I recently spoke about Trout Unlimited’s conservation work to a small gathering of anglers, most of whom had been Trout Unlimited members at some point but had drifted away and lost touch. They were surprised to learn that TU had grown to become an organization with 300,000 members and supporters who dedicate more than 700,000 volunteer hours annually, a…
By Taylor Ridderbusch On Monday, Aug. 7, the US Army Corps of Engineers released the draft Brandon Road Feasibility Study, which assess options for preventing Asian carp from reaching the Great Lakes. The report was originally set to be released on Feb. 28, 2017, but was delayed by Trump Administration officials. Thanks to hard work…
As we approach the end of 2020, the Great Lakes region is two presidential signatures away from securing major legislative wins. Congress recently approved funding measures for the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI) and for the Brandon Road Lock and Dam project to keep Asian carp out of the Great Lakes. “Trout Unlimited would like to thank the…
By Taylor Ridderbusch For the third consecutive year, the Trump Administration’s budget proposal looks to cut critical programs that protect and restore coldwater resources and that form the foundation of multi-billion dollar commercial and recreational fishing economies. The proposal would significantly cut funding to the EPA and other agencies, essentially eliminating programs such as the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI), Section…
By Taylor Ridderbusch Trout Unlimited is pleased to see that the Omnibus Appropriations Bill has included full funding, at $300 million, for the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative. The GLRI has proven to be one of the best tools for sparking investment into coldwater fisheries throughout the Great Lakes Basin. TU applauds the work of the…
Asian carp are currently one of the biggest and most serious threats the health of the Great Lakes, and preventing them from making it further up the Chicago Waterway should be a national priority. Congress, in a bipartisan effort, instructed the Army Corps of Engineers to explore different options for creating a barrier at the…
How do you take a fairly mundane subject (for most folks) like the health of the Great Lakes and make it interesting? Have the folks at The Daily Show with Trevor Noah tackle it. In this segment, Daily Show “correspondent” — yeah, he’s actually a stand-up comedian — MIchael Kosta connects with Dan Egan to,…
By Jamie Vaughan Rockford, MI: East Rockford Middle School 6th graders have been working with Trout Unlimited’s Rogue River Home Rivers Initiative (TU) and the Lower Grand River Organization of Watersheds (LGROW) to promote watershed health in Rockford with on-the-ground restoration practices and community education initiatives through the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI). Students spent…
CONTACT: TAYLOR RIDDERBUSCH / Trout Unlimited Great Lakes Organizer tridderbusch@tu.org / 715-313-0001 (March 16, 2017) ARLINGTON, Va. Trout Unlimited is deeply troubled by the Trump administrations proposed FY 2018 budget, which would eliminate critical programs that protect and restore coldwater resources and that form the foundation of multi-billion dollar commercial and recreational fishing economies. The…
2023 was a good year for Great Lakes coldwater conservation, marked by an influx of federal funding for necessary infrastructure upgrades.
By Laura MacFarland In 2017, Trout Unlimited staff and volunteers helped to reconnect 42 miles of coldwater habitat within the Peshti go River watershed in Northern Wisconsin, as part of TU’s Great Lakes Restoration Program. In collaboration with the Forest Service and the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, 10 inadequate culverts were replaced with fish-friendly…
By Taylor Ridderbusch Today, both state governments and federal agencies announced two major milestones in the Brandon Road Lock and Dam project to keep Asian carp out of the Great Lakes. First, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the state of Illinois have reached a design agreement on the project, officially designating Illinois as…
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has approved its final plan recommendation for addressing Asian carp at Brandon Road Lock and Dam near Joliet, Ill. Lt. Gen. Todd Semonite, the commanding general of the Corps of Engineers, signed the report, which will now be sent to Congress for approval and funding. Asian carp are currently one of the most serious…
CONTACTS:Taylor Ridderbusch/ TU Great Lakes Organizer, tridderbusch@tu.org/ 715-313-0001 Bryan Burroughs/ Michigan TU Executive Director, bryanburroughs@michigantu.org, 517-599-523 (Feb. 9) FENTON, Mich. Trout Unlimited applauds Michigan Congressman Dan Kildee, D-Flint, for introducing legislation that will protect the Great Lakes and designated Wild and Scenic rivers from the harmful impact of commercial aquaculture operations. The Ban Aquaculture in…
Sage investors know that maintaining a diversified portfolio is a key to smart investing. Trout Unlimited is expanding on its application of that philosophy to the way it is investing in native brook trout restoration and protection to reduce risk and increase resilience in brook trout populations. TU recently developed a Brook Trout Conservation Portfolio tool…
Biologists in Minnesota have come to the conclusion that two non-native species of rainbow trout are cross-breeding in Lake Superior tributary streams. Introduced steelhea d are now spawning with and alonsgide introduced Kamloops-strain rainbow trout. As for what this means for both contrived fisheries, it’s still up in the air. The good news for anglers,…
Making sense of the doomsday scenarios, donations and what role TU is playing in this important watershed.
Our field work season is just about to take off just like this drone that’s headed up over rivers in the Great Lakes region to monitor coldwater refugia for trout. Using a drone outfitted with thermal imaging technology allows TU to look for groundwater influences. Knowing where cold water is entering streams helps restoration…
Founded by recent college graduate Jackson Riegler, threats to the Great Lakes watershed inspired him to create “Oshki”, meaning “fresh” in Native American Ojibwe. Growing up in West Michigan, he was passionate about the Great Lakes from a young age. As he grew in his education, he decided to start a sustainable apparel company that…
For TU field staffers, there’s rarely such a thing as “just another day at the office.” Days in the field are always different and can present some interesting challenges.
