Snake River salmon: Let’s give credit where credit is due

Last week Rep. Mike Simpson (R-ID) turned up the volume on the issue of recovering Snake River salmon and steelhead.   Not that the issue wasn’t front and center for him before. He has been battling to find ways to bring back Idaho’s dwindling salmon and steelhead populations for years.  But now that a long-anticipated Draft Environmental Impact Statement has outlined a “business as usual” approach – indeed, the preferred alternative does…

Restoring a future with Gila trout

By Jeff Arterburn Very few people encounter the mountainous region of southwestern New Mexico known as “The Gila” by accident. The nearest interstates track the open desert valleys far from the sierra. Locals here will still acknowledge the occurrence of oncoming vehicles with a finger raised momentarily from the steering wheel, and not the middle…

The Michigan Arctic grayling

Arctic-grayling-Michigan

Grayling are a tough fish to reintroduce to former habitat. For a long time, it was assumed that once the sailfish of the north winked out of a certain watershed, they were gone for good. Over the last 20 years, though, grayling reintroduction in Montana has shown promise. And, in just the last five years,…

Newsletter highlights New York’s productive 2019

Trout Unlimited had a productive year in New York in 2019. Some of the major accomplishments in the state, by both TU staff and a large group of dedicated TU members/volunteers, are highlighted in a new newsletter. A PDF can be downloaded HERE or a Word document (with live links) can be downloaded HERE. The…

Broad coalition urges Northwest governors to action on salmon, steelhead

Editor’s note: The following was delivered today to Govs. Kate Brown (Ore.), Steve Bullock (Mont.), Jay Inslee (Wash.) and Brad Little (Idaho) from a coalition power companies, conservation groups, the transportation sector and community utility coops. Feb. 24, 2020 Dear Governors Brown, Bullock, Inslee and Little: The debate over the management and impacts of the…

Wild steelhead diversity is key to long-term survival

By Eric Crawford If only it was as simple as an adipose fin.   The presence of an adipose fin is universally recognized as the mark. An individual with an adipose fin is, with a few exceptions, considered a wild steelhead. On the other hand, those marked, clipped, or ad-intact fish, they are the hatchery ones. Although it is…