In good news for healthy fish, streams and communities, administration vetoes congressional effort to weaken landmark water law Contacts: ARLINGTON, Va.—President Biden today vetoed a Congressional resolution to block a revised, clearer definition of the “Waters of the United States” that would restore federal Clean Water Act protections for millions of miles of small streams
SFS Chief Moore gets a firsthand look at TU restoration work in the Okanogan-Wenatchee National ForestThe eastern slopes of the Cascade Mountains in North Central Washington are one of the epicenters for catastrophic fire risk in the Western United States. Climate change, tree disease and over a century of forest mismanagement are to blame. In recognition of this risk, the Forest Service recently launched the Central Washington Initiative (CWI) in the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest as part of its national Wildfire Crisis Strategy. This important work is supported by $100 million of funding through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
The CWI is one of approximately 20 initiatives of its kind across the nation receiving this unprecedented investment through 2026. These initiatives represent an “all lands, all hands” approach to addressing forest health and wildfire resilience, meaning the Forest Service sees partnerships as the key to success. TU’s $40 million keystone agreement with the Forest Service is a perfect example. Through this partnership, TU will be implementing many of the aquatic components of this work and other critical efforts benefiting wildfire resilience and coldwater habitat recovery on National Forests across the country.
Collaborating to Reduce Wildfire Risks
The risk for catastrophic fire in North Central Washington is well known to TU and other members of the North Central Washington Forest Health Collaborative (NCWFHC) who have been working on the issue of forest health in this region for more than a decade. During this time, NCWFHC partners have been frantically building solutions while bearing witness to the biggest wildfires in Washington State history. To say there is a sense of urgency surrounding this work is a wild understatement.
Developing and implementing innovative approaches to helping the Forest Service increase the pace and scale of restoration on the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest has been NCWFHC’s key objective, and we have made significant progress in recent years. Enough progress, it turns out, to entice the Chief of the Forest Service, Randy Moore, to come out and see it with his own eyes in late May.
As part of the NCWFHC’s tenth anniversary celebration, we had the honor of hosting Chief Moore on a field tour of some of the Collaborative’s project sites.
Working to Keep Water on the Landscape
One of the stops on the NCWFHC tour was at TU’s beaver dam analog (BDA) project on Alder Creek, outside of Leavenworth Washington. This work is led by staff from TU’s Wenatchee-Entiat Beaver Project. TU’s Lisa Foster and Michael Dello Russo were on site to answer questions and demonstrate the work to partners and USFS staff.
I’m biased, but the site visit seemed to be a highlight for Chief Moore given his willingness to thrash through thick brush and endure heinous mosquitos to get an up-close view of the project. We got to talk about how low-tech process-based restoration techniques, like BDAs, expand floodplain connectivity, improve late season flows and increase soil moisture in riparian zones to create fire breaks in an otherwise parched landscape. Michael Dello Russo and his crew were also able to demonstrate how these structures get woven together with streamside trees. The Chief seemed so impressed with the work that he hinted at returning when we extended an invitation. We hope he takes us up on it.
We want to thank all of the NCWFHC partners for their ongoing work and for making the anniversary tour such a success.
Thank you, Chief Moore, for taking the time to join us in the field. We are grateful for your enduring support of this important work in North Central Washington forests and watersheds!
Lawsuit by the State of Alaska threatens Clean Water Act protections
Infrastructure funding for water quality and reclamation projects will also benefit trout and salmon Contact: Sara Porterfield, Western Water Policy Advisor, Trout Unlimited, sara.porterfield@tu.org Drew YoungeDyke, National Communications Director, Trout Unlimited, drew.youngedyke@tu.org ARLINGTON, Va.—The Department of the Interior this week announced over $51 million in watershed and river restoration projects through the Bureau
Juvenile salmon and steelhead are immediately using reconnected habitat on California’s North Coast
This week, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission released a Draft EIS affecting four hydroelectric dams on Maine’s Kennebec River. The FERC recommendations amount to incremental improvements over what is now a dire situation for Atlantic salmon in the Kennebec. We have tried the incremental approach before on rivers like the Connecticut, Merrimack, Saco, and Androscoggin.
12/2/1999 Washington Post Article: Maine Stews Over Plan to Override Salmon Policy Washington Post Article: Maine Stews Over Plan to Override Salmon Policy Contact: 12/2/1999 — — Time was when fly rods packed the wooden racks at Eddington Salmon Club, and dozens of fishermen waded into swirling Penobscot River pools. Anglers here still recall how
2/8/2000 Administration Proposes Slashing Critical Federal Funding for Whirling Disease Research Administration Proposes Slashing Critical Federal Funding for Whirling Disease Research Decision Pulls Rug Out from National Efforts to Combat Disease & Ignores Recent Spread to New Mexico, Yellowstone National Park Contact: 2/8/2000 — — Reports of the Administration’s decision to propose slashing $1 million
4/14/2000 Comment Period for Atlantic Salmon Endangered Proposal Closes Comment Period for Atlantic Salmon Endangered Proposal Closes Trout Unlimited Continues Call for Listing Contact: 4/14/2000 — — Contact: *Jeff Reardon, New England Conservation Coordinator, Trout Unlimited, (Camden, ME): (207) 882-4791; *Maggie Lockwood, Director of Press Relations, Trout Unlimited: (703) 284-9425 April 14, 2000. Augusta, Maine.
5/16/2000 Hydropower Dam Fight Delayed: Sparks Expected in Full Committee Hydropower Dam Fight Delayed: Sparks Expected in Full Committee Subcommittee Hydro Amendments Reveal Flaws in Dam Licensing Legislation Contact: 5/16/2000 — — Contact: Steve Malloch, Trout Unlimited Counsel: (703) 284-9415 Washington, DC…Members of the House Commerce Subcommittee on Energy and Power received more than they
3/22/2004 Trout Unlimited Calls for Changes to Flow Proposal for Upper Delaware River Trout Unlimited Calls for Changes to Flow Proposal for Upper Delaware River Contact: Rocci Aguirre Catskills Coordinator Trout Unlimted (607) 498-4671 3/22/2004 — Hancock, NY — National conservation organization Trout Unlimited (TU) today announced it will seek changes to a proposal that
Trout Unlimited Slams Decision of Bush Administration to Abandon Water Flows Through the Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park Trout Unlimited Slams Decision of Bush Administration to Abandon Water Flows Through the Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park Contact: Melinda Kassen Director, Colorado Water Project TU (303) 440-2937 x.11 9/30/2002 — Arlington, VA
3/11/2003 Trout Unlimited Opposes Hydroelectric Legislation, Says It Would Put The Interests of Utilities Over Rivers And Fish Trout Unlimited Opposes Hydroelectric Legislation, Says It Would Put The Interests of Utilities Over Rivers And Fish House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Energy and Air quality will hold a hearing on the Radanovich, Hastings, Walden bill
8/11/2005 News Release August 11, 2005 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Pages: 2 ATTN: Environment Editor/Reporter Contact: Kaitlin Lovell, TU Salmon Policy Coordinator: 503.827.5700 x. 13 New White Paper: Feds’ Critical Habitat Rule Strikes Another Blow to Pacific Salmon Recovery Proposed last year, final rule announcement expected August 15 (PORTLAND, Ore.) – The Bush administration is expected
7/11/2006 TU applauds Schwarzenegger?s action to protect California?s roadless backcountry July 11, 2006 Contact: Sam Davidson, (831) 235-2542, sdavidson@tu.org Chuck Bonham, (510) 917-8572, cbonham@tu.org FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: TU applauds Schwarzeneggers action to protect Californias roadless backcountry Petition asks U.S. Department of Agriculture to permanently protect 4.4 million acres of land from new road building and
3/12/2007 Conservation Groups Propose New Management Plan for Delaware River March 12, 2007 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Nat Gillespie, 703-284-9431 or ngillespie@tu.org Rick Axt, 908-719-8777 or raxt@verizon.net Conservation Groups Propose New Management Plan for Delaware River Adaptive Release Policy Benefits NJ Communities, Recreational Users WEST TRENTON — A coalition of local, state and national conservation
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Erin Mooney TU National Press Secretary (703) 284-9408 Trout Magazine Story: Biotech Salmon Would Endanger Wild Salmon and Ecosystems TU is weighing possible litigation if the FDA approves the genetically modified salmon. Arlington, Va.- A Trout magazine story on the threats posed by genetically modified salmon – often called Frankenfish, shows
Contact: Seth Wenger, Staff Scientist, (208) 340-7046, swenger@tu.orgChris Wood, President and CEO, (571) 274-0601, cwood@tu.org FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Study: Changing climate could cut Western trout habitat in halfNative cutthroat trout could see 58 percent decline in suitable habitat BOISE, Idaho A new study shows a changing climate could reduce suitable trout habitat in the western
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Contact: Erin Mooney, National Press Secretary (703) 284-9408 Trout conservationists applaud EPA/U.S. Army Corps of Engineers initiative to restore Clean Water Act protections Agencies guidance is a key first step for restoring fundamental protection to nations waterways. Milwaukee, Wisc.–Trout Unlimited commends the Obama Administration and its Clean Water Act agencies, the U.S.
Contact: Chris Wood, President and CEO, (571) 274-0601 Rob Masonis, Vice President for Western Conservation, (206) 491-9016 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Trout Unlimited seeks collaboration to recover Snake River salmon and steelhead Sportsmen’s conservation group withdraws from litigation to focus on bringing stakeholders together to find solutions SEATTLE Trout Unlimited announced today that it is asking
