on this issue and learn about more opportunities to get involved, please sign up to on our campaign website 'Sportsmen for the Green' and 'like' us on Facebook.

Questions? Contact Charlie Card, NE Utah Coordinator ccard@tu.org

Colorado TU fighting for clean water

Colorado TU, along with its conservation partners the Colorado Environmental Coalition, High Country Citizens Alliance, and San Juan Citizens Alliance, has filed its comments and recommendations for water quality standards to protect against excessive nutrient in Colorado waterways.  Through cooperation with one of Colorado's largest dischargers, the Metro Wastewater Reclamation District, these conservation partners have supported a compromise strategy that will put standards in place while allowing facility upgrades to be phased in over the next ten years - helping keep costs to customers reasonable.  The Colorado Water Quality Control Commission will be taking final action on nutrient standards in March 2012.  Click here to read our press release. Many anglers notice that they can catch larger fish below treatment plants on some of Colorado's rivers and so may wonder why Colorado TU would be looking to restrict nutrients.  The "Old Professor" (retired biologist Dr John Nickum) explains the issue in his December 2011 column in High Country Angler. The simple answer is that while some added nutrients can help boost productivity, too much can also create unhealthy river conditions - including declines in key macroinvertebrate and fish species.  A little nutrient can help - but too much of a good thing is just that:  too much.

Colorado River: Windy Gap firming plan released

By Summit Voice “The Final Environmental Impact Statement continues to ignore existing problems that will be made much worse by the Windy Gap project,” said Sinjin Eberle, president of Colorado Trout Unlimited.

http://summitcountyvoice.com/2011/12/07/colorado-river-windy-gap-firming-plan-released/

Give online December 6th

When you give to Colorado Trout Unlimited online any time on December 6, the value of your donation will be increased by the FirstBank Incentive Fund as part of Colorado TU's participation in Colorado Gives Day 2011. Depending on the amount of donations we receive, we could earn significant extra funding just for participating - leveraging your investment and increasing our capacity to continue protecting the Colorado rivers you love!

From the mighty Arkansas to the Black Canyon of the Gunnison, Colorado TU works to conserve, protect and restore your favorite rivers and streams for our children and grandchildren.

If you haven't done so already, please make your gift online December 6th at www.givingfirst.org/coloradotu

Creating Stream Explorers

By Fred Rasmussen and Karen Dils, Collegiate Peaks Anglers TU Chapter Inspiring the next generation to experience the natural world is part of Trout Unlimited’s (TU) mission and the mission of the Collegiate Peaks Anglers chapter of TU. Since 1986, TU has taught hundreds of youth about the aquatic environment and fly casting and provided scholarships for students interested in studying conservation.

A new opportunity to more fully engage young people emerged when budget cuts forced Salida Public Schools to a 4-day school week. Using TU's Stream Explorers materials and lessons prepared by volunteers, our chapter provided a series of special conservation workshops during three-hour blocks every Friday for five weeks. The emphasis was on hands-on learning and scientific data collection.

During the first 2 weeks youngsters investigated the behavior of aquatic life including insects, shrimp and fish. They explored what life forms lived in their river, where they lived, their sizes, shapes and how and where they moved. Students did experiments exposing organisms, including fish, to hot and cold, light and dark and changes in gravity. Using their recorded data, they were asked to hypothesize on the effects of seasonal changes in temperature and light on the behavior of fish in their river. Then students tied flies that imitated the insects in the river.

During week 3 students reviewed their bug lessons and traveled to the river to learn how to “read” the water. Volunteers provided basic instruction on fly rods, gear, casting, basic knots, spin casting, and safety, including hook removal and catch-and-release techniques. Students practiced fly and spin casting. Youngsters took home activity sheets to identify organisms that live near the river and were charged with researching a fishing related website they found helpful on the internet.

Week 4 brought a snowstorm and a cold front. However, the students showed up in 25 degree clear weather. Utilizing the services of the Chaffee County Shuttle, we drove to Mt. Ouray Ponds. Students fished with fly and spinning rods in the lake and river. There were a few bites and 2 fish caught, but students mostly enjoyed the gorgeous day and being outside.

In week 5 students studied fish biology which included a lesson on the similarities between humans and fish. They visited the Fish Hatchery where they learned about fish rearing and observed fish scales and fry under microscopes. At the end of the day, our chapter invited parents to see their students “graduate” and provided pizza. All participants received Stream Explorer certificates, an Embrace a Stream Hat, t-shirt, and a folder with all kinds of good information to take home. Of 11 students who started, 6 earned Stream Explorer membership with Trout Unlimited by attending 80% of the sessions.

Our chapter reached its goal: teaching young people about the aquatic world. Due to the success of this program, the Collegiate Peaks Anglers TU Chapter plans to provide additional programs for youth – possibly including a series of winter fly tying sessions since many students were quite excited about their brief exposure to this art.

The Colorado White River basin - Best Wild Places

From Field & Stream:The White River basin might be the West’s best deer and elk hunting destination, and the river itself is a trophy trout fishery home to massive rainbow and brown trout. High in Trapper’s Lake, native Colorado River cutthroat trout still swim. The area, though, is also highly coveted by the energy industry, and its use of water and land is of concern to the connectivity of the region from a fish and game standpoint. Trout Unlimited is working with local volunteers and the energy industry to prove that oil and gas extraction can be done in a way that protects the long-term viability of our sporting resources.

Read More Here

Watch Colorado TU President's interview on Comcast Newsmakers

Check out this recent interview with Colorado TU President Sinjin Eberle on Comcast Newsmakers. In this segment, Sinjin talks about Colorado TU's work to keep our state's rivers healthy for fish, wildlife, and all Coloradans who love to hunt, fish, raft or kayak. Sinjin also underscores the importance of healthy rivers to sustaining these important recreation opportunities that serve as the backbone of Colorado's outdoor economy.

Sinjin Eberle Comcast Newsmakers Interview 2011 from Sinjin Eberle on Vimeo.