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A National Network of Priority Waters
Tom Sawyer was made to whitewash the fence as a punishment for being mischievous, but he appeared to be having such a good time with the chore that soon all his friends were bribing him with apples, feathers and other trinkets so they could paint, too. There’s a lesson in Mark Twain’s story that speaks…
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Bully for the Forest
Last week, the Forest Service proposed a new policy that is protective of old growth forests on our publicly owned 191 million acres of national forests. This is welcome news as old growth forests are important for their role in storing carbon and providing healthy habitat for fish and wildlife (among many other things). Importantly,…
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Faith, Hope and Love Sustains TU
Perhaps the most widely used biblical passage at weddings is 1 Corinthians 13. Even if you are not particularly religious, I bet you know it. “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud...” The short chapter concludes, “And now these three remain: faith, hope and…
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The Last Score
Memories of a generous father Dad rubbed his hands as he often did when making a deal. The guy running the estate sale wanted $600 for three paintings. “I looked it up on the internet. You can check yourself. They are worth twice that!” Dad said, “I will give you $200 for the two 12”…
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Time to Stop the Bullying of Salmon
The moment remains etched in memory. We hiked in neoprene wetsuits pulled down to our waists because it was 85 degrees, but the rivers we snorkeled in were a LOT colder. The stream, a tributary of the South Fork of the Salmon River in Idaho, was small, perhaps 10 yards wide. I recall how my…
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Boys Becoming Men
Measuring the passing of time during a week in Canada
Measuring the passing of time during a week in Canada. For a few months longer, until Wylie turns 20, I will have three teenage sons in the house. Three sons It is a magical time in their lives, and for me, too, watching the slow but blindingly fast transition from boys to men. I am…
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How to bring a river back from the dead
One chapter’s handiwork (literally) has salter brook trout returning to a famous creek The Quashnet is a five-mile prayer of a river that flows into Waquoit Bay in Cape Cod, Mass. Fishing the river is like walking in a verdant tunnel, as wide as a fly rod is long in many sections. Willows and other…
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