Committed to 
Protecting, Connecting and Restoring Arizona's watersheds and fisheries.
"He told us about Christ's disciples being fisherman, and we were left to assume... that all great fishermen on the Sea of Galilee were fly fisherman and that John, the favorite, was a dry-fly fisherman."
~Norman Maclean - A River Runs Through It
Message From The President
Greetings!
Welcome to the May 2021 Newsletter,
 
We delayed your newsletter so we could include pictures from our Saturday event with the Diamond Backs Boys & Girls Club and the Kiwanis K-Kids Club. See the article below.

May is of course the unofficial beginning of summer; we certainly experience summer-like temperatures in Arizona during May. But May also means increased outdoor activity, with Mother’s Day and Memorial Day.
 
We are thrilled that in person events have begun once again; some of them even indoors! Baseball is back, sort of, even if it is a challenge to eat a hot dog, drink a beer, and shout at the umpire with a mask on.
 
Last week was National Volunteer week. Both AZGFD director Ty Gray, and President Biden released proclamations, honoring volunteers. See above. Thanks to all who volunteer.
 
Additionally, we’re planning some chapter activities, we’ll share with you later this month.
 
Your Chapter was busy this month. We co-hosted a Salt River Saturday event with Arizona Flycasters Club, and we hosted a table during the opening of the new fly shop in town, AZ Fly Shop. Additionally, the AZTU Council received a $1500 check for the Youth Fish Camp from the AZ Fly Shop’s opening day raffle. You may see the check presentation here.
 
Another reason to celebrate May, and the fly-fishing retailers of Phoenix is May is Orvis Giveback Days. Donate $10 and Orvis will give you a $10 store credit. Zane Grey Chapter gets the $10 donation. You can find more about this terrific deal later in the newsletter.
 
Finally, don’t forget our 2021 photo contest. While the entries are now closed, voting continues until May 15th. Be sure and scroll through all the pictures; some of the best were early entries, so don’t overlook these fine photos. The first-place winner receives a handmade H & H 9’ 6wt rod and the second place winner receives a hand-made St. Croix 5wt fly rod and case. See the details on our website by clicking here, and see more information in the next article.
 
Do you have memorable experiences of the outdoors as a kid?
Consider sending your teenagers to Fish Camp so they may learn to fish. Arizona Council of Trout Unlimited has partnered with Scouts BSA Grand Canyon Council, and is running three 1-week Fish Camps. You may register your child or grandchild here. But hurry, space is limited and filling fast.
 
We have started off the year strong, plan to continue our great 2021, and look forward to you joining us for our various activities and conservation opportunities.

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.
  • Fishing & Nature Photo Contest - Entries Closed (Vote Till May 15)
  • The Kiwanis Fishing Clinic Was a Huge Success!
  • Orvis Great Giveback Days
  • Diversity, Equity and Inclusion: Earth Optimism, We are TU
  • Public Policy – Waters of Arizona Update;
  • Priority Waters
  • Water Rights
  • Healthy Forests Through Thinning / Tax Credit Incentives
  • Heritage Fund Bill
  • The Good, the Hopeful, and the Bad News
  • Virtual Book Club: Cold Hearted River
  • Native and Wild Trout Conference Goes Virtual
  • TU Lapel Pin Opportunity!
  • Other Angling organizations
  • ZGTU and affiliates calendar 
  • Follow ZGTU on Social Media 
 We’ve gone virtual!!!!
Please join us for our monthly meeting:
Thursday, May 6, 2021 7:00 - 8:45 PM
Please let us know if you are joining us. Contact me.

 
Until then, 
Tight Lines. 
 
Alan Davis
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
The Boys & Girls Club Fishing Clinic
at Kiwanis was a HUGE SUCCESS!!
Thanks to everyone who came out to fish and volunteer at this great event!
Stay tuned for more like this in the future!
Photo credit to George Andrejko, AZGFD for the great pics!
Special Thanks to Our Volunteers and the Kiwanis Members who Assisted!!

Kiwanis Club of Phoenix

Russ Bucklew
Mary Celle
-Taylor Celle
-Lucas Celle
Liz Duncan
Doug Duncan
Doug Dunipace
BK Knappenberger
Ellie Knappenberger
Theresa Lerma

Zane Chapter Volunteers 

Alan Davis
Susan Geer
Paul Holmes
Glen Knight
Loren Linville
Joe Staller
Doug Thompson
Jacqueline Vasquez
Henry Wagy
Jim Walker
As always, there are many opportunities to participate in the various activities and committees, make new friends and make a difference. For more information, visit our website at ZGTU Committees, contact us at Volunteer Interest Signup or contact any ZGTU Board Member for details.
Orvis Giveback Days Return
Looking for some new gear, or want some new clothes? Need something for the dog? If so checkout the great offer from Orvis. The Phoenix Orvis store is partnering with your Zane Grey Chapter of Trout Unlimited, to help further our important projects such as conservation, youth, women, and diversity initiatives. When you donate at the store, your name will be displayed on the window to highlight your support. Or, you may donate to the Trout Unlimited Embrace A Stream program here. Either way, this May, when you give $10, you get a $10 Orvis Savings Card! Not a bad return on investment...so hurry, this offer is good only through May, and only through the Phoenix Orvis Store.
DIVERSITY, EQUITY AND INCLUSION -
Earth Optimism: We Are TU
You may have read about a growing movement that encourages people to make a positive impact on the environment through small changes at the individual and community level.  Earth Optimism, founded by Nancy Knowlton in 2017, is a movement of similar mind to Trout Unlimited, except that
Trout Unlimited has been encouraging large and small scale actions necessary to better our environment since 1959! Take a look at this short video outlining the spirit of Trout Unlimited’s optimistic outlook on achieving conservation: We Are TU video.

Locally, the Zane Grey Chapter of TU works diligently through public policy advocacy, collecting trash one net at a time and teaching classrooms of kids about raising trout.  We have helped the health of streams and showed kids of all ages the joys of fishing and connecting with nature.  We’re building bridges and breaking down barriers. This all happens because a diverse group of people rally around the common goal of making our world a better place.  But it takes a diverse group to do our best—different mindsets, different experiences, different points of view lead to better outcomes and more innovative solutions.  It takes one person to spark an IDEA:
                       Inclusion
                       Diversity
                       Equity
                       Access
We would love to hear YOUR ideas.  Anyone and everyone is invited to join in TU’s national Diversity-Equity-Inclusion Zoom workgroup on the third Thursday of each month at 8 p.m. Eastern time.  We hope to see you May 20!
Senate Passes Water Infrastructure Bill with Major Investments in Job-Creating Conservation Projects - Read more

Priority Waters

One of the major initiatives in the Five-year Strategic Plan coming out of TU National is the concept of "Priority Waters". As a conservation group, we can be drawn into any number of issues. This initiative recognizes that we can only do so much and we need to FOCUS on the waters that are aligned with our mission: cold, freshwater that sustain native and wild trout (and salmon). We are aligning our focus on the 85 waters in AZ that AZGFD has identified as their current or potential wild and native trout waters. We are once again demonstrating our forward thinking by embracing the "Priority Waters" concept and are pursuing a pilot role in this initiative. The next step is to engage in further dialogue with AZGFD to narrow this further to waters

2021 Legislative Sessions

The 2021 Arizona legislature is still in session. Rep. Cobb projected on 4/29 that the session will close in mid-May. We'll see! A few of the most important bills relative to our mission are featured again for this month. Updates are italicized.

Good New:

  • SB1368/HB2056 - This bill, called the "use it or lose it" bill, will allow water rights holders to NOT use their entire allocation without losing future rights to that water. This bill was passed by the House and Senate and was signed by the Governor. This is great news as it allows water rights holders to leave water in rivers and streams without losing their rights to access that water in the future.
  • SB1442/HB2440 - This bill, known as the Governor's Healthy Forest Initiative, provides for a four-fold increase in the state's funding for thinning forests at the urban-wildlife interface of our communities using Department Of Corrections inmates. It also provides a career path for incarcerated people. This was passed by the House and Senate and signed by the Governor on 3/9.
  • SB1177/HB2247 - This bill provides tax credits to companies that process forest products. This will support forest thinning by supporting enterprises who will remove the slash (biomass) left over after useful timber is removed. This bill passed the House & Senate and was signed by the Governor on 4/28
  • SR1002/HR2003 - 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. This bill is dead.
  • 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 is dead.

Hopeful:

  • 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 is being reviewed in the Senate Appropriations and Rules Committees. We support this legislation. Several amendments have been made on the amount of funding, but it is still in process.
  • 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 was then passed in the Senate with amendments. It has been sent back to the House on 4/28 to have amendments voted on.

Bad News:
  • HB2679 - This bill would have allowed county boards of supervisors to take action to protect their groundwater. This bill is dead.

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

Women's Virtual Book Club: 

Book - Cold Hearted River by Keith McCafferty

Need more info? Contact Marcia Lescault: LescaultMarcia@yahoo.com  

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
Social Media: 
Check out the Instagram page for
Arizona Women of Trout Unlimited: @AZWOTU
If you're more traditional, try signing up for the private Facebook group: Arizona Women of Trout Unlimited.
Native and Wild Trout Conference Goes Virtual
As with most events during the past year, we held the Twelfth Annual Native and Wild Trout Conference virtually over five nights – April 22 - 26. 
 
This conference, like our previous ones, covered a variety of topics in 20 presentations, by a number subject matter experts. The conference included talks by leaders of Arizona Game and Fish Department, Trout Unlimited and other agencies on the protection and expansion of Apache and Gila trout, forest and watershed protections, and the Lees Ferry fishery. 

Don’t worry if you missed some of the presentations, we recorded them you can view these sessions on the Arizona Council of Trout Unlimited (AZTU) website here.
 
You are encouraged to view the recordings as you find the time.  

There are a lot of awesome social media pages that feature Arizona fishing opportunities and catches on them. Here is one you may enjoy from Sam Simmons. Sam is an angler based in Mogollon Rim country and the White Mountains of Arizona. He works tirelessly at the Canyon Creek Hatchery, as well as tirelessly chasing wild trout!
Looking for a Fishing Opportunity?
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:
Organization
Arizona Flycasters Club
Sunnyslope Community Center | 802 E. Vogel Ave. Phoenix, AZ
Link To Website

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.
Contact
Desert Fly Casters
Check website for details.

General meeting 2nd Wednesday of each month. There may be some exceptions so check website for details.
Sun City Grand Fishing Club
Sun Lakes Fly Fishing Club
Payson Fly Casters
White Mountains Fly Fishing Club
http://flyfishingwm.com/
White Mountains Lake Foundation
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:
Join Trout Unlimited Today!
Not a member yet? Looking for a gift idea?  Join today at Trout Unlimited!
REMEMBER:
Your Conservation License Plate Supports TU Programs
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. 
Combined Calendar 
AZ Trout Unlimited & Chapters, Arizona Flycasters Club and several other area fishing and conservation calendars
You may access our calendar here
Zane Grey Trout Unlimited
Protect. Reconnect. Restore. Sustain. Conserving coldwater habitat in the desert southwest.