July 10, 2015
Contact: Steve Moyer, VP for Government Affairs, (571) 274-0593 David Lass, California Field Director, (530) 388-8261
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Trout Unlimited praises designation of new Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument Presidential action will permanently protect water supply, habitat, and sporting opportunities in Northern California
EMERYVILLE, Calif.Trout Unlimited (TU) today applauded President Obamas designation of 330,000 acres of the Berryessa Snow Mountain complex of public lands in the southern Mendocino mountain range in northern California as a National Monument. TU is the nations oldest and largest sportsmens organization dedicated to conserving and restoring trout and salmon and their habitat. TU said national monument designation would strengthen protection of the unique fish and game habitats found in the Berryessa Snow Mountain area, and sustain and enhance opportunities for fishing and hunting into the future.
TU members and California sportsmen are proud to have played a role in protecting the Berryessa Snow Mountain area, and conserving fishing and hunting opportunity for future generations, said Brian Johnson, California Director for Trout Unlimited. Thank you, President Obama, for protecting this amazing landscape and ensuring California sportsmen will have access to clean water and intact habitat that support excellent fishing and hunting opportunities for decades to come.
Members of Californias congressional delegation deserve much credit for bringing the Berryessa Snow Mountain public lands to the administration’s attention, in particular Reps. Thompson, Garamendi, and Huffman, and Senators Boxer and Feinstein. Johnson said TU looks forward to working with the administration and Congress to deliver the resources needed to properly manage the new national monument, which is a day trip for millions of Californians in Sacramento and the Bay Area.
The Berryessa Snow Mountain public lands offer a variety of streams and lakes that support outstanding fishing for trout, bass and other species, and provide hunters a wilderness hunting experience for blacktail deer in the A and popular B-3 deer hunting zones. Trout streams include the trophy trout fishery of Putah Creek – the California Department of Fish and Wildlife’s newest designated Wild Trout water – and the headwaters of the Eel River, one of the states finest steelhead fisheries. The Middle Fork of Stony Creek in the Snow Mountain Wilderness is also designated Wild Trout water, while the bass fishing in Clear Lake and Lake Berryessa is world-class.
Simply put, hunting and angling depend on healthy habitat. It is our responsibility as sportsmen to protect our wild country on public lands so we can pass this gift on to the next generation, said David Lass, TUs California Field Director and campaign manager for the Berryessa Snow Mountain initiative. Today, president Obama ensured the Berryessa Snow Mountain public lands will remain a great place to hunt and fish.
Lass added that TU has worked for nearly a decade to support initiatives that would better protect fish and wildlife resources of the Berryessa Snow Mountain region. TU played a lead role in communicating the support of sportsmen for the monument designation thousands of individual sportsmen and dozens of sportsmens clubs, guides, and outdoor-based businesses throughout Northern California supported the campaign.
“In this era of drought, rural development and population expansion, the places we care most about are under increasing duress,” said Jordan Romney, a working fly fishing guide on Putah Creek. “Passing on to our kids and grandkids the same opportunities to fish and hunt as we have today starts with protecting good habitat, and this new National Monument designation ensures that good fishing and hunting will continue in the Berryessa Snow Mountain public lands.”
Hunting and fishing are allowed in all national monuments where these activities are a traditional use of the resource prior to the designation.
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Trout Unlimited is the nations oldest and largest coldwater fisheries conservation organization dedicated to conserving, protecting and restoring North Americas trout and salmon and their watersheds. Follow TU on Facebook and Twitter, and visit us online at www.tu.org.