Author

Chris Wood

Chris has worked at TU for 22 years, and is not the best angler, but he is among the most earnest.

  • From the President

    Keep public lands in public hands

    We are kicking off a series that highlights the people and places at the heart of these landscapes—and the practical, local perspectives keeping them accessible, productive and resilient for generations to come.

    Our public lands are the foundation of healthy watersheds and strong communities. From remote trout streams to working forests and rangelands, these places provide clean water, vital trout habitat and public access for all Americans. But pressures like efforts to sell off and privatize public land threaten what makes them so valuable. We are kicking…

  • From the President

    One of the biggest mistakes we could make as a nation

    Public lands are the anvil upon which the character of our nation was hammered out as we made our way west.

    Last week, it was reported that members of Congress are considering the sale of public lands to help pay for a budget reconciliation. In response, thousands of Trout Unlimited members and supporters spoke up to defend America’s outdoor heritage. But the threat is not over. Chris Wood, TU’s president, writes about the urgency and calls…

  • From the President

    Public Servants: An appreciation

    I could name three dozen public servants who continue to inspire and motivate me, across many federal agencies.

    Celebrating the good work of our federal agency partners When I was beginning my conservation career in the 1990s, a distinguished research hydrologist named Jack King let me stay with him in Idaho for a few months. It was there I had my first (and last) artichoke. When my actual talent was betrayed by my…

  • From the President

    Looking for America

    When I left the warm embrace of New Jersey to attend college in Vermont, I discovered public lands. I would ascend to the Green Mountain National Forest on weekends and fish for native brook trout. It was a salve for my soul. A legal challenge by Utah and other states could risk access to public…

  • From the President

    Creating hope again, again, and again

    Remembering a stalwart of the Forest Service

    Remembering a stalwart of the Forest Service If we are honest, when we are asked to take hard stands, most of us think, “What will this mean for me or my career?” Or “How or what will people think about me?” Not Jim Furnish, a stalwart of the Forest Service who passed away this week.…

  • From the President

    Ordinary people doing extraordinary work

    What makes them so remarkable is how typical they are of others in Trout Unlimited. They are simply two ordinary people doing extraordinary work.

    The other day, I met Bob Blankenship and Karen Barnett of the South Coast Chapter of Trout Unlimited in California. I listened as they described their work to recover a more natural Los Angeles River, and an alarming vision of recovering steelhead in the river. You must see the LA River to appreciate the audacity…