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Beavers in heaven
By Bradley Thornton Riffee We crept up a beaver creek on a cool fall day filled with nothing but sunshine. The colorful leaves in all their glory brightened our world as we set out to find our native brook trout friends patrolling their mud-packed ponds. Dragonflies of October danced across an eastern breeze as we…
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On Break
I find little shame to admit That even with all the bustle of the year I can't but help to glance longingly backwards To the time where we were all --Just a little-- On break. Back when lights twinkled in windows And meals felt sumptuous And everything was just a little less January. On break.…
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Five takeaways on Snake River salmon and steelhead
Salmon River, Idaho After decades of lawsuits, recovering Snake River salmon and steelhead is inching closer to reality. This week a series of meetings kick off in Washington to gather public input on the impacts of dam removal on the Lower Snake. In preparation, Rob Masonis, vice president for Western Conservation at Trout Unlimited, and…
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Federal funding package will fund conservation priorities
By Rob Catalanotto, Laura Ziemer and Steve Moyer After weeks of negotiations, the US Senate and House recently approved a massive appropriations bill to fund the government through fiscal year 2020. The deal averted a government shutdown, which was set to take effect on December 20 had Congress had not taken decisive action. TU field staff…
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The Beetle, the Hare’s Ear, the old man and the cutthroats
Years and years ago, while attending college in western Colorado, I drove up the shoulders of the Sawatch Range between Salida and Gunnison as far as my old VW Beetle would make it on a road it had no business traversing. After reaching a stretch of two-track I could no longer navigate, I pulled the…
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TU completes road-stream crossing projects in Mich.
By Matthias Bonzo In 2019, TU worked with its partners to complete two road stream crossings in the Huron-Manistee National Forest in Michigan. The crossings were on Boswell Creek, in Manistee County, and on Hinton Creek in Wexford County. Boswell Creek is a tributary of Bear Creek and contains a healthy population of brook trout.…
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Griphoists aid in Wild and Scenic wood management
By Matthias Bonzo The management of mixed-use rivers is always a tough balancing act. Fishermen want to see whole trees and lots of wood in the river to provide habitat for their favorite quarry, while other users such as canoeists and kayakers would like to see less, ensuring a safe time for them and their…