Press releases

TU: Removal of dams on the Snake River is key to recovering wild fish runs  Contacts:  ARLINGTON, Va.—The White House is recognizing treaty obligations to the sovereign nations of the Pacific Northwest and directing federal agencies to prioritize the recovery of wild salmon, steelhead and other native fish in the Columbia River Basin, and ordering…

8-year, $10 million partnership will restore aquatic systems lost in the two largest wildfires in Colorado history Contacts: (September 19, 2023) – In 2020, the Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests experienced the two largest wildfires in the history of Colorado (Cameron Peak at approximately 208,000 acres and East Troublesome at approximately 193,000 acres), in addition…

Bill would enable ‘Good Samaritans’ to clean up abandoned mine pollution to improve water quality.   Contacts:    Arlington, VA. (September 13, 2023) – A bipartisan coalition of 19 Senators today introduced ‘Good Samaritan’ legislation to help clean up chronic pollution leaking from abandoned hardrock mines. Lead bill sponsors Sens. Martin Heinrich (D-NM) and James Risch (R-ID)…

New recommendations include providing Good Samaritans with liability protections to clean up abandoned mines, modernizing mining laws, and improved permitting processes.  Contacts:     Arlington, VA. (September 12, 2023) – Today, the Biden Administration released a new report, Recommendations to Improve Mining on Public Lands, from the Interagency Working Group on Mining Reform with policies to support…

Proposed Rule Would Protect 13 Million Acres of Fish and Wildlife Habitat in Alaska  Department of the Interior proposes limits to future oil and gas leasing within National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska  Contacts:  ARLINGTON, Va.—Today the Department of the Interior (DOI) proposed a rule safeguarding 13 million acres within the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska.…

Trout Unlimited fisheries scientists and prominent coauthors reviewed fifty years of research across salmonid species, including both freshwater and marine environments  Contacts Arlington, Va. For over a century, fish hatcheries across the world have produced salmonids (salmon, trout, and char) to supply fisheries, mitigate habitat loss and boost depleted stocks. A newly published review of…

Agreement will support process-based restoration in Colorado River, California-Great Basin, and Columbia Pacific Northwest watersheds  Contacts:   Arlington, Va.—The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and Trout Unlimited (TU) today announced a five-year, $8.9 million agreement to reconnect and restore arid Western watersheds, including the Colorado River, California-Great Basin, and Columbia Pacific Northwest river systems. TU will…

Salmon advocates keep winning in court, but the salmon keep losing in the river because we refuse to respond with the obvious solution: dam breaching. Contacts: ARLINGTON, Va. – Snake River salmon are getting wait-listed. Today, the Biden Administration and litigants calling for the removal of the lower four Snake River dams agreed to an…

Revised rule implements Supreme Court opinion sharply restricting federal protections for wetlands and small streams Contacts:   ARLINGTON, Va.—The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Army Corps of Engineers today issued a revised Waters of the U.S. Rule sharply limiting Clean Water Act protections for wetlands and small streams that are critical to healthy and functioning…

Proposed Rock Springs resource management plan balances conservation and energy development ROCK SPRINGS, Wyo. – Today, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) released a draft resource management plan (RMP) for the Rock Springs Field Office, located in southwest Wyoming. The area is home to the Greater Little Mountain Area, a 500,000-acre region prized by hunters…

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE July 27, 2023 Contact: Dean Finnerty, manager, Trout Unlimited Wild Steelhead Initiative (541) 214-064 REEDSPORT, Ore — Wild Steelheaders United and Trout Unlimited (TU) today applauded the introduction of the Southwest Oregon Watershed and Salmon Protection Act (SOWSPA) in the 118th Congress by Rep. Val Hoyle. This bill would provide critical new…

The lawsuit defies a strong science record and overwhelming support for Clean Water Act 404(c) protections by Bristol Bay residents, Alaskans and anglers  Contacts:   ANCHORAGE, Alaska – Today, the State of Alaska filed a lawsuit against the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in U.S. Supreme Court, attempting to block Clean Water Act safeguards for the headwaters…

Olsen will lead TU’s trout and salmon conservation, habitat restoration, and advocacy programs in the Rockies.  Contacts:  ARLINGTON, Va.— Conservation leader Emily Olsen has joined Trout Unlimited as Vice President for the Rocky Mountain Region, the organization announced this week. Based outside Denver, Olsen will lead TU’s coldwater conservation, habitat restoration, and advocacy programs in…

Report evaluates existing national monuments and offers principles for future proposals Contact: Drew YoungeDyke, TU, 734-280-8909, drew.youngedyke@tu.org Katie McKalip, BHA, 406-240-9262, mckalip@backcountryhunters.org Noah Davis, TRCP, 406-926-3201, ndavis@trcp.org In a new report, National Monuments: A Hunting and Fishing Perspective, 25 groups and businesses –championed by Trout Unlimited, Backcountry Hunters & Anglers, and the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation…

Contact: Tasha Sorensen, Western Energy Director, Trout Unlimited, Tasha.Sorensen@tu.org ARLINGTON, Va.—Trout Unlimited thanks the Department of the Interior and the Bureau of Land Management for initiating the proposed rule updating oil and gas leasing policies on public lands. The draft rule provides guidance for increasing minimum bond amounts and curbing speculative leasing of public lands that…