Chesapeake Bay Coldwater Summit

On October 22, 2011, Trout Unlimited members, conservation professionals, and other coldwater conservation advocates from throughout the Chesapeake Bay watershed gathered at the National Conservation Training Center in Shepherdstown, West Virginia for TU's thrid annual Chesapeake Bay Coldwater Summit. In attendance were representatives of 15 TU chapters from Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia, as well as 15 other conservation organizations and state and federal agencies.

Twelve presentations were given on cutting-edge science, resources, and best practices for coldwater conservation. Copies of the presentations may be downloaded below.

Introduction: Kevin Anderson, Chesapeake Bay Land Protection Coordinator, Trout Unlimited.

Ranking Resiliency of Brook Trout Populations to Climate Change: Mark Hudy, National Aquatic Ecologist, U.S. Forest Service Fish and Aquatic Ecology Unit.

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Resources for Coldwater Conservation: Ben Hutzell, Fish and Wildlife Biologist, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Aquatic Organism Passage: Efforts across the National Forest System and Needs and Potential within the Chesapeake Bay Watershed: Nathaniel Gillespie, Assistant National Fisheries Program Leader, U.S. Forest Service.

Federal Issues Affecting the Bay Watershed: Keith Curley, Director of Government Affairs, Trout Unlimited.

Federal Policy and the Chesapeake Bay Region: Peter Marx, Senior Policy Advisor, Choose clean Water Coalition.

Marcellus Shale Development: Federal and State Policy Update: Katy Dunlap, Eastern Water Project Director, Trout Unlimited.

Too Much Resource, Too Few Biologists - An Approach to Prioritizing and Sampling Unassessed Waters: Bob Weber, Fisheries Biologiest, Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission.

Habitat Conservation Credits for Brook Trout: Eric Sprague, Program Director, Pinchot Institute for Conservation.

The Economic Importance of Freshwater and Trout Anglers: Anna Harris, Economist, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Restoration of Beaver Creek: Seth Coffman, Shenandoah Headwaters Home Rivers Coordinator, Trout Unlimited; Graham Simmerman, Virginia Council Chair, Virginia Trout Unlimited.

Riverkeepers and Coldwater Conservation: Jeff Kelble, Shenandoah Riverkeeper; Theaux LeGardeur, Gunpowder Riverkeeper.