CTU Partners with Patxi's Pizza in Cherry Hills for Youth Education Fundraiser

Mark your calendars for Wednesday, May 8. Colorado TU is partnering with Patxi's Pizza in Cherry Hills to raise money for Colorado TU Youth Programs! What: Come enjoy some tasty pizza pie, fine wine, and beer on May 8th at Patxi's Pizza. 10% of all sales for the entire day will benefit Colorado TU's efforts to engage the next generation of conservationists. This includes dine-in, carry-out, delivery, catering, and gift cards. Colorado TU staff will be on hand from 7pm-9pm if you would like to mingle and learn more about our programs.

Where: Patxi's Pizza Cherry Hills 3455 S University Blvd Englewood, CO 80113

Why: In order to sustain the efforts of our volunteers and supporters it is essential that we inspire a strong conservation ethic in the next generation of river stewards.  Colorado TU reaches kids through hands-on science and angling programs. Funds raised will be used to support youth programs in the Denver Metro Area.

Many thanks to Patxi's Pizza for supporting our work!!!

For more information, please contact Jake Lemon, Colorado TU Youth Education Coordinator, at jake.lemon@coloradotu.org.

CTU Awards Honor Conservation Leaders

At the annual CTU Awards Banquet, held as part of the Rendezvous in Redstone on April 20, awards were presented to recognize both chapters and individuals for their contributions to river conservation.  From river restoration projects, to volunteers for youth education, this year's award winners were an impressive bunch.  Awards presented were: Outstanding Volunteers.  CTU recognized three volunteer members for their outstanding contributions:

• Charlie Horn was recognized for his longstanding efforts in youth education, both spearheading West Denver TU's partnership with the Jefferson County Outdoor Lab Schools and assisting Colorado TU in bringing the "Stream Explorers" program to youth in the Denver metro area.
• Ralph Rhoades was honored for his broad volunteer commitment with the Cherry Creek Anglers - helping the chapter with everything from organizing youth education programs, to coordinating the annual fly tying clinic, to lining up compelling programs for chapter meetings.
• Brad Waltman was recognized for his leadership in establishing youth education initiatives with the new Dolores River Anglers chapter including partnerships with schools and scouting organizations - helping a new chapter to make a difference with the youth in its community.

Chapter Communications.  The Evergreen Chapter was recognized for its revitalized efforts to communicate with its members on a regular basis with a well-written and welll-researched newsletter and website, while the Grand Valley Anglers was honored for its outstanding newsletter the "Territorial Trout Tribune and Piscatorial Post."

Youth Education.  The Cheyenne Mountain Chapter was honored for a diverse program of educational efforts including partnerships with the Catamount Institute, the first-in-the-nation "Trout in the Community" project modeled after Trout in the Classroom, and involvement with the National Fishing in Schools Program.

Projects.  The Gunnison Gorge Anglers were recognized for their Relief Ditch project, partnering with local irrigators to replace a diversion structure so as to improve river habitat and flows while also reducing maintenance burdens for farmers.  The Purgatoire River Anglers were honored for their work in engaging the Trinidad community and conducting in-stream habitat improvements on the Purgatoire River through town.

Exemplary Chapter.  The Gunnison Gorge Anglers were selected as this year's exemplary chapter, in recognition of their outstanding work on the Relief Ditch project coupled with an outstanding chapter event - the Black Canyon Fly Fishing Expo; strong youth programs; and an effective chapter communications effort.

Exemplary Guide & Outfitter.  In recognition both of generous support to Colorado Trout Unlimited and its chapters through fundraising donations - along with tireless advocacy and education on issues from protecting Browns Canyon on the Arkansas to conserving wildlife and fish habitat in the face of oil and gas development, Bill Dvorak of Dvorak Expeditions was Colorado TU's Exemplary Guide & Outfitter of the year.

Trout Conservation Award.  Attorney Michael Freeman of EarthJustice was recognized for his representation of Colorado TU and other conservationists in our challenge to the BLM's Roan Plateau management plan - which lacked appropriate protections for the Roan's outstanding fish and wildlife values.  Freeman spearheaded what was a major legal victory for conservationists, and continues to lead efforts to reach a reasonable agreement with oil and gas interests that allows development in appropriate areas while protecting the most valuable habitats on the Roan.

Trout Communications Award.  Scott Willoughby of The Denver Post was honored for his writing on outdoor recreation and conservation issues - including extensive coverage of the challenges facing the Upper Colorado River and the importance of anglers and boaters engaging in its protection.

Distinguished Service Award.  For his longstanding efforts on behalf of trout conservation - from representing TU in National Forest processes for travel management on the west slope and for seeking compromise solutions on disputes over "bypass flows" at diversions on National Forests, to spearheading on-the-ground stream monitoring and native trout restoration projects, John Trammell of Grand Junction received the Distinguished Service Award.  Additionally, Mely Whiting was honored for her effective representation of Trout Unlimited on issues in the Colorado River headwaters - including work on Wild & Scenic River negotiations that resulted in an historic instream flow filing and successful negotiation of a strong river conservation package with the Windy Gap Firming Project.

Bruce Hoagland Award for Leadership in Conservation.  Longtime Colorado TU lobbyist and board member Jo Evans was honored for her lifetime contributions toward conservation.  Read more here.

Congratulations - and thank you! - to all of these award winners.

These Gals are Fly!

The Collegiate Peak Anglers Chapter of TU has an awesome group of ladies in their ranks - the FlyGals. This group of women fly fishers began meeting up in 2002, hosting their first fly fishing event in June of that year - a two-day excursion to the Sweet Water Ranch on the Chaffee-Park county line. In January of 2003, the group met to set up goals and hosted a casting demonstration.

Originally called the Women's Outreach Committee of CCP-TU, they renamed themselves the Womens Outreach Group (WOG) in 2004, and continued to hold spring clinics and fish together in the summer.  By 2007, this group of lady fly fishers had renamed themselves the FlyGals.  With instructors the likes of professional guides Char Bloom (Keystone), Paula Fothergill (Carbondale), and Carol Neville  (Salida, now located in Boise, ID), the group has hosted numerous women's only fly fishing clinics and trips.

FlyGals currently hosts fly shop orientations, where women are able to visit their local fly shop (Ark Anglers) and receive firsthand knowledge about what is available in the shop.  The Fly Shop provides several door prizes and discounts for the women as well as a chance to try out rods and other equipment.  FlyGals also offers several clinics throughout the summer - fly casting clinics; bug clinics designed to orient participants to the local bug cultures and conditions, what bugs hatch at various times of the year, and which flies are best to imitate these hatches; and 2-day fly fishing clinics offered by a professional female fly fishing guide.  FlyGals also host great events like Companion Fishing, where more experienced women fly fishers are paired with more novice women for a day of fly-fishing, and River Fishing, where each woman has a “river helper” (often a member of Collegiate Peaks Anglers) to serve as a “guide” for a morning of fly fishing on the Arkansas River.  In the summer the FlyGals get together for trips from high mountain lakes fishing for native cutthroats to private water fishing.

With over 30 women currently on the roster, FlyGals is a great testament to women on the rise in fly fishing!

For more information or to join the FlyGals email list, please contact Barbara Plake at bplake1@unl.edu.

Evans Wins Leadership in Conservation Award

At Rendezvous 2013, Jo Evans was presented with the Bruce Hoagland Award for Leadership in Conservation. Jo is just the fifth person to receive this award, Colorado TU's highest honor. Jo served as Colorado TU’s legislative lobbyist for 20 years. The highlights:

• Expanding the In-Stream Flow program to allow it to actually improve the health of streams – not just keep bare survival flows.
• Negotiating the overhaul of mining regulations in the wake of the Summitville disaster.
• Playing an integral part in developing the Great Outdoors Colorado program.
• Rallying conservationists to take up the fight against Referendum A – and winning it.
• Defeating more than 30 regulatory takings bills.
• Building a bipartisan respect for – and trust in – Trout Unlimited as a reliable, balanced, and committed organization.

More recently, as a board member and currently as the Lundy family representative for the Silver Trout Foundation, she was an integral part of revising the Foundation’s bylaws and practices to restore a stronger connection – financially and organizationally – with Colorado TU. She has been a trusted friend, advisor and mentor to generations of TU leaders, leading both by example and as a patient teacher helping new volunteer leaders learn the ropes both of conservation issues as complex as water law and in teaching them how to be more effective conservation advocates.

While her forte was engaging Colorado TU effectively in political matters, she ensured that our mission and not politics guided decisions. She has always helped Colorado TU and its leaders remember that protecting the health of our fisheries and rivers has remained our guiding star. “If you do what is right for the resource, you will not go wrong.”

In presenting the award, Colorado TU Executive Director David Nickum said, "this award recognizes not just environmental achievements, but leadership in conservation. I can think of nobody who better exemplifies that leadership than Jo Evans."

Congratulations Jo!

Trout in the Purgatoire River!

The Purgatoire River Anglers Chapter of TU sends a big Thank You to Colorado Parks and Wildlife for stocking 500 rainbow trout in the Purgatoire River in downtown Trinidad. Those fish took off looking for their new holding spots lickety split!  Get your 2013 Colorado Fishing License if you haven't yet, and come on down to the Purgatoire for some fun fishing.

George Osborn Wins Award

George Osborn just won the Jimmy Nelson Volunteer of the Year Award for his outstanding work on the ditch relief modification diversion project on the Gunnison River. The award, named after the late Jimmy Nelson of the Gunnison Gorge Anglers chapter, was presented by chapter president Marshall Pendergrass at Rendezvous 2013.

"George has worked tirelessly over the past three years and overcome many challenges in fundraising and cooperation with a wide variety of stakeholders," said Pendergrass. "The project simply would not have gotten done without him."

Congratulations George!

Not Colorado TU, TU in Colorado!

I'm in scenic Redstone a day before Colorado TU's annual Rendezvous conference, meeting with 20 of the heavy hitters of river conservation in the state. In addition to the staff of Colorado TU, the room includes leaders from the Sportsmen's Conservation Project, Western Water Project, Colorado Water Project, Coldwater Conservation Fund, and National Trout Unlimited. The agenda covers a spectrum of issues, but getting the individual subgroups of Trout Unlimited to work together more collaboratively is the underlying theme. We at Colorado TU are often working so hard to establish our own brand that we neglect to take advantage of the other TU resources in the state. The same can be said of the other groups.

Colorado TU President Sinjin Eberle used a phrase that gained some traction:

It's not about Colorado TU, it's about TU in Colorado.

The average member or donor doesn't know or care if a project is run by a chapter or the council or any of the national subgroups. It's more important to know that the project is running under the TU banner. "Protect, conserve, restore" with all of the integrity associated with the TU brand. Frankly, that's how it should be!

High Sportsmen Turnout at Sen. Udall’s Brown’s Canyon Meeting

Sportsmen and women showed up by the dozen Saturday at a standing-room-only event at Noah’s Ark Whitewater Rafting Co. to voice support for Senator Udall’s proposed legislation to create the Browns Canyon National Monument. The monument would cover 22,000 acres between Salida and Buena Vista in Chaffee County and includes 10,500 acres of new wilderness. The proposal seeks to protect one of southern Colorado’s most coveted wild trout fisheries and surrounding outstanding backcountry hunting areas. The proposal is based on a year of public input that Udall and his staff have collected since the spring of 2012, but the effort to protect Brown’s Canyon has been around for many years.

Many of TU’s Collegiate Peaks Chapter members, including chapter President, Dan Clegg and members Reed Dils and Bill Dvorak praised Senator Udall’s plan, noting that the area’s backcountry angling, hunting and recreational values are simply too precious to remain unguarded by a lack of federal legislative protection. Local voices from other sportsmen’s organizations, including the Colorado Wildlife Federation, Backcountry Hunters & Anglers and even a life member of the NRA (Dave Moore) also praised the proposal.

At the meeting, Congressman Lamborn appeared open to the proposal, stating that as long as the designation reflected his “multiple use” approach to public lands usage, he was willing to entertain the idea of the legislative protection.

While a majority of users are in favor of the protection, there are still some that feel a monument is not necessarily the right tool. The majority of those opposed to the designation came from the local recreational off highway vehicle community. Ironically, the recently designated, adjacent Fourmile Travel Management area on the northern boundary of Brown’s Canyon covers 102,000-acres and offers OHVers 195 miles of trails. In addition to Fourmile, much FR 184 (Turret Trail) will remain open to motorized use. Many of the hunters and anglers that spoke in favor of the designation also owned ATVs and UTVs and felt that the area provided more than enough motorized access to satisfy even the most fervent OHV enthusiast.

Senator Udall and Congressman Lamborn will be holding a second town hall-style meeting is tentatively scheduled for May 18th in Golden (meeting specifics have yet to be announced by Senator Udall’s staff). It is imperative that sportsmen and women show up to this event and voice their support!

For more details, contact Reed Dils (719) 395-8949, Bill Dvorak (719) 221-3212, or Garrett VeneKlasen (505) 670-2925.

Protect Our Rivers License Plate Clears First Hurdle!

Thanks to strong bipartisan support in the 2013 legislature, we are renewing our effort to create the Protect Our Rivers license plate! Senators Andy Kerr (D) and Randy Baumgardner (R) are the co-sponsors in the Senate. Representatives Millie Hamner (D) and Jared Wright (R) are the co-sponsors in the House. Representative Mike McLachlan (D) has also signed on.

On Tuesday April 9, the bill to establish a Protect Our Rivers license plate passed its first committee - Senate Transportation - on a unanimous 5-0 vote. The bill next goes to Senate Appropriations.

Once authorized by legislation, the plate will be available to all CO residents through a tax-deductible contribution of $25 to Colorado Trout Unlimited (plus payment to DMV for the physical plates themselves). 100% of the funds donated will be used locally to protect, conserve and restore Colorado rivers.

We secured more than enough signatures in our prior effort to establish this plate, but feel free to sign the petition if you would like to be kept apprised of the bill's progress and availability of the plate via email. Thank you for supporting Colorado's rivers!

Senator Bennet to Protect Sportsmen's Haven

A bill introduced on March 22nd would provide protection to an area critical to sportsmen and to the recreation-based rural economies of Colorado. Senator Michael Bennet (D-CO) introduced the Thompson Divide Withdrawal and Protection Act. The bill provides an appropriate framework for protecting this invaluable landscape by withdrawing unleased portions of the area from future energy development and by providing mechanisms for current leaseholders to retire or sell their leases, ensuring they won't be leased again.

"We applaud Senator Bennet for recognizing the value of the Thompson Divide. From iconic trout waters to some of the best hunting in the country, the Thompson Divide holds a special place in the sportsmen's heart" said Aaron Kindle, Colorado Field Coordinator for Trout Unlimited.

Kindle said the bill walks a good line between conservation and development by respecting valid existing rights. He added that sportsmen are eager to work with energy companies to find equitable solutions.

The Thompson Divide is a roughly 200,000 acre landscape just west of Carbondale, Colorado that holds some of the premier big game habitat in the state and provides water to the world famous Gold Medal trout waters of the Roaring Fork River.

"We're pleased that we have the opportunity to protect an area that makes our valley great" said John-Paul Schaefer, President of Trout Unlimited's Ferdinand Hayden Chapter in the Roaring Fork Valley. "Anglers and trout conservationists value the area's extreme importance to cutthroat trout conservation and to providing cold, clean water to area rivers."