Spawning brookies in Moosehead Lake offer hope in the face of challenges

The headline was an attention grabber, and the story went viral almost instantly: “Monster Brook Trout Are Spawning  on Moosehead Lake’s Shore.”  Based on my Facebook feed about half of my angling acquaintances immediately made plans for winter ice fishing or shoreline trolling right after ice out next May.  Maine’s Moosehead Lake is legendary. The largest…

TU building Technical Assistance Program in New Hampshire

By Joel DeStasio  Trout Unlimited continues to build upon our successful series of community flood resiliency workshops in New Hampshire, engaging local decision-makers, such as Selectboard, Department of Public Works and Conservation Commission members, on identifying and restoring critical infrastructure.  During this recent series of workshops, TU successfully worked with an additional 23 communities across the Granite State, increasing awareness of infrastructure risk and vulnerability while at the same time educating stakeholders on how to…

Dear Governor Brown: Thank you.

By Chrysten Lambert, Oregon Governor Kate Brown did a tough thing last week.   In a letter to Washington Governor Jay Inslee, Brown took a bold position on creating a better future for her constituents by committing to finding collaborative, science-based solutions for restoring the Snake River.  As salmon and steelhead populations continue to dwindle, the Pacific Northwest faces a choice: Maintain the status quo or come together…

Conservation programs on the administration chopping block once again

The Trump administration is once again proposing significant government funding cuts that that would hamstring critical clean water programs and weaken TU’s federal partners. If these cuts were enacted, they would undermine efforts by Trout Unlimited and our conservation partners to protect coldwater habitat in places like the Colorado River basin, the Chesapeake Bay and…

Management matters

By Garrett Hanks Wolf Creek pass in the San Juan mountains of Colorado serves as the tipping point between the westward San Juan basin, home to the recently rediscovered San Juan cutthroat trout, and the Rio Grande cutthroat’s namesake river to the east.  Unlike trout, bear, mule deer and other wildlife are unhindered by the ridgeline; their tracks freely cross the divide. Look north and you’ll notice the burn scar from the West Fork fire of 2013. Setting off south along the Continental Divide Trail, you quickly…

Wash. Suction dredge reform passes State House, moves to Senate

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Crystal Elliot-Perez, Trout Unlimited Washington Habitat Director, celliot@tu.org or (509) 386-7768 Suction dredge reform passes State House, moves to SenateBill approved by State House would update regulations for recreational mining using motorized suction dredging in habitat for endangered species. OLYMPIA, Wash. — Last night, Washington State Representatives approved legislation aimed at improving…