By Alexei Calambokidis, Washington Conservation Manager,Trout Unlimited
"A top priority for Trout Unlimited nationally, and regionally, is the removal of the four Lower Snake River Dams. While dam removal will require an act of US Congress, TU (alongside a coalition of fish conservation groups and Tribes) worked with the Washington Legislature to secure important funding for work on transportation, irrigation and energy infrastructure planning to ensure Washingtonians are not negatively impacted by the removal of the dams."
On May 16th "Governor Jay Inslee signed Senate Bill 5187 and House Bill 1125, the 2023-2025 state transportation and operating budgets. These bills will fund studies required in the process to remove the four Lower Snake River dams. The studies will create plans to transition the energy, transportation, and irrigation services currently provided by the Lower Granite, Little Goose, Lower Monumental, and Ice Harbor dams and provide economic development opportunities to the region. Removal of the four dams is critical to restoring wild salmon and steelhead populations and honoring Tribal treaty rights."
Read more about this from TU Wild Steelheaders United HERE & Trout Unlimited National HERE.
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Thank you to the community members and advocates who spoke up during the March 31 and April 3 federal listening sessions! Our message came in loud and clear to the Biden Administration: remove the four lower Snake dams and recover healthy and harvestable populations of wild salmon and steelhead.
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WCTU Conservation News EVENTS!
We have been hoping to announce several new BAT trainings on the horizon, but areas for training in the Gifford Pinchot National Forest are just now opening up and we are still in negotiations with Pierce County. We will send out a separate BAT training announcement when we have solidified the training dates, location and other information. Thanks to all the interested volunteers who have been patiently waiting for this opportunity.
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Protecting the Green River Watershed & Valley
"Mount St. Helens: No Place for a Mine"
Cascade Forest Conservancy
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Washington Council of Trout Unlimited is an Alliance Partner of The Green River Valley Alliance, working to protect the Green River Valley by Mount St. Helens from the threat of mining!
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Mount St. Helens is #NoPlaceForAMine!
Thursday May 18th, 2023 marked the 43rd anniversary of the eruption of Mount St. Helens (Lawetlat’la). That historic day was remembered vividly by those who lived through it. Whether you saw the eruption with your own eyes, experienced ash falling like snow hundreds of miles away, or were told stories of this day by your parents and grandparents, May 18th, 1980 holds incredible significance to the entire Pacific Northwest.
As we look back on the eruption and how it has impacted our region, we are reminded now more than ever just how important it is to protect the Green River Valley, located in the foothills of Mount St. Helens, from the threat of an open-pit hardrock mine. Unfortunately this beloved area continues to face the very real threat of a proposed open-pit copper, gold, and molybdenum mine.
As a Partner of the @GreenRiverValleyAlliance, we are advocating for permanent protections for this incredible landscape through a mineral withdrawal. Learn more and join us in telling Congress that this is #NoPlaceForAMine***************Sign our petition today HERE
Click Here for more information on The Issue, Green River Valley, The Mining Threat, The Threat to Tribes, The Threat To Water, Fish and People, The Threat to Recreation and Our Solution. Find out more about how you can help and join the Alliance as a Partner!!
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Northwest Youth Fly Fishing Academy
June 18 - 24, 2023 - is full!
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The 2023 WCTU Northwest Youth Conservation & Fly Fishing Academy is about to launch its 21st season event at a new facility this year -
Panhandle Lake, near Shelton WA. Check it out HERE
This amazing camp is full for this year with a waiting list, and we couldn't be more excited. There is still time to volunteer your help. If you can give one day of your time to help this youth event, I promise you will never forget what a wonderful experience it is! To volunteer go HERE.
We are incredibly grateful to our FFI partners who financially support and help put on this youth opportunity event!!
Huge Thanks to our 3 new co-directors John Gravendyk, Carol Anderson, and Bruce Merighi for your countless hours of work to pull this off!! Just outstanding dedication and volunteerism!!
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Chapters are getting busy and beautiful Spring Weather is bringing out the crowds! Just take a look at a couple of great things they are doing!! |
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Kitsap OP Chapter teams up with Parks & Fishing Club to help kids learn to fish!! |
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Julie Kelner - president of the Kitsap OP Chapter writes.........
"We had a successful Youth Fly Fishing Expo on Sunday May 7th." Partnering with Bainbridge Island Parks and Bainbridge Island Fishing Club, we introduced about 17 youth to fly fishing. TU educated the kids on the "ingredients of a healthy stream. They left with a bracelet with beads representing: sky, trees.water, wood, riffles, clean water, plants and animals. Next stop TU volunteers help them tie a fly (colors of their choice). After that was a casting lesson and then off to the pond to fish. All of the kids caught fish or at least hooked up, it was amazing! A lot of smiling faces!
Great job Kitsap Chapter - what a great event!!!
Just look at these smiling faces!!
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North Sound Speyapalooza BIG success!! |
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This past weekend several of the WCTU leadership Pat Hesselgesser, Dean Campbell, and Dannon Engquist showed up at the North Sound Speyapalooza event. Alexei Calambokidis and Greg Fitz, TU staffers, were also in attendance. We had the opportunity to talk with lots of great folks about Trout Unlimited and the great work North Sound chapter, WCTU and TU staff are all doing across the state. It was a gorgeous day on the Skagit river with opportunities to learn Spey casting, listen to Bill McMillan talk about steelhead spawner surveys he has done for years, eat great BBQ, meet new people, and talk to the many vendors that participated. There was also a group of volunteers that accompanied Bill McMillan and Scott Willison on a spawner survey after the event. Attendees were able to camp at the Howard Miller Park and a great time was had by ALL!!
North Sound TU Chapter Leadership & members
CONGRATULATIONS ON A FANTASTIC EVENT!!
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Lots of Spey Casting going on and a great place to meet up! |
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Vendors from all around the state and beyond supporting the event with free use of rods and displaying their gear! |
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A Message from the Council Chair
We want to share your chapter events and important conservation work in this newsletter. Spread the word across the state about fun and informative events you are hosting - like the ones above by Kitsap & North Sound Chapters. Engagement is the way to Grow your chapter!! So let us help you spread the word about your events!! Contact Us
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WCTU is honoring volunteerism through ANNUAL AWARDS
Don't forget to nominate an individual or chapter that you think deserves one of these awards! The time is now through August 1st for nominations.
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2023 Awards will be presented at our October annual meeting. Nominations must be in by Aug.1, 2023. If you know a TU member or Chapter or Alternative Engagement Group (AEG) that fits the criteria for one of these awards, please nominate them.
The Chinook Awards for Conservation/Advocacy
- The Chinook Award to a WA Trout Unlimited member
- The Chinook Award to a WA Chapter or Alternative Engagement Group
The Steelhead Awards for Special leadership/commitment to excellence.
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The Tim Gavin “Steelhead Award” to a WA Trout unlimited member.
- The Phoenix “Steelhead Award” / to a WA Chapter or Alternative Engagement Group
Our AWARDS Chairman is Larry Hill - WCTU will need 3 more volunteers to serve on this committee to review the nominations. They will be using a point system criteria for judging nominations to decide the winners.
Please email us HERE if you are interested in serving on this committee.
For more information on the awards and the criteria visit HERE.
Nominations should be submitted to the State Council no later than August 1st, 2023. Nominating forms can be requested and completed nominations returned with all supportive documents to the council email HERE
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WCTU Advocacy Committee is following these headline issues:
Click on the blue or green links for information
*Salmon Recovery & SMA/GMA
*Warm Water Fish Policy
*Enloe Dam Removal
*Nelson Dam Puyallup River
*Electron Dam
If you would like to join the advocacy team and represent your chapter or just find out more about all these issues in our state; please contact the
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TU National Meeting for all - right here in Spokane WA. Sept. 27th - Oct. 1, 2023. So start planning to go NOW!! See how to get 1/2 off the cost of the event by volunteering - read below. |
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COMMUNITY ×
A celebration of
COLDWATER × coldwater &
CONSERVATION
conservation.
Photo Credit - Michael Visintainer | Silver Bow Fly Shop. The beautiful Redband Trout - Spokane River
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The WCTU is asking Chapters to budget now to help at least one or two members of your chapter attend this amazing event right here in our state. We won't get this chance again for a very long time, and it means showcasing what WA Trout Unlimited is all about! The CX3 event will feature fun for all and is a family event. The website is being updated often and is now live for registration. So keep checking and visit often to get registered. GO HERE
Here is a great opportunity to get half off the admission price of the meeting, which includes all your meals and all the events. Just volunteer and work 4 hrs or more at the event to receive $175 off the $350 fee for the entire event. That's a great deal and if you are interested put your name on the list by contacting Bruce Merighi HERE.
We will be contacting volunteers as the meeting draws closer to let them know how to help. Don't forget if you just want to attend any of the conference sessions without eating those are free!
You can also register for CX3 under the free category which Includes access to all conference sessions, presentations and free activities. Individual meals, fishing trips and other special events can be purchased separately. View full event lineup HERE
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Is Your Chapter using the TU Events Page Yet? |
Get on the TU Calendar of EVENTS!! The calendar is linked to WCTU website, and chapters can also link events to their websites. Keep reading to get started using TU's Eventgroove which puts your events all in one place on the national TU website; then link it to your chapter website or Social Media sites to help promote your events.
We encourage each chapter to start an account and use this event tool to advertise your events and help us all find fun and engaging TU events around the state.
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Not a TU Member Yet?
Support your cold water conservation for future generations and become a Trout Unlimited member today! Your membership helps support so many conservation efforts around our state. First time annual memberships start at $17.50.
Click HERE to find out more. If you don't know your local chapter name just put unknown and you will be placed in your closest chapter by zipcode.
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