Keeping Public Lands in Public Hands

Snow flurries began to whirl out of a steel-gray sky, and temperatures plummeted. But the crowd of hunters and anglers gathered on the steps of the state Capitol in Denver was just getting warmed up. "Hands off our public lands!" a speaker shouted. The group roared its approval.

On February 25, members from Trout Unlimited, Backcountry Hunters and Anglers, the National Wildlife Federation, and other sportsmen groups turned out to turn up the heat on Colorado lawmakers who might be thinking about introducing legislation to transfer to state control public lands like National Forests and BLM lands.

The groups' message, delivered despite cold and snow: Not on our watch.

"Our public lands are not for sale!" said Kent Ingram of the Colorado Wildlife Federation, one of several speakers who spoke from the heart about what public lands mean to America's sportsmen. These special places "one of the defining qualities of Colorado's quality of life," he said.

Coloradans agree. A bipartisan poll by Colorado College found that more than 80 percent of Coloradans cited the ability to be near and recreate on public lands as a significant factor for living in the West, with 72 percent saying that public lands belong to all Americans, not individual states.

Kirk Deeter, longtime columnist for Field and Stream and editor of TU's Trout magazine, brought it all home. He noted that he travels all over the world to fish and hunt, but he chooses to live in Colorado and always returns here because of its magnificent public lands and access to outdoors opportunity.

He said that proposals to strip Americans of that birthright and heritage are "unAmerican" and won't be tolerated by sportsmen.

"We're going to fight," said Deeter.

Deeter's passion was clearly shared by the crowd. "These public lands are our birthright, they're our heritage, and they're shared and owned by all Americans," TU's Ty Churchwell told the Durango Herald.

This latest rally for public lands (other recent rallies in New Mexico and Idaho have brought out hundreds of sportsmen) sends a strong, clear message that hunters and anglers won't sit by quietly while our public lands are degraded or sold to the highest bidder.

Anti-public lands lawmakers, take note.

CTU Welcomes Our Newest Interns

Colorado Trout Unlimited is excited to welcome three new college students to our team. We have hired one new intern working out of the Denver office and two interns from Gunnison who are being mentored by our local chapter, the Gunnison Angling Society. Denver Internship

Tamara has been hired to assist Denver staff with the Forest Service River Assessment partnership in Northern Colorado. She will be helping to assess rivers using the scientific protocol developed by the Forest Service as well as helping to manage other volunteers doing assessments.

Tamara Burke, River Assessment Intern

Hello All! I am beyond excited to have the privilege of being part of CTU’s team! I am originally from New York but moved out to Colorado three years ago after falling in love with the beauty of this state on my first visit. Since then, I have been able to broaden my education in the environmental science field at Metropolitan State University as well as watch my family flourish and thrive amidst this stunning landscape. Conservation and sustainability are two issues that have helped drive my passion in this arena and I desire to use my education and experience to fight for them. Working with CTU will help shape my values even more and I’m thrilled for this experience.

Gunnison Internship

Gunnison Angling Society is the local Trout Unlimited chapter located in Gunnison. They have developed a partnership with Western State University to hire college interns through their Marketing department to help with event planning and to increase awareness of the chapter in the Gunnison Basin.

Sara George, Communications and Marketing Intern

My name is Sara George and I am a Senior at Western State Studying Environmental Studies and Business. This is my last semester and I am very excited to intern with CTU. I am originally from Chesterland a very small town outside of Cleveland in northeast Ohio. My passion for river conservation and fly fishing started as a kid when my Dad would take me steelhead fishing on the Cuyahoga river. I loved it from the get go and my passion only grew when I moved out west to Gunnison. Rivers are the lifeblood of our country and its our job to protect them!

Phil Conrad, Communications and Marketing Intern

My name is Phil Conrad and I am currently finishing my senior year at Western State Colorado University studying business and entrepreneurship. I am originally from East Grand Rapids Michigan, a small town outside of Grand Rapids. Growing up I was surrounded by water and developed a passion for fly-fishing and river conservation at a young age. After living in Gunnison for a few short years I turned my passion into my everyday job by becoming a guide. Guiding in the Gunnison Valley has given me the opportunity to grow my appreciation and raise more awareness about the significance of river conservation and fly -fishing.

President Obama Steps Up for Browns Canyon!!

Trout Unlimited praises creation of Browns Canyon National Monument Calls monument designation ‘historic victory’ for Colorado conservation

SALIDA (Feb. 18)—Trout Unlimited today praised President Obama’s designation of Browns Canyon as a new national monument, the culmination of years of effort to protect a Colorado backcountry treasure beloved by generations of anglers, hunters, rafters, and other recreational users.

Gov. John Hickenlooper and Sen. Michael Bennet recently asked President Obama to use his authority under the Antiquities Act to establish the 22,000-acre Browns Canyon National Monument, after legislation sponsored by Sen. Mark Udall stalled in Congress despite broad local support.

Trout Unlimited leaders called the monument action a “historic victory” for public lands conservation.

“TU members are proud to have played a leading role in protecting this Colorado crown jewel and preserving fishing and hunting opportunity for future generations,” said Chris Wood, CEO and president of Trout Unlimited. “This is a big bipartisan win for our outdoors heritage, and it sends a strong and clear message that hunters and anglers want to keep our public lands public.”

“I’m thrilled,” said Jim Impara, vice president of the Collegiate Peaks Chapter of Trout Unlimited in Salida. “Browns Canyon is one of those special places that draws rafters, hunters and anglers from all over the world. This action ensures that Browns’ wildness and rare beauty will be there for our children and grandchildren to enjoy.”

For years, sportsmen’s groups have been pushing for monument status for Browns Canyon, which includes prime backcountry habitat for mule deer, elk, bighorn sheep as well as miles of outstanding Gold Medal wild trout waters in the Arkansas River.

TU and other sportsmen’s groups, including the National Wildlife Federation and Backcountry Hunters and Anglers, organized local anglers and hunters to voice their support and attend numerous local meetings and public forums. The groups cited Brown’s important fish and wildlife habitat, as well as its role as an economic driver for Colorado’s $1.2 billion fishing economy and $500 million hunting economy. Browns Canyon is also the single largest contributor to Colorado’s $140 million whitewater rafting industry.

“Sportsmen helped deliver this victory for Browns,” said David Nickum, executive director of Colorado Trout Unlimited. “Our local roots and deep knowledge of this place carried weight with lawmakers and federal officials. Hunters and anglers understand the value of our public lands and wild backcountry, and we’re committed to protecting these magnificent resources and our outdoor way of life.”

He added, “We especially thank Sen. Udall for his dedication and persistence in pushing for a Browns Canyon monument. He has been a valued voice for sportsmen and for commonsense conservation.”

For more information about Browns, go to www.sportsmenforbrowns.com.

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Additional resources for media:

High-res images of the Browns Canyon, available for download at Trout Unlimited Photoshelter site.

(Credit copyright holder if photo downloaded for use. If prompted for password, use “Browns Canyon”)

Trout Unlimited is a non-profit organization with 147,000 members nationwide dedicated to conserving, protecting and restoring North America’s coldwater fisheries and their watersheds. Colorado Trout Unlimited has 24 chapters and more than 10,000 members in the state. 

Trout Unlimited in Press Release from USFS

Date: Feb 23, 2015 Contact: Reid Armstrong, 970-222-7607

Forest Service, Trout Unlimited partner to restore flood-damaged Lower Creek

BOULDER, Colo. – The U.S. Forest Service and Trout Unlimited are partnering to stabilize and restore a half-mile section of flood-damaged stream in the Lefthand trails area on the Roosevelt National Forest northwest of Boulder. The popular trails system has been closed since September 2013 when a historic flood event washed out access roads and primary trails, saturated hillsides and permanently altered stream courses. Lower Creek, an intermittent tributary of Left Hand Creek located near the entrance to the trails area, was severely scoured along the final half-mile stretch above its confluence. The creek bed alignment now runs through the bottom of a former road bed. Ongoing erosion and sedimentation issues along this stretch of Lower Creek are of real concern to the health of the watershed, according to Boulder District Ranger, Sylvia Clark. The scouring of banks and movement of topsoil unearthed debris and trash left along the stream banks from a long history of recreational activities in the area. “While this project addresses less than two acres in a much larger landscape of flood damage, it’s a very important half mile stretch of stream,” Clark said. “Stabilizing this area will help prevent sedimentation issues downstream and will be an important first step in getting this area reopened to the public.”

Through an agreement with the U.S. Forest Service, Trout Unlimited is beginning the task of hiring a specialized contractor to collect data in the Lower Creek area. The contractor will make recommendations on how to stabilize the stream to prevent further erosion and sedimentation, and will recommend the best course of action for addressing any contamination from the human debris and trash in the area. The overall focus of this work will be restoring the half-mile section of Lower Creek.

Trout Unlimited’s project manager Elizabeth Russell said, “We are excited about expanding our reach and doing a restoration project in a new watershed.  We appreciate our great partnership with the Forest Service and look forward to working together on this project.”

The U.S. Forest Service will evaluate the recommendations and, depending on funding, implementation could occur as soon as fall 2015.

K. “Reid” Armstrong Public Affairs Specialist/Community Liaison Boulder and Clear Creek districts Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests Pawnee National Grassland p: 303-541-2532 c: 970-222-7607 krarmstrong@fs.fed.us

2140 Yarmouth Ave Boulder CO 80301 www.fs.usda.gov/arp

NRCS funding will deliver benefits for ranch and farm operations, fisheries

Trout Unlimited today praised USDA Secretary Vilsack’s announcement that the National Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) has chosen its first batch of projects funded by the Farm Bill’s Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP)—including one TU project in Colorado that improves farm and ranch operations while enhancing river and fisheries health in the lower Gunnison River basin. Over the past decade, aided by its grassroots local chapters and volunteer members, TU has worked with agricultural partners throughout the upper Colorado River Basin to develop projects that upgrade irrigation systems and restore important fish habitat. These pragmatic partnerships improve ranch and farm operations, restore watersheds and improve fishing and recreation opportunities.

“The ultimate objective is simple: provide win-win solutions that safeguard water resources for fish and irrigators,” said Cary Denison, Gunnison River Basin project coordinator for Trout Unlimited.

Drought conditions threaten many agricultural producers for whom water supplies are already under intense pressure. Aging irrigation infrastructure has reached epidemic levels throughout the West, and the cost of retrofitting this infrastructure often exceeds the capacity of individual operators or even organized irrigation districts.

The RCPP program offers an exciting new model to meet these challenges. Despite their many benefits, Farm Bill conservation projects have sometimes been too scattered and limited in scope to provide substantial long-term benefits on a larger watershed or basin scale. The RCPP program encourages a landscape-scale, collaborative approach, with local partners working together to coordinate funding, resources and expertise on priority projects that enhance important fish habitat.

“It helps put the larger pieces of the conservation puzzle together,” said Denison.

TU was delighted to have four of its projects in the West selected for RCPP funding, including the Lower Gunnison Project.

The LGP will address aging infrastructure, modernize irrigation systems, and address water quality concerns in four irrigation water districts located in Montrose and Delta including the Uncompahgre Valley Water Users Association, North Fork Water Conservancy District, Bostwick Park Water Conservancy District and Crawford Water Conservancy District.

One of TU’s project partners, No Chico Brush, is a local collaborative ad-hoc farmer led group whose goal is to make the best use of water as possible for the benefit of all users. The group understands that improving delivery systems including water measurement and control and linking those improvements to on farm irrigation improvement including soil health initiatives can lead to water security for farmers, address down-river demands and local stream health issues.

The No Chico Brush group and its partners, including Colorado State University, are beginning its second year of on-farm water studies examining the benefits to both farm operations and fish and wildlife habitat related to modernized irrigation practices such as sprinkler, drip, and other technologies.

Trout Unlimited sees these improvements to irrigation control and measurement as a necessary first step in addressing water shortages for all users—and the upgrades can also improve fisheries health through the basin.

“TU salutes the agriculture and conservancy district leaders for their leadership and partnership in this RCPP funding process,” said Denison. “The No Chico Brush group in particular played an important role in providing the momentum for the funding being made available to the Colorado River Basin and having the ‘grand vision’ of connecting irrigation system and on-farm irrigation improvements to water supply needs and the health of our fisheries, rivers and streams. We’re eager to get to work on these projects, and thanks to the NRCS, we’re going to hit the ground running.”

---Cary Denison, Project Coordinator, Colorado Water Project, and Randy Scholfield, Communications Director, Southwest Region

Victory on Hermosa!

In late December,  a bill to permanently protect the Hermosa Creek watershed—a major Trout Unlimited focus area for conservation—received  final approval in the U.S. Senate and proceeded on to President Obama for his signature. It was a great day for our local Durango community, for Colorado and for America’s backcountry fanatics.

The Hermosa Creek Watershed Protection Act, along with a handful of other public land bills, was attached as riders to the National Defense Authorization Act – a “must pass” piece of legislation.  As a result, Congress finally got this important piece of legislation across the finish line.

Native cutthroat trout in southwest Colorado now have a protected home in America’s newest wilderness area!

We are grateful for Sen. Michael Bennet and Rep. Scott Tipton and staff, for helping bring the Durango community together and working hard to get this done.

The passage of the bill represents eight years of work by TU staff from the Sportsmen’s Conservation Project and Colorado Water Project, and volunteers from the Five Rivers Chapter in Durango, CO.  The effort has truly been a “One TU” success.  But it was not just TU members who fought to protect the Hermosa Creek area for the next generation.  Anglers were joined by sportsmen from the region, and across the country, in a coalition aptly named “Sportsmen for Hermosa.”  From the local fly shops to rod manufacturers, from sportsmen’s conservation groups to outfitters, sportsmen stood up unified in support of permanent protections for Hermosa Creek.  And Congress heard our voices loud and clear!

The Hermosa Creek watershed, just north of Durango, contains Colorado’s largest, unprotected roadless area and is treasured by hunters and anglers for its opportunity and ease of access.  For fly fishermen and women, Hermosa Creek is the go-to location in southwest Colorado to cast summer dry flies to pure Colorado River cutthroat trout, brookies and rainbows.  For fall big game hunters, Hermosa’s elk beckon with bugles that raise the hair on your neck with excitement and anticipation.  Deer, turkey and grouse round out the quarry.  Sportsmen were joined in the effort to protect Hermosa Creek by mountain bikers, off-highway vehicle enthusiasts, hikers, backpackers, photographers, horsemen, water concerns, grazers, ranchers and citizens of the region.

It was a bumpy road along the way.  In September, the bill received a mark-up in the House of Representatives.  To the surprise of everyone back in Colorado, the bill was substantially amended by the House subcommittee.  Though it was watered-down and failed to provide the “teeth” of conservation we desired, it passed.  Whereas the bill once enjoyed complete and uncontested support, there now was significant opposition, including from TU and sportsmen.

Thankfully, the utter disappointment of the House mark-up and amendments brought about change.  Locals made it clear the bill was not OK and needed to return to the original version.  In mid-November a deal was struck between the Senate and House subcommittees.  The amended bill now was much, much closer to the original version and regained the support of locals back home.  In late November the bill received a full House vote (via the defense bill) and passed 300-119.

It’s notable, too, to mention four other TU-led initiatives passed alongside Hermosa and were signed into law.  They include the Columbine-Hondo wilderness in New Mexico and the Pine Forest Range in Nevada.  We share this victory with our brethren in nearby states.

With that, we raise our glasses in celebration.  To pass a public lands protection bill, with a wilderness component, is an astronomical feat in today’s tough and highly partisan political climate.  But sportsmen stood strong, made their voices heard, and were persistent and patient—and now 107,000 acres of public land perfectness will remain unspoiled and productive for the next generation of America’s sportsmen, women and children.

---Ty Churchwell, Backcountry Coordinator, Sportsmen's Conservation Project tchurchwell@tu.org

Behind the Fin: Lori Bertagnoli

Behind the Fin is a series created by Colorado Trout Unlimited to showcase the fintastic members, leaders, volunteers, and people that help make us successful.

• Name: Lori Bertagnoli
• Chapter: Cherry Creek Anglers
• Position: Youth Outreach Coordinator
• Grew up in Michigan, now lives in Colorado with her family
• Owns and operates her own sewing business and is a mechanical engineer
• Best Quote from Lori: “Then he asked me what type of fish it was, and I told him that it was a rainbow trout. He then proceeded to scream at the top of his lungs that he had caught a rainbow trout. This happened with the first fish he caught and every fish he caught afterwards… We created a new fisherman that day and it's something he'll never forget”

Cherry Creek Anglers Youth Outreach Coordinator, Lori Bertagnolli is a beginner at fly fishing herself, but that doesn’t mean she can’t get others passionate about the sport of fly fishing and being in the outdoors.

Growing up in Michigan, Bertagnolli spent her childhood fishing the Great Lakes for Walleye, Perch, Musky and Sunfish. After having her daughters, she moved out to Colorado where they would spend their summers camping and fishing. However, the tactics that worked in Michigan wouldn’t work on Colorado trout. So Lori decided to take up fly fishing.

After taking a fly tying class through Orvis at Park Meadows Mall with help from Colorado Trout Unlimited, Lori received a free yearly membership. From there, she got involved with CTU’s mission and began researching other ways she could help out. Through her research, Lori realized that, “the best tactic is knowledge, and your local TU Chapter is a great place to gain that knowledge.”

The Cherry Creek Anglers are her local chapter and after attending a few meetings, Lori renewed her membership to a lifetime status, “The Chapter members were friendly and fun, the meetings always had entertaining speakers that expanded my knowledge of fly fishing,” said Bertagnolli. “I was excited to be a part of a group that helped preserve our local waters and promote the joy of fishing.” Within a year she was a member of the Chapter's Board.

As a member of the board, she helped the Cherry Creek Anglers put on two youth fishing events at Lake Lehow. In the spring, the Family and Friends Fly Fishing Fun Day (F5 Day), taught kids and families all the basics of fly fishing; and in the fall, Troutastic taught kids how to bait and bobber fish.

At the Troutastic event, the mission was to have every single kid, most of who have never fished before, catch a fish. And they, “achieved that goal and surpassed it by a mile!”

“One of the kids I was helping caught his first fish ever and screamed ‘I caught a fish’ at the top of his lungs, over and over again, from the moment he hooked the fish until we net it and got the hook out,” Lori shared. “Then he asked me what type of fish it was, and I told him that it was a rainbow trout. He then proceeded to scream at the top of his lungs that he had caught a rainbow trout. This happened with the first fish he caught and every fish he caught afterwards… We created a new fisherman that day and it's something he'll never forget” Aside from helping kids master the sport, Lori is still trying to work on her own fly fishing skills and as everyone in the sport knows, that is no easy task. Especially for a mechanical engineer who strives to be very precise and technical. “I'm still learning to cast well and in the mean time I remind myself that in most situations the fish doesn't care if you're a master caster with tight loops, or if you can cast 75 feet. He just wants a beautifully presented fly with a good drift.”

While practicing her cast, Lori likes to switch up the waters that she fishes but remembers to always ‘Match the Hatch’. She takes advice from friends and other members of her chapter for new and beautiful places to fish, with the term “beautiful” as the first priority. “I love to fish places that are picturesque and spending a beautiful day on a beautiful river or lake is more important to me than the number of fish I catch. Being able to relax and enjoy nature is a big part of why I love to fish.”

Even though in Yellowstone on the Green River, Lori caught the most fish she’s ever caught, that isn't her favorite fishing memory. But instead, it’s a story from Chatfield State Park with her and her 16 year-old daughter, Claire. “We were fishing in our brand-new pontoon boats for the first time. She began to cast close to the cattails and started to hook a bunch of tiny bluegills. Claire hooked a little guy that was so small she didn't even realize it had taken her fly. Thinking she needed to recast, she pulled her rod back and the tiny Bluegill went flying through the air behind her and was flung off her hook into the middle of the pond. We both had the biggest laugh from that. I kept teasing her that, 'fly fishing' wasn't supposed to mean that the fish went flying through the air. Its special days like that, spent with my daughter outside in the fresh air that are the best memories.”

In her spare time, after working as a mechanical engineer for the automotive industry, Lori began to pursue another hobby of hers, sewing. As her kids got older, Lori opened her own business, Threads of Inspiration, (www.threads-of-inspiration.com). “It is a home-based, custom design embroidery and heat transfer business. I do apparel and gifts for local schools, businesses, and charities. I also create custom gifts for people for special occasions. I embroider the logo-wear for our Cherry Creek Anglers Chapter as well.”

When she isn’t fishing or working on her own business, you can find Lori camping, hiking, traveling, and exploring new places with her family. And even though she won’t consider herself an “awesome angler,” Lori is a perfect example of what fly fishing and CTU is all about.

Clear Creek County Commissioner Speaks for Clean Water

Clear Creek County Commissioner Tim Mauck testified today before a joint hearing of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure and the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works in support of a proposed federal rule that would restore protections to headwater streams under the Clean Water Act. The so-called Waters of the United States rule, put forth by the Environmental Protection Agency and the Army Corps of Engineers, is in draft form, and has received support in the form of public comment from about 800,000 Americans. It was crafted in response to a pair of Supreme Court rulings in the early and mid-2000s that removed longstanding Clean Water Act protections from “intermittent and ephemeral” headwater streams unless they were shown to have a “significant nexus” with the larger rivers and streams into which they flow. The EPA and the Corps have since proven a scientific nexus between America’s great rivers and their headwater streams--hence the draft rule.

Despite the overwhelming public support for the rule, many in Congress see the rule as “overreach,” and efforts are afoot to derail the established rule-making process and prohibit the EPA from restoring protections to headwater streams under the Clean Water Act.

“As an elected county commissioner, I am testifying to convey how important clean water is for my community,” Mauck told the members of the committees today. “The proposed clean water rule will protect the headwaters, tributaries and wetlands that are essential for providing the high-quality water that supports the hunting, fishing, rafting and outdoor recreation that are an economic backbone for my community. Clean water from streams and wetlands also provide drinking water for thousands of our residents.”

Commissioner Mauck is also an avid sportsman and a member of Trout Unlimited.  Thank you, Commissioner, for speaking out in support of Colorado's headwater streams!

CTU, Bill Barrett Corp. tout Roan as model for balance in energy

Last November, Colorado TU and other conservationists reached a settlement with the Bureau of Land Management and with energy leaseholders including Bill Barrett Corp. for the Roan Plateau. The settlement has resulted in leases being cancelled and refunded for the majority of habitat atop the Roan, while moving forward a process to allow responsible development of other leases in the area. Colorado TU's David Nickum and Bill Barrett's Duane Zavadil recently joined in writing an op-ed piece highlighting the Roan settlement as an example of how a more balanced energy strategy can be achieved through thoughtful engagement that respects the importance of both public lands for fish, wildlife and recreation, and the need to develop domestic energy supplies.  Their piece was carried in the Washington, DC based publication, The Hill - you can read it here.  The op-ed has also run online with the Denver Post and in print with the Grand Junction Daily Sentinel.

While the Roan settlement is an important step forward, it is still vital that BLM follow through as it revises its leasing plan for the Roan to adopt the "settlement alternative" that has been proposed.  You can weigh in with BLM by signing our online petition for the Roan.