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Low light is trout-watching light
The gnarled, dark brown bark of cottonwoods lining rivers throughout the west make the yellow leaves glow in the sinking sun. And that low sun has other advantages when it comes to fishing. As I approached the water, I saw the tell-tale signs of fish working the water column. Mostly it was dorsal fins cresting…
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Conservationists: Energy development strategy should be done responsibly
As originally printed in the Casper Star Tribune Public land, natural resource use or development, and wildlife are all integral parts of our culture and livelihoods in Wyoming. After a century of trying to balance the protection of Wyoming’s people, water, air, land and wildlife with the impacts and benefits from energy production, we’ve learned…
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Celebrating the Gila River while asking for ‘wild and scenic’ designation
Seventeen years after I first visited, I finally made my way back to the Gila River. Last week, about 75 attendees convened in Silver City, N.M., to celebrate the Gila River, expand our knowledge of the area and its extensive list of supporters, and of course, got out on the stunning landscape to renew our…
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Success breeds success when it comes to conservation on the Gunnison
At Trout Unlimited, we aren’t always about checking all the boxes when it comes to restoration projects, but one that just happened on the Gunnison River in central Colorado does just that. It all started with a couple skeptical ranchers agreeing to partner with TU on a diversion rehabilitation project on a small tributary to…
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Reconnecting the Colorado River
What is so important about a connected river? Well, to trout, there is an obvious answer: connectivity gives them the ability to survive when adversity strikes. To anglers, there is also an obvious answer: a healthy fishery translates into a better experience on the water. But there is much more to a connected river, and…
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Enjoy fall’s reds but avoid its redds
The colors of fall excite my retinas. Green leaves slowly fade as dormancy becomes them — it's their yearly retreat so they can prepare for renewal come spring. Yellows are most common out west, but we also have vibrant oranges and even some reds. Oranges and reds of the changing scrub oaks and wild strawberries…
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Congress must act to reform ancient mining laws
Abandoned hard-rock mines create some of the most significant water quality problems facing our country, but in Congress we have an opportunity to invest in cleaning up pollution of the past, while modernizing our mining laws so we don’t face the same issues in the future. With an estimated $54 billion in cleanup costs and tens of thousands of abandoned mines polluting our lands and waters, action is long…
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