Author

Shauna Stephenson

  • What is Trout Unlimited doing about public lands?

    The threat of losing our public lands looms large. It grows, passing like wildfire through halls of Congress and state capitols, spreading its invasive rhetoric in our communities. People with soft hands and expensive suits tell us: “It’s just transfer. It’s not like we’re selling them.” It’s not just transfer. And it is a big…

  • Five reasons sonar is super cool

    (Above: Upstream from the future sonar site on the South Fork of the John Day) When trying to manage steelhead, one difficult task is getting an accurate picture of population size in any given year and over time. Traditional methods of estimating the number of adult steelhead that return to a river, such as counting…

  • For sale by Congress: YOUR LANDS

    Congress has only been in session for a few weeks, but some members have wasted no time coming after America’s best idea – your public lands. On day one, the House of Representatives passed a rule change that eased procedural hurdles for handing over America’s public lands. Then we saw legislation introduced that would allow…

  • Transfer is sale

    Anti-public land special interests like to say they only want to "transfer" America's public lands to individual states, making the speculative claim that states would do a better job managing these lands. Don't be fooled: TRANSFER=SALE. The fact is that states have a dubious track record when it comes to selling state trust lands. Western…

  • Yellowstone River Closed

    Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks announced today they would close the Yellowstone River to stem the spread of a parasitic disease killing whitefish. The closure is supported by Trout Unlimited and its state affiliate, Montana Trout Unlimited. Proliferative Kidney Disease (PKD), is one of the most serious diseases to impact whitefish and trout and can…

  • Mapping the ribbon of green

    Above: Classic redband trout habitat in the Owyhee desert of Idaho - a ribbon of green among spectacular canyons. (Photo: Robin Bjork) By Kurt Fesenmeyer Redband trout in the high desert regions of Idaho, Oregon, and Nevada are tough fish - they persist in small, cool, and shaded headwater streams in a hot, arid environment.…

  • Mine could pose threat to famed Smith River

    As the season kicks off for anglers and boaters on Montana's famous Smith River, a proposal to place a copper mine next to one of the Smith's most important tributaries continues to move forward. Tintina Resources, a small Canadian mining company without any history of operating mines, has proposed to place its large underground Black…