Coldwater Land Conservancy Fund

Trout Unlimited's strategic plan focuses on four key goals:  to "Protect, Reconnect, Restore and Sustain" the habitat and watersheds that support wild and native trout and salmon in North America.  To achieve the "protect" component of the plan, it will be necessary to secure the future of coldwater habitat on both public and private lands.  The Coldwater Land Conservancy Fund (CLCF) is a central component of TU's work to permanently protect private lands from incompatible development and energy exploitation.  The CLCF is intended to encourage collaborations and partnerships with land trusts and public agencies to achieve the common goal of permanently protecting lands with important trout and salmon habitat.

CLCF will be a source of restricted funding that can be used by TU for the following purposes:

1. To establish a matching grants program, similar to TU's  successful Embrace-A-Stream program, that provides grants to TU chapters and councils partnering land trusts/state agencies to permanently protect priority streams and watersheds throughout North America.  The CLCF small grants program will provide funding on a bi-annual basis to cover the direct costs associated with donated and purchased conservation easements, and for stewardship costs associated with voluntary public angling access on lands protected through TU/land trust partnerships.
   
   
   
2. To provide a source of funds that TU can use for capital to leverage other funding and support for fisheries conservation and land protection projects of national significance.
   
   
   
3. To support the establishment and ongoing operation of staffed programs that provide scientific, fundraising, advocacy and other technical support to TU chapters and councils, land trusts and public conservation agencies in the cause of protecting priority coldwater streams and watersheds.