Projects

Fishers for Fish Habitat in NSW, Australia

Mon, 21 Jun 2010 11:50:33 -0400

Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership

Tue, 15 Sep 2009 08:04:21 -0400

The TRCP organized the Angling 4 Oceans coalition, composed of representatives of the nation’s leading recreational angling organizations and associations, to help guide public policy surrounding saltwater angling and marine fisheries conservation. The coalition has worked to add valuable new measures safeguarding America’s saltwater fisheries during reauthorization of the Magnuson-Stevens Act.

The coalition’s report, “Navigating a Future for Saltwater Fisheries,” lays out four tenets – the SALT principles – that will support the activities and of recreational saltwater anglers. The TRCP played a critical role in developing these joint recommendations, which reflect an unprecedented cooperative effort by the nation’s large and diverse recreational fishing community. The SALT principles assert that science must be used in marine fisheries conservation, fisheries resources should be allocated more equitably to recreational anglers, saltwater anglers should be licensed to improve data collection and increase funding, and tackle should reduce by-catch and not damage habitat.

Current and increasing pressures to develop close-to-home energy sources that could threaten our recreational saltwater angling legacy are a focus of the coalition’s work at the present time. The Angling 4 Oceans coalition recognizes the need for both renewable and nonrenewable domestic energy production from the outer continental shelf. Yet the group believes strongly that energy development can and must be conducted responsibly to conserve the nation’s fish and wildlife heritage for the benefit of all Americans. In response, the coalition has proposed the “CAST Principles,” a set of core tenets designed to promote marine fisheries conservation:

Conservation must be a top priority. A network of conservation areas – places simply too valuable to drill – must be identified before offshore energy leasing and development proceed.

Allocations of the royalties paid to the federal government by industry for offshore energy development must be used in ways that benefit fish and wildlife resources, including expanded marine research and fisheries management initiatives, via state and federal programs.

Science-based, adaptive management strategies that respond continually to emerging information should be required for all offshore energy development projects.

Transparency must characterize the management of all public trust resources.

The Federal Lands Transaction Facilitation Act

Sat, 20 Dec 2008 08:00:22 -0500

In 2000, through a bipartisan effort lead by Senator Domenici and Senator Bingaman, Congress authorized a land conservation funding program to help federal agencies acquire critically important tracts of land for fish and wildlife conservation, public access and outdoor recreation. In the last few years, this program has successfully funded nearly $34.5 million in projects, protecting over 9,000 acres throughout the west.

The Federal Land Transaction Facilitation Act of 2000 (FLTFA) authorizes the Bureau of Land Management, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the National Park Service and the U.S. Forest Service to use the proceeds from sales of certain BLM lands to acquire inholdings within designated areas or adjacent tracts that feature exceptional resources.

FLTFA embodies the concept of “land for land,” using the proceeds from land sales to acquire key lands. It provides a balanced approach for conservation and economic development, complements the federal Land and Water Conservation Fund and leverages federal and non-federal funds. In a time of increased budget pressures, this is an excellent way to use the sale of non-essential BLM owned land to generate funds to acquire high priority land for conservation and outdoor recreation. FLTFA conserves land without using appropriated money or adversely impacting the federal budget.

FLTFA’s authorization expires in July of 2010. Because of critically important new opportunities, this legislation should be permanently reauthorized before it expires in less than two years

Since enactment, the BLM has sold excess public lands and deposited those funds in the FLTFA account. In the last several years, the Departments of Interior and Agriculture have used these funds to acquire key properties from willing sellers. Today, fisherman coming to Wyoming, Idaho, and Oregon enjoy increased access to prime fishing spots. Hikers enjoy new trails and vistas in New Mexico, Colorado and California. Hunters now have access to more waterfowl and game. History buffs have access to cultural resources like petroglyphs, rock dwellings and historic trails. Beyond these recreational benefits, FLTFA funds have been used to protect scenic viewsheds, important fish and wildlife habitat and migration corridors.

The ability for federal agencies to use FLTFA generated funds has provided important new opportunities to conserve and enjoy our wonderful public lands. Because of these past successes and important new opportunities, this legislation should be permanently reauthorized in the next Congress.

Colorado Conservation Summit

Mon, 6 Oct 2008 06:26:33 -0400

I was asked to give a speech at the summit on the impact climate change has on hunters and anglers. Here is what i told them.

Thank you for inviting me to speak to you today. I am honored to be here to give you the big picture view of how climate change impacts hunting and fishing.

I going claim a bit of Colorado residency even though I live in Virginia. My stepson Matt lives and works in Colorado. He works for the Scott Fly Rod Company. They make outstanding fly rods by hand over in Montrose. Colorado has many things to be proud of and Scott Fly Rods are a great example. So a here is a quick plug -- buy local -- and keep him gainfully employed.

Indulge me if you will in a little audience participation. How many of you fish? Raise your hand. Now take a moment to think of one of the best times you had fishing.

One of the best days fishing I ever had was on your frying pan river. It was mixed snow and rain and the fish were rising to tiny mayflies and all was right in the world.

How many of you hunt? Think about your favorite hunting trip. Now I don’t hunt as much as I fish so this memory is about fishing as well. But let me tell you, you have not heard country music until you hear an elk bugle. The last time it happened to me I was standing in the Madison River in Yellowstone national park fishing. It was one of those hauntingly beautiful moments that live with you forever.

Now imagine what it be like if you could not have those memories. Hold that thought.

Folks, I don’t know about you but I can’t live without those memories or the chance to make new ones. It is who I am. Take that away and my life would lose most of its purpose and meaning.

Here is the deal. If you care about hunting and fishing you need to start thinking about the challenges of climate change. If we don’t do this right then those favorite moments will just be memories and future generations will never enjoy similar ones.

Like the four other topics at this Summit it is a defining one for the future of conservation.

Coming together as you have shows your recognition of the importance these challenges present to conservation in the future. You are engaged in important work and I commend you.

First let me tell you I am not an expert. You will hear from the experts later. I am an observer and an advocate.

During the last year I worked on federal legislation to address climate change. Legislation that was passed out of committee and considered by the United States Senate earlier this year.

My focus was not on market mechanisms or emissions levels, as important as they are. My focus was on dealing with the consequences of climate change on fish, wildlife and their habitat. The question of adaptation.

I will talk about that in a few minutes.

The hunting and fishing community will have a large financial stake in how the adaptation issue is dealt with. Funding for many of the important elements for addressing climate change will be embedded in any legislative package that moves to enactment.

Beyond direct funding for addressing climate change the economic driver that recreational hunting and fishing represents is also important. The hunting and angling community is inextricably tied to the fate of habitat, land use, weather and migratory patterns in this country. We ignore them at our peril.

First I want to talk about why climate change is important to those of us who hunt and fish.

We are fortunate in this country to enjoy a diversity of fish and game habitat, much of it on public land. These resources and the actions of hunting and fishing conservation organizations, has given us plentiful amounts of fish and game spread out across this great country.

It is something many of us have taken for granted.

We pat our selves on the back for the good works we have done over the last 100 years. And hunters and anglers have done a great job when it comes to conservation.

We have been outstanding stewards, stubborn stewards of the resource given to us by the actions of our forefathers. We have fostered an economic engine that provides jobs for many and funds much of the critical conservation work done in this country.

But it is the future we must be concerned about.

All our good efforts may be for naught if we do not do as our forefathers did and look to preserve those resources for future generations.

How we address the coming challenge will be part of our legacy.

Hunters and anglers are the sentinels for change. We are constantly afield. We will see the changes occur first hand. Stories of those changes are coming in from the field today.

What do those changes mean to hunters and anglers?

A report produced by the Bipartisan Policy Center and edited by the Wildlife Management Institute give us a look.

The report, titled Season’s End, presents information from leading conservation organizations such as Trout Unlimited, Pheasants Forever, The Izaak Walton League and Ducks Unlimited.

Here are some of the highlights from the report. They illustrate the potential impacts climate change would have on hunting and fishing.

For the waterfowler it means fewer birds and shorter seasons. Why?
·      Dramatic loss of wetlands habitat in the “duck factory” of the prairie pothole region
·      Shifting migration patterns making planning trips more challenging as the birds move from traditional hunting areas.
·      Loss of wintering habitat in the Louisiana march lands
·      Sea level rise inundating Atlantic Coast Habitat.

For the freshwater angler it means the familiar fishing holes just won’t stay the same and our favorite fish will relocate. Why?
·      As snow pack decreases in volume and melts earlier and mid-summer temps shoot up, stream flows will plummet posing a risk of survival to cold water species like trout and salmon and increasing stress to warm water species like bass and blue gills.
·      My good friend and colleague Steve Moyer at Trout Unlimited put it this way. “It doesn’t take a big jump in temperature to wipe out a population of brookies.”

For the big game hunter it means hunting grounds will shift and protected area borders may no longer be relevant. Why?
·      The range of disease carrying insects will expand.
·      Higher CO2 concentrations reduce the nutritional value of forage.
·      Invasive plants species will outcompete native ecosystems.
·      Fragmentation and loss of winter range will lead to dwindling herds.

For the upland bird hunter it means fewer birds in the field and in the bag. Why?
·      Breeding ranges are expected to shift northward.
·      Nesting success will be adversely impacted
·      Susceptibly to predation will increase.

Clearly as the climate changes, your recreational hunting and fishing opportunities will be impacted. We will have to find fish and game in new places. As populations of fish and wildlife decline we will see shorter seasons and smaller bag limits. Hardly comforting news for any of us.

It comes down to this. No resource, no recreation.

There is one other consequence. The way we tackle the impact of climate change will have a major role in whether future generations like Matt’s son and his grandson have the recreational opportunities we enjoy today.

I became conservation advocate because my grandfathers and father took me out to hunt and fish. They instilled in me a deep and abiding appreciation for nature and the pleasures of being outdoors.

Today it is becoming increasingly more difficult for children to connect to nature. If we hope to see the traditions of hunting and fishing and the appreciation of the joys in the natural world we all love so dearly then we cannot ignore the threat posed by our inattention or worse inaction.

So where do we good from here?

You are taking an important step forward. You are learning from the experts, examining the challenges, reaching out for allies, and pulling a plan together. From there you can begin to address the challenges of conservation in the face of global climate change.

You are not alone in your efforts.

The Season’s End report offers some strategies to address the effects of climate change. They include encouraging support by sportsmen and –women for programs and projects:
·      To ensure the health and resistance of existing ecosystems by eliminating stresses
·      Restore habitats in areas where they can withstand and adapt to global warming
·      Connecting federal and state lands, to enable migration.
·      Reflecting flexible decision making by state and federal wildlife agencies, based on principles of adaptive management.

The report goes on to offer specific strategies for cold-water fish, waterfowl and big game.

I mentioned earlier, the Senate took up climate change legislation. It didn’t pass but it nearly did.

In that bill was a section dealing with adaptation for fish, wildlife and their habitat. That adaption section was important for two reasons.

First it set up mechanisms for addressing the adaptation challenges. More importantly it created a mechanism for funding the challenges of adaptation.

Having this section in the legislation was critically important. It gave recognition to the importance of adaptation for fish wildlife and their habitat and the need to provide funding to address it.

Another important effort underway is the Freedom to Roam Project.

Launched from the good ship Patagonia by Rick Ridgeway, Freedom to Roam has become an important effort to address the need to protect and enhance wildlife migration corridors.

They are employing a three-part strategy:
·      coordinate efforts of groups now working on corridors;
·      broaden awareness of wildlife corridors and why they are an effective adaptive response; and
·      broaden the constituencies involved in this issue by creating a coalition of NGO's, ranchers, hunters, fishermen, and corporations.

Ridgeway explains that Freedom to Roam is different for two reasons.

First, it will have a very public partnership between traditional NGO’s and some high-profile corporations giving them political clout. Second, they are a marketing effort built around one easy-to-understand concept: if wildlife is going to survive a warming planet, they need to move, to migrate. They need the Freedom to Roam.

One more effort I am involved in is the reauthorization of the Federal Lands Transaction Facilitation Act or FLTFA.

FLTFA allows the federal land management agencies to use the proceeds from sales of certain non-essential BLM land to generate funds to acquire higher priority lands. Here in Colorado BLM working with the Conservation Fund, used FLTFA funds to acquire 470 acres to add to the Canyons of the Ancients.

FLTFA embodies the concept of “land for land,” using the proceeds from land sales to acquire key lands. It provides a balanced approach for conservation and economic development, complements the federal Land and Water Conservation Fund and leverages federal and non-federal funds. FLTFA conserves land without using appropriated money or adversely impacting the federal budget.

Let me close by reminding you that while we humans may have created these challenges, we have the power to address them.

Look around you and see that each and everyone one of us in this room care about the natural world and our place in it. We believe that we can give future generations a world better than the one our ancestors left us just as they inherited a better world from their ancestors.

The challenge is finding the common ground, the intellectual flexibility, the dedication to results that will let us work together. Check your agendas, politics and egos at the door, roll up your sleeves and get to work. Future generations are counting on you.

Thank you.

The Eastern Brook Trout Joint Venture

Wed, 2 Jan 2008 11:52:03 -0500

The Eastern Brook Trout Joint Venture (EBTJV) is the nation's first pilot project under the National Fish Habitat Initiative, which directs locally-driven efforts that build private and public partnerships to improve fish habitat. The long-term goals of the EBTJV are to develop a comprehensive restoration and education strategy to improve aquatic habitat, to raise education awareness, and to raise federal, state and local funds for brook trout conservation.

In 2005, in recognition of the need to address regional and range-wide threats to brook trout, a group of public and private entities formed the EBTJV to halt the decline of brook trout and restore fishable populations. The group spearheaded a range-wide assessment of brook trout populations and threats to brook trout and brook trout habitat in the Eastern United States (report forthcoming). Seventeen states are currently drafting strategies to prioritize policy changes and on-the-ground actions to improve water quality and restore brook trout habitat and populations in their individual state using locally-driven, incentive-based, and non-regulatory programs.

For more information, go to: http://www.easternbrooktrout.org