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Finding community on Independence Day
On this Independence Day, we honor those who have made a commitment to their communities, and the nation, the centerpiece of their lives
“I think of a hero as someone who understands the degree of responsibility that comes with his freedom.” – Bob Dylan I firmly believe that the obligations of community do not contradict independence. What I have seen, in fact, is that when strong, independent men and women dedicate themselves to service, communities emerge. On this Independence…
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Want to eat more fish?
Check out Hank Shaw's newest book to learn how to take your trout from the stream to the table. Hank Shaw has made a name for himself as a hunter, angler, forager, and above all a chef and lover of good, honest food. As one of the trailblazers in the increasingly popular wild-game based cuisine genre, Shaw has…
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Trout in the classroom creates advocates
“You committed to driving to Maryland tomorrow for a Trout in the Classroom release.” My colleague's words were not music to my ears. I had completely forgotten, and wasn’t really thrilled about the outing. I drove the few hours to the Lucy School in Middletown, Md., with relatively low expectations. If you have seen one Trout in the Classroom release, and…
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Chasing wild trout on Pennsylvania’s storied Spring Creek
The famous Spring Creek, Pennsylvania. Derek Eberly photo. Beware the first-cast fish ... it's almost never a good omen Many years ago, I was fishing on the Shenandoah with my friends Mike Dombeck and Bruce Babbitt, who had just stepped down as the director of the Bureau of Land Management and secretary of Interior, respectively.…
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The tipping point for salmon and steelhead
These remarks were delivered yesterday at the 2021 Environmental Conference at the Andrus Center for Public Policy at Boise State University. I want to begin my remarks today by talking about SARs—not the viral respiratory disease, but the percentage of juvenile salmon or smolts that survive the ocean, and their trek through the dams, and return to spawn. Experts call this the “smolt to adult…
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Palmer and Chuck and the importance of giving back
Back in 2019, I had a holiday party at my home where I introduced my friend, Jim Greene, the founder of Water Wisp Flies to Mason and Palmer of Flies by Two Brothers. Jim died from COVID-19 in the fall. The spring before he passed, we met to fish the Potomac shad run. As fate would…
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From Red Brook to Bristol Bay: scaling conservation
A few days ago, the people of Wareham, Mass., delivered a victory for conservation. They voted overwhelmingly against the wishes of their town administrator, and four of their five selectmen, and denied a 775-acre development in the headwaters of Red Brook. The development likely would have harmed one of the relatively few remaining populations of…
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