New Bill Would Protect Browns Canyon

Senator Mark Udall recently introduced legislation, S. 1794 - the Browns Canyon National Monument and Wilderness Act of 2013 - that would help protect one of Colorado's treasured landscapes and the wildlife, fisheries, and recreation it supports. TU is part of the "Sportsmen for Browns Canyon" coalition that has been seeking protection of this important area, and applauded Senator Udall's introduction of legislation to designate a new National Monument and wilderness within a portion of it.  The bill would:

• Create a 22,000-acre national monument along the Arkansas River between Buena Vista and Salida, including 10,500 acres of new wilderness;
• Preserve visitor access as it is now;
• Protect existing legal uses as they are now, allowing fishing, hunting, livestock grazing, commercial outfitting, mountain biking and motorized use to continue uninterrupted; and
• Maintain the ongoing, cooperative management of the area by the Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Forest Service and Colorado Division of Parks and Wildlife.

"Browns Canyon is a Colorado treasure, offering great fishing and one of the nation's most popular boating reaches," said Colorado TU Executive Director David Nickum.  "We thank Senator Udall for introducing legislation to help keep Browns like it is, and to protect it for future generations. And we encourage the rest of Colorado's congressional delegation to join in supporting protection for Browns."

The Pueblo Chieftain has endorsed the legislation; you can read their editorial here.

You can read the text of the new legislation here.

Granby students win "Water Is Life" Mural and Art Challenge

Renowned muralist and conservationist Wyland announced today that Katrina Larson's art students at East Grand Middle School were named the grand prize winners of the National "Water Is Life" Classroom mural contest for grades 5-8. The  contest, inspired by the growing demands on U.S. water resources, took place Oct. 21-Nov. 21, and drew more than 9,000 students across 45 states. Participating students painted 50 square-foot murals depicting the range of habitats and uses for water throughout the United States. "America's water resources are among our greatest treasures," said Wyland, the artist whose pioneering marine life murals are seen by more than 1 billion people around the world every year. "Our coastal waters, rivers, and lakes support millions of people. But like anything they need our attention and art helps put that into focus."

As part of the national "Water Is Life" competition, the Wyland Foundation and its partners provided 300 schools with paint supplies, educational materials, and 50 square foot canvas murals to look at the economic, cultural and aesthetic value of American waters. Additional schools that participated created artworks on other surfaces - from sidewalks to school buildings. The contest encouraged students to study local and national water issues and work collaboratively. Winning classes receive $250 for art supplies, a signed Wyland artwork, and a chance for a live online painting lesson with Wyland

Twelve students at East Grand Middle Schools, ranging in grades from 6th-7th, worked on the mural entitled, "Save the Fraser River." Program organizers hope the process of interpreting water-based habitats through art will lead students to a greater understanding of their role as future caretakers of the resource.  An individual art contest for grades K-12 was also held concurrently. Details at wylandfoundation.org/artchallenge.

The National "Water Is Life" Classroom mural contest was presented in partnership with Fredrix Artist Canvas, Arts & Activities Magazine, National Van Lines, the US Forest Service, the Georgia Aquarium and Marco Fine Arts.

Check out the beautiful "Save the Fraser River" mural.

TU Hosts Browns CanyonTelephone Town Hall with Sen. Udall

On Tuesday evening, December 3, Colorado TU will be hosting a special telephone town hall with sportsmen from across Colorado to hear about proposals to protect Browns Canyon on the Arkansas River as a National Monument.  The call will be hosted by Kirk Deeter, TROUT magazine editor and Field and Stream editor at large.  Senator Mark Udall will take part and share updates on his legislation to create a new National Monument at Browns Canyon.  Other speakers will include local experts Bill Dvorak (angling and rafting outfitter, hunter) and Karen Dils (angler, boater, hiker).  More than 100,000 sportsmen will be invited to participate - and to have the chance to ask their questions and share their stories about Browns Canyon.  You can take part as well! The Town Hall is part of the Sportsmen for Browns Canyon initiative, to engage and connect hunters and anglers with efforts to protect a spectacular reach of river and a true Colorado backcountry gem that surrounds it. You can learn more by visiting us and liking us on Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/SportsmenForBrownsCanyon.

If you'd like to take part in the Telephone Town Hall, you can do so by calling (855)-756-7520 Ext.23322# between 7 and 8 pm Mountain Standard Time on Tuesday, December 3.

The State of TU 2013

Chris Wood, president and CEO of Trout Unlimited, delivers the annual State of TU presentation to members during September's annual meeting in Madison, Wisconsin. Watch "The State of TU 2013" here.

Restore the Range

Flooding in September 2013 devastated many communities and watersheds along Colorado’s Front Range including along the Big Thompson, Boulder Creek, and the St. Vrain.  The “Restore the Range” effort is working to provide financial and volunteer support for fish- and river-friendly flood restoration efforts. Click here to help Restore the Range!

The Colorado River: Every drop must count

Water has literally shaped the West. It carved Colorado from red rock and shaped landmarks from the Rocky Mountains to the Grand Canyon to the Gulf of California. Water has etched green and fertile valleys into the desert and sustained generations of hardworking families throughout the Southwest. Water is what makes the West as we know it possible — from our ski resorts in places like Vail and Powderhorn to the orchards of Palisade to our cities like Gunnison and Steamboat Springs.

The Colorado River is healthy now, but make no mistake: the Centennial State and the six states downriver are on an unsustainable course.

As former Congressman Wayne Aspinall used to say, “In the West, when you touch water, you touch everything.”

Read the rest of Senator Udall's Guest Opinion in the Post Independent.

Sportsmen welcome Udall as sponsor for Thompson Divide legislation

Another prominent co-sponsor signed onto a bill that would protect large portions of the Thompson Divide area from energy development. Sen. Mark Udall joined the Thompson Divide Withdrawal and Protection Act as a co-sponsor on Thursday, prompting another wave of support from sportsmen.

"There's been enough turmoil surrounding the Thompson Divide," said Aaron Kindle, campaign coordinator for Trout Unlimited's Sportsmen's Conservation Project. "With Udall's support, we hope to get this passed and put to rest the threat to such important hunting  and fishing resources."

The bill would permanently withdraw unleased acres of largely untouched public land near Carbondale,  Colo. from future energy development and give developers the means to donate or sell lands that are currently leased. The area is known for its prime elk hunting and high quality fishing.

"I've camped and hunted the Thompson Divide for more than a decade and have fallen in love with the place," said Nate Simmons, a longtime bowhunter and local resident of the area. "I'm really pleased that Senator Udall also recognizes those values that sportsmen hold dear. Hopefully we're now one step closer to permanent protection."

The Thompson Divide is an important economic driver in the area providing hundreds of jobs and more than $30 million in revenue to the local economy each year.

"As a business owner that relies on the clean water coming from the Thompson Divide, I'm happy to hear the news of Senator Udall's sponsorship off this legislation," said Jeff Dysart, owner of Alpine Angling and Roaring Fork Anglers. "Protecting the area is key to ensuring the health and vitality of the gold medal Roaring Fork River and is essential to my way of life."

For more information, please contact Aaron Kindle at 303-868-2859 or akindle@tu.org.

Our Colorado River - uniting West Slope water users

Last May, Gov. John Hickenlooper directed the Colorado Water Conservation Board to hand him a draft plan for managing the state’s water no later than Dec. 10, 2014. That’s a hefty order considering the plan has been in the works for at least a decade and the state is riffed with disagreement, especially between the Front Range – which is the most populous – and the Western Slope, which has most of the water. Progress is being made, however.

As the CWCB nears its deadline, Trout Unlimited, a non-profit conservation organization, is currently working to unite the Western Slope to ensure the region has a strong voice at the bargaining table. The group is asking governments to sign onto the Our Colorado River project, which outlines five “core values” that various stakeholders might agree upon.

“We’re trying to show unity and resolve on matters that have sometimes been points of contention between the agriculture and recreation communities,” said TU’s Colorado River Basin Outreach Coordinator Richard Van Gytenbeek. “By agreeing to these core values, we can provide a united focus on a common platform as we move toward the Colorado Water Plan, which is due in 2014.”

Read the rest of the article in the Vail Daily.

Learn more about TU's Our Colorado River campaign and sign on to the Core Values.

Still looking for water

Check out the newest Fraser video! Denver Water is taking more than 60 percent of the annual flows of the Fraser River--and the low flows are threatening prized fish and wildlife habitat on this tributary of the Upper Colorado. Our Homeless Trout is still looking for water in all the wrong places--go to www.defendthecolorado.org and tell Denver Water to leave a little H20 for the fish!

Colorado Outdoor Mentors program kicks off

Last weekend marked the official kick off of the Colorado Outdoor Mentors Program.  On Saturday September 28, several organizations came together for an outdoor skills festival at Barr Lake State Park. With the help of Colorado Parks and Wildlife, Pheasants Forever, Environmental Learning for Kids, the Rocky Mountain Bird Observatory, the Wildlife Experience, the American Canoe Association, and CTU over 200 people had the chance to try their hand at a wealth of outdoor activities and learn about native wildlife. Spearheaded by CTU, this Colorado Outdoor Mentors Initiative seeks to assemble a cohesive coalition of conservation organizations, state agencies, youth development organizations, and other key outdoor recreation stakeholders in Colorado to focus efforts on providing outdoor education to non-traditional audiences. By partnering with youth mentoring organizations such as Big Brothers Big Sisters and Denver Kids Inc., we can give more children the chance to learn how to fish, hunt, shoot, camp, and experience Colorado’s great outdoors.

Continuing participation for children who are exposed to outdoor opportunities often depends upon having a trusted adult who can share in those activities.  By partnering with mentoring organizations, the Outdoor Mentors program will help jointly expose youth and their adult mentors to hunting, fishing, and outdoor recreation – planting the seeds for mentors and youth alike to continue to experience the outdoors together.  By encouraging mentors to share their enjoyment of the outdoors with a child on a regular basis we can make a significant impact on that child’s perception of the outdoors. Also, it is our experience that many youth who participate in outdoor education programs represent a self-selected population from families who already hunt, fish, and engage in outdoor activities. By partnering with youth development organizations we can reach a population that have never caught a fish, shot a bow, or been in a canoe.

This program follows a successful model set forth by Pass it On Outdoor Mentors in Kansas. Pass it On Outdoor Mentors began as a program of Kansas Big Brother Big Sisters in 2002 and focused on recruiting members to spend time outdoors with a child. In 2006, the program spun off into a separate 501(c)3 with the goal of providing support to other youth mentoring organizations throughout the country. Today 20% of community-based matches for Kansas Big Brothers Big Sisters participate in Outdoor Mentors programming.  In  2011, the Western Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies Directors unanimously endorsed the Pass it On Outdoor Mentors model as one that “would greatly expand the ability of state fish and wildlife agencies to engage in  more and new recruitment and retention activities by leveraging capacities of multiple stakeholder groups.”  A recent study by Responsive Management of 37 hunter and angler recruitment and retention programs highlighted one of the great accomplishments of Pass it On Outdoor Mentors. The study showed that 43% of participants in their programs come from families that do not hunt, shoot, or fish – they are reaching the kids who need to be reached.   With the second highest rate being 20%, no other program in the study came close to these results.  It is our goal to replicate the successes of this program in Colorado.

If you are interested in getting involved with this initiative, or better yet, mentoring a youth in the outdoors, please contact Jake Lemon, CTU Youth Education Coordinator, at jake.lemon@coloradotu.org or 720-354-2646.