Rising from the Ashes

It’s time for the lower Snake River dams to go

by Chris Wood January 12, 2021 Young steelhead before migrating to the ocean. John McMillan photo.   “It is our collective opinion, based on overwhelming scientific evidence, that restoration of a free-flowing lower Snake River is essential to recovering wild Pacific salmon and steelhead in the basin.” So reads a remarkable letter recently sent to the governors of Oregon, […]

How conservation can save our politics and save America

by Chris Wood January 7, 2021 Volunteer leaders Don Miller and Greg Malaska from Pennsylvania on a legislative visit to Capitol Hill.   Wednesday afternoon, a day that America won’t soon forget, I was on a phone call just across the river in Trout Unlimited’s Arlington, Va., headquarters. A group of us at TU were talking about recovering Snake River salmon populations in the Pacific Northwest when my phone began blaring with […]

Return to Us: A good story, well told

by Eric Booton December 17, 2020 If you need a pick-me-up, this is it. It is with great excitement that we share the short film, “Return to Us: Restoring Alaska’s Eklutna River,” with you. As of today, it is available free of charge online for all to enjoy. Return to Us chronicles the historic effort spearheaded by Eklutna, […]

The ‘lame duck’ session is here

by Robert Catalanotto December 9, 2020 The Public Lands Renewable Energy Development Act ( PLREDA) might get some traction during the last few weeks of this Congressional session. Josh Duplechian photo. In just over a month, the results of the 2020 elections will take effect. That means the clock is ticking for the 116th Congress. Outgoing legislators will leave […]

TU applauds new Klamath River agreement

Trout Unlimited lauded the Memorandum of Agreement released today by the states of California and Oregon, the Yurok and Karuk Tribes, PacifiCorp (a subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway Energy), and Klamath River Renewal Corporation. With the agreement, the two states and Berkshire Hathaway-owned PacifiCorp agreed to provide additional resources and support for dam removal through the […]

Climate change is water change

A main stem river in Vermont flowing at 50 percent of historical levels. Chase S. Whiting   By Chase S. Whiting As summer transitioned to fall, the sun hung eerily over the Adirondack Mountains and illuminated smoke that traveled some 3,000 miles from wildfires out West. Seeing the smoke reminded me that seemingly distant corners […]

Restoring the Lower Snake

  The final sign-off of a plan that would maintain the status quo for the Lower Snake River was no surprise last week. However, a letter from the Nez Perce Tribe declining a memorandum of understanding between the tribe, the Bonneville Power Administration, Corps of Engineers and the Bureau of Reclamation reminded us what strong […]

Climate change at its CORE

by Scott Willoughby Stewing in the sun and smoke of the late-August afternoon, even the temptingly titled Shady Island River Park was overmatched. Cottonwoods lining the shore of the Gunnison River offered only modest relief as the mercury climbed north of 95 degrees, and soon enough the haze of Colorado’s largest recorded wildfire would overcome […]

TU goes online to serve young people during lockdown

Trout Unlimited is serving youth and volunteers in new ways to keep them engaged in our mission to protect, conserve, and restore North America’s coldwater fisheries during the pandemic. Some of our programs have been adapted to fit virtual and at-home formats to provide safe avenues of participation. Online platforms come with unique challenges but boast some exciting prospects.  Here are some examples from the TU […]