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Committed to
Protecting, Connecting and Restoring Arizona's watersheds and fisheries.
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"The charm of fishing is that it is the pursuit of what is elusive but attainable, a perpetual series of occasions for hope." ~John Buchan
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Message From The President |
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Welcome to the April 2021 Newsletter,
What a year we’ve survived! To quote Charles Dickens completely out of context: “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, … it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, …”
We’ve added whole new vocabularies with words like “herd immunity,” COVID-19, Zoom Calls, and Tiger King. We supported our favorite restaurants, found we could now get cocktails to go, and had all international travel un-ceremoniously cancelled.
Some of us feared leaving the house, but those of us that did, found we could cautiously survive so long as we wore a mask, covered up, stay six-feet apart, used hand-cleaner, and washed our hands about every 30-seconds. Unfortunately, we also learned that some folks were so paranoid that they hoarded toilet paper, cleaning supplies and hand-cleaner. The panic was so great, and the demand so excessive that gin and other liquor distillers were making hand-cleaner! We honored our front-line workers, that worked tirelessly to help the many that caught Covid-19.
The quarantining of the United States had some positive effects for those of us recreating in the outdoors. We know as anglers, “to get away from it all,” we go fishing! However, a lot of other people with no Starbucks to hang-out, no movie theatre available, no malls to shop, suddenly decided to take up fishing. We welcome you! Arizona license sales increased nearly 25% year over year, and your Zane Grey Chapter, members increased nearly 26% last year. If you are among the new-members, thank you for joining. If you are a current member, or your membership lapsed, please renew.
Overall, we’ve managed to survive; we have had a great year; and, we’re looking forward to another great year! We hope not as calamitous as this past year.
This month was again a busy month for your chapter. We co-hosted two Salt River Saturdays with Arizona Flycasters Club, and concluded a very productive planning session that many of you participated.
Don’t forget our 2021 photo contest. The first-place winner receives a handmade H & H 9’ 6wt rod and second place winner receive hand-made St. Croix 5wt fly rod and case. So, keep your cameras ready, and send us your best fishing, nature, and wildlife photos from Arizona and the Western United States. See the details on our website by clicking here, and see more information in the next article.
We plan a great 2021, and look forward to you joining us for our various activities and conservation opportunities.
Want to get away this summer? Or, maybe better yet, send your teenagers away and learn to fish? Arizona Council of Trout Unlimited is partnering with Scouts BSA Grand Canyon Council, and running three 1-week Fish Camps. We need volunteers; interested in volunteering, sign up here. More information and details here.
Upcoming Events:
Zane Grey Chapter and Arizona Flycasters Club are jointly hosting a series of Salt River Saturdays. These events are a combination stream cleanup and a Salt River fishing opportunity. Save the Dates:
Saturday, April 10, 9-12, Blue Point Bridge
Saturday, April 24, 9-12, Blue Point Bridge
Help Wanted Needed!
Tired of doing crossword puzzles and 10,000-piece jigsaw puzzles? Then consider volunteering for a position with your chapter board. We currently are looking for a STREAM Keeper leader, and a board member at-large. If interested, contact any board member, or me.
Here are some of the articles in this month's Newsletter.
- 2021 Fishing & Nature Photo Contest - Entries Close April 30! (Voting closes May 15)
- Volunteer Opportunity: Kiwanis Fishing Clinic
- Diversity, Equity and Inclusion: The Ripple Effect
- Public Policy – Waters of Arizona Update;
- Review of 2021 Legislation;
- Apache Trout
- Private Land Sales to the Feds
- Heritage Fund Bill
- Surface Water Protection
- Grand Canyon Protection
- Virtual Book Club: Cold Hearted River
- ZGTU Joins AZFishbook for Salt River Saturday & Trash Clean-Up
- SRP Donation Program - Forest Thinning Around CC Cragin Res.
- Fishing Opportunities in New Mexico!
- Other Angling organizations
- ZGTU and affiliates calendar
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Follow ZGTU on Social Media
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We’ve gone virtual!!!!
Please join us for our monthly meeting:
Tonight, Thursday, April 1, 2021 7:00 - 8:45 PM
Please let us know if you are joining us. Contact me.
Until then,
Tight Lines.
Alan Davis
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PHOTO CONTEST PRIZES
Grand Prize – People’s Choice: H&H 9’ 6wt fly rod
Grand Prize – Judges Choice: St. Croix 5wt fly rod and case
Honorable mentions (3): AZ hand tied fly assortment and TU ball cap
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CALLING ALL VOLUNTEERS!
Boys & Girls Club Fishing Clinic
Saturday, May 1 at Kiwanis Park
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Saturday, May 1
Kiwanis Park
Ramada #1
9:00 AM - 11:00 AM
Volunteers please arrive at 8:30 AM!
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DIVERSITY, EQUITY AND INCLUSION -
The Ripple Effect
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Like ripples expanding across the water when a trout rises, TU has imagined The Ripple Effect Project. As an organization, TU believes it is critical to facilitate conversations and learning around equity for the individual. With 300,000 members and supporters, 400 local chapters, 36 state councils, 4,000 elected local/state officers and directors of chapters and councils, 240 staff in over 100 locations… this is no small task.
Despite the many unforeseen challenges of the past year, TU has discovered new opportunities to deepen and grow our equity practice. The core principles of the TU’s equity practice include:
• Act with respect and humility, acknowledging that many under-represented communities and peoples have a long, rich history of watershed tending and stewardship, and we seek to learn from and better incorporate these perspectives.
• Seek to understand how all people relate to and engage with coldwater fisheries and their watersheds.
• Approach difference with curiosity and not judgement in order to broaden TU’s organizational perceptions.
• Foster lasting relationships and build spaces where individuals and communities are valued, heard, respected and empowered.
• Perpetuate equitable and inclusive systems that engage all people in TU’s mission work.
• Understand that TU’s equity practice must permeate every level of TU’s operation including staff, board, chapter and council volunteers, donors, and beyond. Equity is the responsibility of everyone in the organization.
• Be accountable and work relentlessly and courageously towards transformational change.
Everyone is invited to join in TU’s discussion by participating in the national Diversity-Equity-Inclusion workgroup Zoom call on the third Thursday of each month at 8 p.m. Eastern time. We hope to hear your voice and your perspective on April 15!
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Apache Trout Cooperative Management Program (CMP)
AZTU-PPC, as well as TU National are actively engaged in developing a collaborative plan for how we should manage Apache Trout if the US Fish and Wildlife Service decides to delist the Apache Trout because the recovery objectives have been met. Stay tuned for more as this evolves!
2021 Legislative Sessions
The 2021 Arizona legislature has now been in session for ten weeks. A few of the most important bills relative to our mission are featured for this month. Updates are italicized.
- SR1002/HB2003 - This bill would strip the ACC of the authority to establish renewable energy standards and transfer that responsibility to the Legislature. It has passed the house and is awaiting action in the Senate. We are opposed to this legislation as we perceive it as a move by the Legislature to stop the transition to renewable energy in Arizona. Ironically, the utility providers in AZ are moving in this direction on their own.
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HB2702 - This bill, proposed by Representative Finchem, would require a land-owner to get approval of the Arizona Legislature before being able to sell their land to the federal government. The supporters justify this proposed legislation based on a claim that it would protect the property tax that the state gets on this land because the state does not receive tax revenue from federal land. We are strongly opposed to this legislation. It would deny property owners their rights to do what they deem appropriate with their property without undue interference from the state. Outdoor recreation provides over 200,000 jobs in the state and delivers over $1.4B in state and local tax revenue, which far outweighs the property tax value of the land. This bill has passed out of committee and placed on the third read agenda but has not been heard. We are hoping this bill dies.
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SB1384/HB2127 - The American Heritage Fund bill would dedicate $10M to be spent on maintaining and improving Arizona's trails, parks, cultural sites and open spaces. As of 2/11/2021, this bill has passed the House and being reviewed in the Senate Appropriations and Rules Committees. Several amendments have been made on the amount of funding, but it is still in process. We support this legislation.
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HB2691 - Probably the most impactful legislation for protecting the clean, cold water we like to fish is the legislation that the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ) has drafted as the "Surface Water Protection Program". We have been tracking this in past ZGTU Newsletters. With the issuance of the Navigable Water Protection Rule by the US Environmental Protection Administration (EPA) and Army Corps of Engineers, most of the surface water in AZ has lost its protection. This is Arizona's attempt to put protections in place. While we are concerned that ephemeral streams may not receive adequate protection and "dredge & fill" is not managed, this is a major step forward. This bill has passed the House and is moving through the Senate.
At the federal level, the US House of Representatives recently passed the Grand Canyon Protection Act which was proposed by Arizona Congressman Raul Grijalva. This piece of legislation will protect approximately 1 million acres of land near the Grand Canyon from uranium mining. The region is currently protected from new mining claims under a 20-year moratorium instituted by former Interior Secretary Ken Salazar in 2012, but that would expire unless renewed. The bill is part of a package of public lands bills put forward by Grijalva and other members of Congress. Arizona Sens. Mark Kelly and Kyrsten Sinema have introduced a similar measure in the Senate. This has not advanced in the past month. Stay tuned!
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The AZTU Public Policy Committee (PPC) hosts a virtual meeting on the second Tuesday of the month at 7:00 until 8:00 PM. If you are interested, please contact Tom Osterday at publicpolicychair@zanegreytu.org
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Women's Virtual Book Club:
Book - Cold Hearted River by Keith McCafferty
Next conversation: Thursday, May 20th, 6 PM
Join us whether you've read the book or not!
Call In: 712-432-0220
Access code: 4632017
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Social Media:
Check out the Instagram page for Arizona Women of Trout Unlimited: @AZWOTU
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Zane Grey Chapter Joins Arizona Flycasters Club for Salt River Saturday and trash Clean-Up #Notinmywater
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Saturday, March 13 and again on March 27, ZGTU joined with Arizona Flycasters Club hosting a couple of Salt River Saturdays.
Everyone enjoyed the time outdoors, fishing and the opportunity to help clean up the river. We're going again this month. Come join us April 10, and April 24. Check your email for last minute information.
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Typical Forest - 1,000 Trees Per Acre |
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Thinned Forest - 100 Trees Per Acre |
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You can help protect the forest, Rim Country recreation opportunities and communities, as well ensure adequate, safe drinking water for Rim Country and Valley homes. - Jim Strogen
Do you enjoy fishing, hunting, hiking, and camping in the forests in Rim Country?
Did you know that much of the water that you use in and around your home originates
in those same Rim Country forests?
What would happen to those recreational opportunities and the water supply to the
Valley if there was a catastrophic forest fire in Rim Country?
Payson and surrounding communities live with the reality that their homes and businesses are a careless campfire away from destruction. Many Arizona residents who come to Rim Country to enjoy the forests, or are unaware where the water in their homes comes from, don’t understand the dire conditions of the forests in Rim Country. Nor do they realize how it will impact their lives for years to come if these forests are not protected against devastating wildfires.
The forests surrounding the C.C. Cragin Reservoir are particularly critical to the water supply for Payson and surrounding communities, as well as being the source for a portion of the water used by Valley residents. This watershed is heavily forested. The tree density is estimated to be 1,000 trees per acre rather than the desired 100 trees per acre. This density means several things in terms of a healthy watershed. When there are too many trees, it limits the snowpack reaching the ground, and means less water for the lakes and streams. Many trees in the forest drink up a great deal of the water, again which then is not able to flow into the streams. Heavy ground cover and thickets of small trees under taller trees means that when there is a fire, there is a much greater risk of fire on the ground moving to the crowns of the tall trees. Once the fire is in the crowns of the trees, it is much more difficult to contain. It burns longer and hotter than a low intensity ground fire, and the soil becomes useless for plant growth. It is changed chemically, to the point that it resists absorption and water runs in torrents down stream beds and fills lakes and reservoir downstream with debris and toxic ash. These sediment filled lakes severely reduces their ability to hold water for our needs in a desert community.
Thinning the forest of the small trees is an expensive proposition. While the U S Forest Service does not have difficulty selling rights to harvest larger trees, they have struggled to find contractors willing to clear the forest of the smaller trees and the limbing and debarking byproduct of timber operations. The density of these smaller trees and the accumulated forest debris pose the greatest risks to forests in the west. These are the conditions that led to the deadly and destructive fires around Paradise, California and are a real threat to Rim Country here in Arizona.
SRP has a vested interest in protecting the forest around the C. C. Cragin Reservoir as that watershed is critical for supplying water to Arizonans. SRP has created a voluntary program to allow customers to donate $3 per month toward efforts to strategically thin the forest in this critical watershed. They intend to match those donations up to $200,000 each year. There are approximately 37,000 acres in the Cragin watershed in need of strategic thinning. These thinning costs sometimes range from $1,000-$1,500 per acre depending on various forest conditions and clean-up needs.
As past fires in California and Arizona have taught us, that in addition to the tragic loss of life often associated with these fires, the investment in prevention is a fraction of the cost of fighting the fires, restoration efforts, and rebuilding homes and business lost to the fires.
Will you help?
This SRP link describes the program and the need for action. The information to sign up
to make contributions to this effort are on the right side of the page:
If you would like to learn more about this problem and the need for this effort:
• A 14 minute video: The Collaborative Road to Restoring Arizona’s Forests
• A 26 minute video: “Fire and Water: Restoring Arizona’s Forests
Payson Roundup article by Pete Aleshire
Thank you!
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April Angling Opportunities in New Mexico
Fishead and Soaring Eagle
at the San Juan
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Looking for a Fishing Opportunity? |
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Below is a list of fishing organizations in Arizona. Feel free to join, explore, visit their websites or attend a meeting to find out more information: |
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Arizona Flycasters Club
Sunnyslope Community Center | 802 E. Vogel Ave. Phoenix, AZ
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Fly-Fishing Social Event night - 2nd Thursday of each month. Great speaker and awesome raffle. Donations support our Community outreach partners from Veterans to Youth activities.
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Desert Fly Casters
Check website for details.
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General meeting 2nd Wednesday of each month. There may be some exceptions so check website for details.
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AZFISHBOOK offers a variety of social activities. Listed below are some of the activities available.
Check out the AZFISHBOOK Groups at:
Looking for buddy to fish with?
Signup for AZFishBook Newsletter:
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Join Trout Unlimited Today!
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REMEMBER:
Your Conservation License Plate Supports TU Programs
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The Arizona Sportsmen for Wildlife Conservation (AZSFWC) license plate fund is derived from the sale of wildlife conservation license plates and member organizations as well as non-member organizations are eligible to apply for those funds.
The Arizona TU Council and Chapters have received funds over the past seven years in support of the Annual Native and Wild Trout Conferences and the Trout-In-the-Classroom programs.
The next time your registration comes up for renewal, choose the conservation license plate option at registration to show your support for conservation and our projects.
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Combined Calendar
AZ Trout Unlimited & Chapters, Arizona Flycasters Club and several other area fishing and conservation calendars
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You may access our calendar here.
Zane Grey Trout Unlimited
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Protect. Reconnect. Restore. Sustain. Conserving coldwater habitat in the desert southwest. |
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