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#224: May 23, 2021
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More Hijinks at MFWP Headquarters? |
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FWP Directors Seeking Public Comment on Restoration (AGAIN)........
The following piece is another Montana TU Action Alert by Montana TU Executive Director David Brooks
First of all, THANK YOU!
We called and you answered. Thanks to each of you that contacted the Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks Directors in response to their decision to halt approved native trout restoration projects. Your voices matter and they need to be heard.
All of these restoration projects have already been through an extensive Environmental Assessment process with ample opportunities for public comment. Then, just two weeks ago, we urged you to contact them yet again to defend these projects. Now, in spite of your overwhelming number of calls and emails that forced a temporary disconnection of office phone lines, MT FWP's director is once again seeking public comment on these projects.
If you've already sent them a comment, once again THANK YOU, but today we need your help again. MT FWP will not count the comments we've already submitted. We will continue to show them how popular and important wild and native trout management is to Montanans and our economy.
Please email Director Worsech and Deputy Director Temple today and tell them to you support native trout restoration and scientific management, including all projects for nonnative fish removal that are still on hold until the redundant Commission review that Director has put in place, causing these projects to be delayed. (See end of this article to see recently enacted limitations on comments!)
We remain concerned about of this change of direction in department policy and we assure you, we will continue to hold our resource managers accountable and keep you informed on any new developments. Scientific wild trout management is a world famous success story and we will continue to defend it.
Once again, thank you for speaking up for the trout, who can't speak for themselves. We will continue to remain vigilant and will need your voices and passion for wild fish as we continue to advocate for our mission in the coming months.
In another disturbing development MTU has been informed that FWP may only accept comments sent to their new comment page and official email.
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Decline of Brown Trout Baffles Biologists!
Even the staunchest native trout advocate relishes the take that signals a substantial brown trout has taken the fly. So the news about a dramatic drop in numbers of brown trout across a wide swath of rivers southwest Montana over the last few years was received with justifiable horror.
According to data cited in recent news accounts, the decline is widespread and is impacting streams in multiple watersheds, like the Jefferson, Big Hole, Beaverhead, Upper Clark Fork, Madison and upper Yellowstone. Some of these streams are seeing historic low numbers in brown numbers; the population in the section of the Big Hole between Melrose and Browne's bridge is presently at 400 fish per mile compared to 1800 fish per mile in 2014. Particularly worrying is that the effect is being seen in both adult and juvenile fish.
Because the rivers and fisheries are so diverse and the impacts so widespread, the biologists suspect "something that can operate over a large geographic scale." Fingers are pointing towards the demonstrated warming effects of climate change or some widespread stress that is exacerbated by climate warming. The article by Michael Cast in the Montana Standard is really excellent and provides much more detail about the problem. And this piece is also informative.
In the past when confronted with perplexing threats like whirling disease and proliferative kidney disease, MFWP biologists collaborated with scientists from the Montana University System and groups like TU, the Clark Fork Coalition, the Big Hole River Foundation, and the Whirling Disease Foundation to develop understanding and mitigation plans.
However, it is not clear that such a long-term effort will be possible any more since the new MFWP Director and his leadership team have decided largely to abandon this approach and focus on short-term in-house efforts. According to Rob Chaney's fine article in the Missoulian earlier this month, FWP Wildlife Chief of Staff Kujala stated "We are moving away from longer-term commitments and to smaller projects."
It is fatuous to think that a problem that has been going on for multiple years over multiple watershed is amenable short-term and small projects. Let's hope that the new Director and new MFWP leadership will re-focus its strategy. This should be "all hands on deck" and the boat should be bigger than a dinghy! Montana's brown trout deserve nothing less.
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Summer 2021 Becoming an Outdoor Woman Program! |
One of the key strategies for promoting angling and conservation in the 21st century will be promoting the diversity of participants, leaders, and activists. Diversity in age, gender and race all figure into this effort.
This trend is evident is TROUT Magazine and enhancing diversity is a plank in the Montana TU strategic plan. BRTU promotes age diversity in it education programs, like Bitterroot Buggers and Trout in the Classroom, and our Reel Women in the 'Root program speaks to gender diversity. TU Staff like Christine Brissette and Kelley Willett and prominent anglers and outfitters like Jenny West and Peg Miskin shine as exemplars for diversity in conservation and angling. And the BRTU Board has both youth members as well as a number of women among its members.
One of the most effective programs around for promoting gender diversity in outdoor recreation is the celebrated Becoming an Outdoor Woman Program run in Montana by MFWP. BOW offers courses in fishing, upland bird hunting, waterfowl hunting, camping, boating and more. The photo shows a flyfishing class from the BOW page on the MFWP website.
Registration for the 2021 Summer BOW will open at 9am MDT tomorrow - Monday, May 24! The first week of registration will be open to new Summer BOW participants or those former participants who bring a newbie! The on line registration form will be found at: https://fwp.mt.gov/education/becoming-an-outdoors-woman.
If you are interested in BOW or know someone who might be, please take advantage of this opportunity.
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At long last and just in time for the 2021 fishing season, the new BRTU caps and drybags have arrived.
BRTU President Dave Ward reports that the new BRTU soft cotton caps are now available in 5 pleasing colors.
As you can see from inspecting our professional models, one size fits all. However, we were unable to perfect a canine version.
Included with each hat is a small Montana TU dry bag. The size is perfect for stashing your lunch and phone in the boat.
The price for a hat and a bag is just $20.
The hats may be viewed and purchased at Chuck Stranahan’ s Fly Shop in the Safeway parking lot in Hamilton. Supplies are limited, so don't wait too long!
You can pay for your cap and drybag with cash, check or credit card. Make checks out to Bitterroot Trout Unlimited.
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This week's picture comes from well-traveled angler Dana Scott.
Dana and his wife Grace were fishing near the middle of the canyon on the Missouri in early May on a bluebird day. This lovely football was one of many rainbows that they caught on pheasant tail droppers. Dana added that there were a number of dry fly hatches, but that the action was on the nymphs.
Please send your photos and stories to me. Your picture might end up as the Picture of the Week!
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This week's BRTU Puzzler comes from the pages of High Country News. The river in the picture was known to the Native Americans living along its banks as Paayme Paxaayt, and they ate the steelhead that swam by on their way to spawn in the headwaters.
Now its coarse fish sustain a very different population, and plans to restore and revitalize the concrete lined 51 mile stream will threaten the subsistence of that population.
To win this week's BRTU Puzzler, identify the river and describe the unusual dilemma that the restoration presents.
Chuck Stranahan has generously offered a prize to all winners of the BRTU Puzzler. The winner will be able to claim a prize of hand-tied trout flies by contacting Chuck.
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Monte Dolack BRTU prints
now available at Joe's Studio.
A small number of Publisher's Proofs of the limited edition "Bitterroot River-Lost Horse Bend" by Monte Dolack are now available at Joe's Studio. BRTU commissioned Monte Dolack in 2007 to create this iconic print of the Bitterroot River.
The remaining Publisher's Proofs are $375 and all proceeds support BRTU efforts to protect trout and streams.
Joe's Studio, a regular sponsor of our banquets, is located in Hamilton at 220 Marcus Street (961-4586, joesstudio@aol.com)
The "U" in BRTU
Unlike many groups, BTRU has no paid staff. We are an entirely volunteer organization. We are always looking for new members to get involved in projects or to join our board and assist with maintaining our focus on native fish, clean healthy streams and education. If you would like to help out, please contact BRTU Chapter President Dave Ward. We could sure use your help!
In other words, how about putting a little "U" in BRTU?
If "U" are not already a member, "U" can join TU today by going to the the BRTU website. chapter number is #080. If you have a question about your membership, please call Clayton at 406-543-0054.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, BRTU board meetings are now being held virtually on ZOOM. They are open to all BRTU members. Date and time vary, so please contact Chapter President Dave Ward if you would like to log in and learn what is going on.
The BRTU Mission statement is "To conserve, protect, and restore the Bitterroot River and it's watershed," directly in line with the Montana TU mission statement.
For your information, here is a tabulation of our current hard-working BRTU officers and board members.
BOARD OFFICERS
Vice President - OPEN
BOARD MEMBERS
Gavin Marston (student board member)
GENERAL FACTOTUM AND NEWSLETTER PUBLISHER
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